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Document Sample
Understanding the
Service and Product Lines of
Charlotte Mecklenburg Library
Prepared for the Task Force on the Future of the Library
November 2010
The information contained in this document represents a descriptive re-purposing of the Public Library
Association (PLA) Service Responses. The PLA Service Responses conceptualize the product and service lines
variously required of public libraries by communities across the nation. As such, the Service Responses are an
industry-wide representation of the most important functions that public libraries fulfill in their communities.
This document places the Service Responses in the context of the communities serviced by the Charlotte
Mecklenburg Library in Mecklenburg County, with short explanations of what they mean locally.
Understanding the Service and Product Lines of Charlotte Mecklenburg Library
Service
Lines
Product
Lines
Specialized
Auxilary
Services &
Services
Products
FIGURE 1: SERVICE AND PRODUCT LINES
Figure 1 represents Service and Product Lines at Charlotte Mecklenburg Library. A broad description of the
individual product and service lines, based on the PLA Service Responses, follows below.
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Understanding the Service and Product Lines of Charlotte Mecklenburg Library
Product Lines
Product Lines are those materials (print, digital, audiovisual) which the public expects to find at the Library. If
the Product Lines are not available, the Library is not able to fulfill its mission. We offer all Product Lines at
each location; though the scope and depth of offerings will be greater at regional locations.
Enhance Quality of Life: Reading, Viewing, and Listening for Recreation
Residents who want materials to enhance their quality of life will find what they want, when and where
they want them, and will have the help they need to make choices from among the options.
At Charlotte Mecklenburg Library, this represents the materials (books, magazines, audiovisual, and on-line) needed to
allow customers to select from a wide variety of fiction and non-fiction narrative materials. It also represents the staff
and systems needed to circulate these items to the public. We support these materials through:
Processing requests for popular books and other items
One-on-one readers advisory as part of customer service
Staff-led book discussion groups
Providing access to e-books and other digital materials for remote use through www.cmlibrary.org
Providing on-line reader’s advisory resources through www.cmlibrary.org
Community-wide programming initiatives for adults such as the Novello Festival of Reading
Community-wide programming initiatives for children and teens such as Summer Reading
Community-wide programming initiatives for teens such as Teen Read Week
Stimulate School Readiness: Early Literacy
Children from birth to age five will have books, programs and services designed to ensure that they will
enter school ready to learn to read, write, and listen.
At the Library, this represents the materials (books, magazines, audiovisual, and on-line) needed to allow young
readers to select from a wide variety of age attractive and age appropriate materials. It also represents the staff who
help young children and their parents and caregivers identify and find these materials. We support these materials
through:
One-on-one readers advisory as part of customer service to children and their parents and caregivers
Staff-led programs and story times incorporating pre-literacy activities
Providing on-line access to children’s stories and literacy activities via www.storyplace.org and
www.getsetforK.org
Community-wide programming initiatives such as WordPlay Saturday
Outreach to many communities; for example, in-home day care centers in fragile neighborhoods and
local high schools with programs to serve teen parents
Staff do not teach children to read, but through story time and other pre-literacy activities, as well as by
recommending developmentally appropriate materials, staff encourages a love of reading from the earliest age.
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Understanding the Service and Product Lines of Charlotte Mecklenburg Library
Aid in School Success: Homework Help
Students will have the resources they need to succeed in school.
At the Library, this represents the materials (books, magazines, audiovisual, and on-line) needed to allow students to
select from a wide variety of timely, accurate, relevant and age-appropriate information sources designed to meet
their educational needs. It also requires the staff and systems needed to advise students and their parents and
caregivers as to their suitability for an intended purpose. We do this through:
One-on-one reference interviews as part of customer service to students and their parents and
caregivers
Providing computers for students to do homework
Providing space for students to study and meet with tutors
Providing remote access to on-line reference and homework resources for students to use from home
through www.cmlibrary.org as well as access to on-line homework tutors through tutor.com
Outreach and programming initiatives to teachers and classrooms in public, charter, private and
home schools
Library staff do not complete homework for the students, but guide students to the resources they need to complete
assignments.
