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Administrative Ready Reference Sharon Campbell Using Library Services & Technology Act grant funds awarded by the Illinois State Library, Office of the Secretary of State, the Administrative Ready Reference CD was created to make the job of public library directors throughout Illinois easier. The CD is meant to be used in the same way every ready reference tool is used in libraries, but it will answer library administrative and governance questions. The creation of the Administrative Ready Reference was truly a collaborative effort. It involved the active participation of the editors, feedback from nearly 50% of the public libraries in Illinois, and the innovative work of the design firm that was hired to bring all of the unique component parts together in an easy to use final product. The plans for the Administrative Ready Reference CD began with a realization that it was time to update the existing Policy Model which had been funded through a previous grant and distributed to library systems statewide several years ago. As discussion of this update progressed it became apparent that the original Policy Model with accompanying floppy disk could be improved upon and that the appropriate technology for this product would be a CD-ROM. A Library Services and Technology Act (LSTA) grant was applied for, funded, and work began in earnest. A fair amount of brainstorming took place among the three editors with the intent being the creation of a CD-ROM product that would provide the answers to many of the most typical questions asked by library administrators. It was determined that those questions centered on governance, annexations, policy creation, and library law. The specifics of those questions ranged from the fairly general to the highly detailed and it became a goal of the project to provide relevant information for that complete range of questions. To confirm the above listed topics as priorities among public libraries in Illinois, and to identify any additional general or specific topics that were also of broad-based concern to libraries throughout the state, a survey was distributed to each public library in Illinois. In the case of communities with a main library and branch libraries, only the main library received the survey. In total, 634 surveys were sent via U.S. mail to public libraries in Illinois. An amazing 308 libraries returned fully completed surveys. Libraries responding to the survey ranged in size and location from the large suburban libraries in northern Illinois to the smallest public libraries in southern Illinois. The survey offered participants the opportunity to select from a list of possible topics and to make recommendations for additional topics that could be included in the CD-ROM. In addition to the comments that were requested, several librarians took the opportunity to remark on the benefit of the previous policy model and to react enthusiastically to the proposed Administrative Ready Reference. Results of the survey were tabulated and used in determining the final content of the CD-ROM. A summary of the survey results is attached. Whether in response to topics included on the survey, or in response to topics suggested by respondents, for any topic to be included in the Administrative Ready Reference there had to be a consistent need expressed among respondents. Some of the suggestions included in the text of the survey as well as some of the topics recommended by the respondents were excluded because there was not adequate interest indicated to warrant their inclusion. The editorial team then began work on the clarification of the requirements of the product. The first step was to clearly define the required content. Using the information that had been gathered from the editorial team and from survey respondents, the following content was determined to be necessary: • ANNEXATION. Although this documentation pertains to district libraries, with the ongoing interest in bringing service to the unserved, this * Sharon Campbell, Public Library Consultant, Shawnee Library System, Carterville. 28 topic was one of great interest to libraries of all types. This presentation of forms, and a narrative overview of the process will be useful in a variety of situations. • CHARITABLE GIVING. Libraries are frequently asked how donations can be made to offer the greatest tax advantage to the donor. There are a variety of options available and this narrative along with sample letters provides insight into the most appropriate options in a variety of different circumstances. • NON-RESIDENT FEE CALCULATION. Librarians who are new to the field, trustees, and others are not always aware of the exact Illinois State Library formula necessary to meet the reporting requirements of the Per Capita and Equalization Aid Grant Application. Inclusion in the Administrative Ready Reference provides this information for their immediate reference. • ORDINANCES. A variety of ordinances are required of both district libraries and local libraries throughout the year. These ordinances with some capacity for editing by the end user provide examples that were created by an attorney with a specialty in Illinois library law. • PLANNING FOR GRANTS. The Illinois State Library offers a variety of grant opportunities throughout this year. This section provides information about those grant offerings and tips on how to plan ahead and be well prepared when a grant offering is made. • POLICY MODEL. The updated policy model offers a broad spectrum of policies that are common among libraries and/or that are component parts of Serving Our Public: Standards for Illinois Public Libraries. These policies are fully editable to make adaptation for local use as easy as possible. • PROPERTY TAX EXTENSION LIMITATION LAW (PTELL). More and more libraries in Illinois are being affected by PTELL or "tax caps." This section offers useful information regarding the true impact of PTELL on district libraries and on local libraries. • SERVING OUR PUBLIC: STANDARDS FOR ILLINOIS PUBLIC LIBRARIES. As the