Agenda - Council Work Session - 09/11/2012

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Important Service - Specific Considerations Some of the factors that influence the comparability of library services data are: • Nonresident borrower ratio —The ratio of resident to nonresident borrowers may influence funding for materials acquisition and program planning. Some jurisdictions may be more inclined to fund materials and programming for their own residents. • Library operations —The differences in the number of library facilities, the hours of operation, and the size and scope of holdings and programs can influence expenditure levels and perceptions of service quality. Broadly speaking, the physical, political, and demographic characteristics of each reporting jurisdiction also influence performance. • Examples include unusually good or bad weather, new state or federal mandates, significant changes in state or federal aid, major budget cuts, and median household income. Citizen preferences, council or board priorities, local tax resources, and state - imposed spending limits cause additional variation in the funds, equipment, and staff available for providing library services. A list of additional considerations applying to all service areas is included in the introduction to this report. Please review it before reporting, analyzing, or otherwise using the information in this report. Suggested Applications CPM 101 Annual Report: FY 2011 Library Services / 80 • Consider whether the economic downturn is providing opportunities for libraries. Some communities in the CPM Comprehensive program have seen an increase in circulation rates and patron visits that they attribute (at least in part) to the economic downturn; these communities report increases in residents turning to libraries for no- and low -cost information and entertainment options. Some communities are also examining strategies for retaining this increased activity as the economy recovers. Has your community seen changes in circulation rates over the last 2 -3 years? If so, has your organization been able to determine reasons for the changes in circulation and visit rates? Are you considering strategies for maintaining any increases you may have seen in these rates? Have you implemented any strategies? Have you been able to track results? If you are willing to share your strategies„ please send a message to cpmmailPicma.org with "CPM 101" in the subject line. We would welcome the opportunity to help tell your story and share your effective practice. • Examine your performance compared to peers and means and medians. If you're performing above the norms, check in with ICMA if you'd be willing to share what you're doing to achieve high performance. Your practices may be suitable for write -up that can be shared with others. If you find that you'd like to improve performance in any areas, check the analysis and effective practice case studies posted on the CPM 101 group on the ICMA Knowledge Network. The studies are full of examples of how local governments have used performance measurement to find improvement targets and boost performance —and to promote ongoing high performance. You can also check out the What Works Case Studies posted on the performance measurement topic page. OCMA Center for Performance Measurement'"