Our
Services
In a rapidly changing environment libraries need to think strategically
about where their organizations fit in today’s complex information
environment. What services do your customers want and expect from
you? How do you stay abreast of the latest technological developments?
How can you best make the case for local support? LDS can help you
develop a strategic, long or short range plan that identifies your
library’s overall goals and priorities and provide you with
strategies to implement your ideas. Working with you and your planning
team we will assess your current operating environment, review demographic
and other trends that affect the delivery of library service, talk
to your customers to learn more about what they want, and help you
identify clear goals and obtainable objectives that will help transform
your library and staff.
Who are your customers? Or more importantly who doesn’t use
the library and why. If you are not ready for a long range planning
effort but want to know more about your customers’ perceptions
and thoughts about the library we can help you with a community
wide needs assessment. Using a combination of focus groups, surveys,
and interviews we can provide you with a detailed report that provides
a snapshot of what people in your community think about the library
as well as recommendations for actions you can take to address identified
needs.
Thinking about initiating a new program but unsure about how to
proceed? Do you want to know more about what others have done or
learned from offering similar programs? Or maybe you just need an
outside assessment about what programs currently work and don’t
work in your library. LDS can help you with all stages of program
design from conceptualization, staffing, resource and budget development
to implementation. We are also available to help you evaluate the
library’s current service offerings and will provide you with
recommendations about which programs and services best meet the
needs of your community.
Does it seem that some days no one gets along? Are you being asked
to collaborate more with your local school libraries or other community
organizations? Are you having problems getting your staff to work
together effectively as a team? LDS’ experience in building
collaborative ventures between school and public libraries, assisting
with mergers, and getting diverse groups of people with different
interests to work effectively together will help you to build the
type of collaborative team you need. We
offer team building and change management sessions, staff development
interventions, and will work with existing teams to help them refocus
and work more effectively.
Providing 21st century library service in 20th century buildings
is a daunting task. We can help you and your board develop the case
for new or expanded facilities. LDS will assess your current facility,
provide you with feedback about needed improvements, and offer recommendations
about short and long term solutions that will make your library
work more effectively. If you are ready to work with an architect
on building design we can create a building program to detail the
kind of space you need and the specific functions that space will
support as well as all the detail your architect will need to design
a great building.
Today librarians are receiving increased pressure to obtain “private”
support for library services. Not sure about where to start to obtain
outside support? Need some advice about how best to mount a successful
fundraising effort. LDS can help you identify your message and create
a compelling case for your fundraising effort. We can provide assistance
on identifying prospects, building a successful campaign committee,
planning campaign events, and establishing a 501(c)3 library foundation.
Your Friends and Trustees are your best advocates but they may not
always feel comfortable with this task. LDS can help you build a
group of community advocates who can advance the library’s
message, speak out effectively before community groups and governing
officials and assist you in obtaining more support for the library, especially important before a facility's referendum and building efforts.
Expected to be an efficient manager and an inspirational leader? Managing your HR function and providing a vision for the future of your library takes a lot of detail background work. LDS can assist you with workflow analysis of any function, creating new job descriptions, staff manuals, staff development and training and benefit's anaylsis.
Executive Recruitment
It's true. It is all about leadership. Is the current Director retiring or moving? Is the Board of Trustees looking for a high energy Director who can create a compelling vision for the future of the library and can then lead the Board and community to achieve that vision? LDS understands leadership and how to transform libraries. LDS will assist you in creating the right leadership profile for your Director and then help you identify, interview and hire the right candidate.
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