current Standards document for public libraries in Illinois, it is a vital document within the Administrative Ready Reference. • TRUSTEE FACTS FILE. This is a valuable tool for librarians and trustees throughout Illinois. As with Serving Our Public, its inclusion strengthens the Administrative Ready Reference. • ADDENDA. This section contains a variety of useful information that did not quite fit in the other sections but is necessary for the administration of a public library. While those end results were certainly focused on content, of equal importance were the ease of information retrieval and the creation of a product that would not quickly become obsolete. The selection of the design firm to work on this project was the next priority. StudioNorth was selected as the appropriate firm for a variety of reasons which included their commitment to completing the project within the short allowable time frame, their ability to work in a variety of formats and media allowing for greater flexibility in the end product, and their ability to translate the requirements of the project into a user friendly end product. With those goals clearly defined, meetings began with members of the design firm staff. The first meeting with the design firm was to discuss the general concept of the Administrative Ready Reference, to provide the design firm with a description of the end user, and to begin work on the architecture of the final product. The end user was defined as an individual with primary administrative responsibility for a public library in Illinois. No assumptions were made regarding the educational background of the end user. No assumptions were made regarding the type of public library, with a goal of the project being a product that was relevant to district libraries as well as local (city, village, or township) libraries. It was recognized that the end user could be using the Administrative Ready Reference with the assistance and support of their library system or they could be working on an evening or weekend and in relative isolation. For that reason, a product that was intuitive in its use was determined to be a priority. The initial set of documents for inclusion was delivered to StudioNorth at this meeting as well. The documents were discussed and the most appropriate format 29 for the documents was determined. It was decided that the documents would be presented in either Rich Text Format (RTF) or Portable Document Format (PDF) depending on the level of editorial capabilities that were to be available to the end user. These two formats accomplished a variety of goals. The use of RTF allows users to open and freely edit filed regardless of the application software the library uses. By including Acrobat Reader in the CD ROM, all libraries could view PDF files and edit those aspects that were defined as editable during the creation of the CD-ROM. It was necessary, at this time, to also define the minimum system requirements to successfully operate the CD-ROM. After serious consideration, it was decided that the appropriate platform would be that of the computers awarded through an earlier noncompetitive grant process to public libraries in Illinois. Although these computers were not intended to be used for administrative purposes, most public libraries in Illinois did receive computers through this grant program and would, therefore, be able to access the information contained in the Administrative Ready Reference. Of course computers that exceed these minimum specifications can also successfully run the Administrative Ready Reference CD-ROM. The next puzzle to be solved was the strong belief that the Administrative Ready Reference should be a product that would have a long useful life rather than becoming quickly obsolete. As with any reference tool, the danger is that obsolete information would lead to erroneous conclusions on the part of the end user. As the discussion of alternatives took place, the editorial team came to agreement that one solution would be to provide links to appropriate web sites. These sites were selected based on the following criteria: • The site was created to support the ongoing information or research needs of a specific population. • That specific population would have a powerful and sustained need for accurate and timely information. • The agency supporting the site was stable, and a recognized authority on the topic. The editorial team realizes that this is both a positive and negative self-limiting criteria. It is positive in the fact that the risk of erroneous information has been minimized. It is negative in that not all public libraries in Illinois currently have Internet access. It is also negative in that the links will eventually become obsolete as addresses changes and forwarding messages expire. The editorial team accepts those negatives as reasonable because the end result is still better than creating a static document in a dynamic environment. For example, laws can and do change. If the publication, Illinois Library Law had been provided in current full text format, it would become obsolete. However, a library director new to the field or working under a significant pressure deadline may not take that into consideration. In that circumstance, using the Administrative Ready Reference could lead to unexpected or undesired consequences if an obsolete law was mistaken to be current. By providing citation information and links to the appropriate Internet site the librarian can be relatively certain of timely information. Should the site itself no longer be available, the citations are still available and the information could be retrieved through alternative strategies. The final strategy to be developed was the decision about the degree to which the end user could edit documents provided in the Administrative Ready Reference. It was decided that some documents needed to be fully editable while others should have only limited editorial options. The reason for this is, again, to create an environment where it is difficult for an inadvertent error to lead to unexpected consequences. While policies are generally a matter of local decision, ordinances frequently have legal requirements as to language or spacing. In the case of documents with such legal requirements, only limited insertion of specific text is permitted. The weeks that followed the initial meeting with StudioNorth were filled with parallel activities. The design team at StudioNorth worked to created the architecture of the product, evaluating several different support strategies. The variety of document formats and links to outside sources suggested a Web site construction model. Pressing the project to a CD-ROM not only provided the flexibility required of the end product, as it is distributed to libraries throughout Illinois, but also allows library systems to mount the entire project on their existing web sites without compromising the content in any way. Also, during those weeks, contact was made with Mr. Robert Doyle, Executive Director, Illinois Library Association to request the full text of Serving Our 30 Public: Standards for Illinois Public Libraries and the Trustee Facts File in PDF format for inclusion in the Administrative Ready Reference. Mr. Doyle graciously provided the documents in the requested format to StudioNorth. All of the documents were delivered to StudioNorth and included on the Administrative Ready Reference. At several stages throughout the development process, the editorial team was given the opportunity to offer input on the "look and feel" of the Administrative Ready Reference. This exchange of ideas helped create a product that is aesthetically pleasing as well as straight forward in design. Frequent communication between the editorial team and the design team created a product that is technically superior and arranged in a way that will be nearly intuitive for library directors to use. During the month of November 1999 potential Beta sites were contacted and asked to participate in a test of the Administrative Ready Reference. In addition to using the Beta sites commonly used by StudioNorth, the editorial team served as a Beta site as did two public libraries (one a district library and one a local library) and a non-library site. Participants in the Beta group responded by voicing their concerns regarding function, format, headings, or content to StudioNorth for revision. StudioNorth was responsive to the concerns that were voiced and corrected problems as appropriate. The Administrative Ready Reference CD-ROM was distributed via the Illinois Library Delivery System (ILDS) directly to each public library in Illinois. As was the case with the surveys, when both a main library and branches serve a community, only the main library received the Administrative Ready Reference CD-ROM. In total 1,650 copies of the Administrative Ready Reference were ordered. This will allow for the statewide distribution, an additional 25 copies to each of 12 library systems, and additional copies for later distribution by the Illinois State Library. The Shawnee Library System coordinated distribution of the Administrative Ready Reference CD-ROM along with appropriate inserts supplied by the Illinois State Library. The Administrative Ready Reference serves as a gateway to information for library directors throughout Illinois. It contains full text of some essential documents that are unlikely to become obsolete quickly, it contains hot links to Internet sites for more time sensitive documents, and it allows the user to move easily from one document to another. All of this is accomplished in a format that is filled with easy to follow directions, relevant section headings, and clear subject titles. It is a product that is intuitive in its use. PROGRAM ACCOMPLISHMENTS The primary goal of this program has always been to create a product that will be of potential value to library directors of all experiential and educational levels. At the beginning of the planning process it was acknowledged that individuals with an unpredictable array of skills would make use of this product. It was also acknowledged that individuals with strong support from local or system sources would make use of the Administrative Ready Reference as would individuals who worked in relative isolation. It was also recognized that the Administrative Ready Reference needed to have useful information for all types of public libraries. While frequently directors of library districts need to be somewhat more self-reliant than other types of public libraries, this is not a universal truth. There are legal requirements and policy needs for all types of public libraries and those needs were to be addressed in the Administrative Ready Reference. The goal of creating a product that would meet at least some of the information needs of library directors in all circumstances has been reached. This product functions in much the same way as any of the ready reference tools that have long been the mainstay of a busy reference desk at a public library. The content is focused to fill a specific need, the entry to the information is easily identifiable, and cross-referencing is appropriate to the requirements of the product. A second goal of this project was to create a product that is as comprehensive as it can be in regards to documents that are frequently used by public libraries in Illinois. Although no product can ever be created that will address every possible circumstance or question, the Administrative Ready Reference does address a broad host of topics and concerns that are common among libraries. The final goal of this project is that the Administrative Ready Reference would be nearly intuitive in its use. The idea that a novice librarian, working at a time of day or week when system staff were 31 unavailable, could sit down at his or her computer and successfully begin their education into matters of library administration by simply shopping through the Administrative Ready Reference has come to fruition. This product provides answers to questions community or board members may pose, questions staff members may ask, and the full text of two documents (Trustee Facts File and Serving Our Public) that are commonly considered standard administrative reference tools. CHANGES IN PROGRAM DIRECTION The intent and direction of this program remained constant throughout. From the technical side, some changes were required in the architecture of the product in order to make it conform to the defined needs of the end user. As the capacity of a CD-ROM became clearer to the editorial team, the comprehensive nature of the Administrative Ready Reference expanded. This minor change in the program direction only served to enhance its value to the end user. PROJECT'S STRENGTHS AND WEAKNESSES The strength of this project rests in its ability to serve the defined end user. It is a comprehensive tool, designed to support the needs of library directors throughout Illinois. From its easy to understand home page the end user is never more than three "clicks" away from the information he or she needs. The design that allows the user to move about in the CD-ROM provides the opportunity for clarification of questions as they come to the user's mind. For example, if a user is reading Serving Our Public and finds that a specific policy is a Core Standard, he or she can simply "click" on that policy to move to the Policy Model and see a good example. This will help librarians of all experiential levels as they work towards meeting standards. The editorial team believes that the Administrative Ready Reference will have a lengthy useful life. By making use of several aspects of current technology, the CD-ROM no longer needs to contain only information that remains unchanged. By providing links to stable Web sites, the life expectancy of this product has been greatly increased. As with any project, there are a few weaknesses that could be identified. Perhaps had the timeline been a bit longer some additional topics would have surfaced as being relevant or important. Perhaps the Beta sites would have had a bit more opportunity to look for bugs and shortcomings. The response to the surveys, the work of the editorial team to be attentive to the needs expressed in those surveys, and the good work of the Beta sites all lead to the conclusion that this weakness is minimal. ANALYSIS OF HOW GRANT "NEEDS" WERE CHANGED OR ALTERED BY ACTIVITIES The needs of this grant project remained unchanged except to the degree that they were broadened. As the activities of the grant brought to light the true capacity of the CD-ROM, the content of the Administrative Ready Reference was broadened. Because a CD-ROM has such an enormous capacity, we were able to include full text of lengthy documents rather than simply referencing them. We were able to expand on the content of topics that had originally been considered for inclusion. Every change simply enhanced the end result. ANALYSIS OF HOW THE GOALS OF THE ILLINOIS STATE LIBRARY'S LONG RANGE PLAN WERE MET This project met Goal #4 of the Illinois State Library's Long Range Plan. That goal is, "To develop training methods and activities that will allow library personnel and Illinois citizens to become technologically literate and to have full access to information available through libraries." The priority under this goal is "To continue to offer educational opportunities for current and future library staff and trustees in Illinois." The specific activity is "4.3 Support the development or continued use of a variety of methods to train staff who are not able to take advantage of graduate professional training." The Administrative Ready Reference serves as a learning tool in a variety of aspects. By providing full text of the Trustee Facts File and Serving Our Public it offers a learning opportunity for both library directors and trustees. Both of those documents are benchmark documents for public library service in Illinois. A thorough familiarity and understanding of their contents is vital in the education process of every library director. The expanded Policy Model provides a beneficial starting point for any librarian wishing to update current policies or wishing to create policies that are new to that particular library. This document provides full 32 text, fully editable documents that have been reviewed and approved by an attorney. In so doing, the librarian can choose to use the specific text available through the Policy Model, or to create his or her own policy while using the contents of the Policy Model to guide format and style. The section on charitable giving to libraries serves as a primer for all libraries faced with the decision about how to best accept substantial gifts from private or corporate donors. It clearly explains the differences in the types of foundations and the benefits of each. Ordinances and annexation documents provide relevant information for libraries considering an annexation or needing a refresher course on the ordinances required throughout the year. Information contained in the Addendum guides the library to useful citations, sources of free information, rules and restrictions governing several library activities, and other pertinent information. In its aggregate, the Administrative Ready Reference will serve as a valuable self-education tool for librarians who are new to the profession, for librarians who are new to the position of director, and for trustees in a variety of situations. APPENDIX: SUMMARY OF SURVEY RESPONSES As is often the case, the line was clearly drawn between documents that were and were not of interest to librarians across Illinois. Because respondents were asked to return their surveys via fax, we were able to determine that survey responses were received from libraries located in every telephone area code that exists in Illinois. From that, the assumption was that the response was truly broad based and representative of the interests of libraries throughout Illinois. Response totals ranged upward from 178 affirmative responses to a suggested topic OR received less than 20 affirmative responses. The following chart indicates those topics with a strong favorable response.
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