Encourage Lifelong Learning and Informed Decision-Making: Self-
Improvement
Residents will have the resources they need to identify and analyze risks, benefits, and alternatives before
making decisions that affect their lives as well as explore topics of personal interest and continue to learn
throughout their lives.
At the Library, this represents the materials needed to allow customers to make health, financial, legal, consumer and
career choices using timely, accurate and relevant resources as well as enable customers to educate themselves
through history, biography, travel, the sciences and liberal arts. It also represents the staff and systems to circulate
these items to the public and advise as to their suitability for an intended purpose. We support these materials
through:
One-on-one reference interviews as part of customer service
Providing remote access to on-line reference resources through www.cmlibrary.org
Hosting speakers who are subject matter experts on topics supported by the collection
Outreach initiatives such as sponsoring a Library booth at a health fair
Programs and initiatives that help teens develop critical thinking skills and cultural awareness
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Understanding the Service and Product Lines of Charlotte Mecklenburg Library
Service Lines
Service Lines are those resources necessary to provide access to the Product Lines. If the Service Lines are not
provided, the public’s ability to make use of the Library’s resources is seriously impaired. We offer all Service
Lines at each location; though the scope and depth of offerings will be greater at regional locations.
Use the Library: Physical and Virtual Spaces
Residents will have safe and welcoming physical places to meet, to conduct research, and interact
with others or to sit quietly and read and will have open and accessible on-line presences designed
to allow customers to easily and intuitively find the information they need, as well as staff trained
to aid specific age groups (e.g. young children, teens, students of all ages, older adults) using
different communication modalities (e.g. face-to-face, telephone, e-mail, chat and on-line).
We do this through:
Libraries sited in highly visible and accessible locations such as store-fronts or high traffic roads and
intersections
Sustainable joint-use facilities with other entities and public agencies such as CMPD, JobLink,
Children’s Theatre & CMS. Potential future partners include CPCC and Parks & Rec.
A reference collection (print, on-line databases) that is current, authoritative, accurate, and relevant
Community rooms for public meetings as well as staff-led programs for children, teens, and adults
Age-appropriate group and individual study areas
Systems that enable customers to find the information they are looking for quickly and confidently
with little or no staff support, such as the public access catalog or remote access to Library databases
from home
A variety of library websites serving children, teens, and adults
Connect to the Online World: Public Internet Access
Residents will have high-speed access to the digital world to ensure that everyone can take advantage of
the ever-growing resources and services available through the Internet.
We do this through providing:
Technology spaces and computer labs equipped with age-appropriate resources
Adequate bandwidth to meet usage requirements
Access to bandwidth for customer-owned wireless devices
Printing resources to the public for a fee
Technology training classes in Internet, PC or software basics
One-on-one-initial orientation to technology or Internet resources
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Understanding the Service and Product Lines of Charlotte Mecklenburg Library
Understand How to Find, Evaluate, and Use Information: Information
Fluency
Residents will know when they need information to resolve an issue or answer a question and will have the
skills to search for, locate, evaluate, and effectively use information to meet their needs.
At Charlotte Mecklenburg Library we do this through one-on-one reference interviews which assist the customer in:
Identifying the type of information required
Obtaining the needed information
Evaluating information for accuracy, authority, timeliness and relevance
Integrating the information with that from other sources
Library staff do provide legal, medical, financial, technical or other professional advice but rather, through one-on-one
service encounters as well as occasional programs, seek to guide customers in acquiring information fluency skills in
the wide range of available resources.
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Understanding the Service and Product Lines of Charlotte Mecklenburg Library
Specialized Services and Materials
Specialized Services and Materials encompass those which the Charlotte Mecklenburg Library has traditionally
committed significant dollars for staff, facilities, and materials over years or decades. Eliminating support for
Specialized Services and Materials significantly damages the public’s access to these resources. Some
Specialized Services and Materials are housed at a particular location, as noted below.
Make Career Choices: Job and Career Development
Adults and Teens will have the skills and resources they need to identify career opportunities that suit their
individual strengths and interests.
At Charlotte Mecklenburg Library, we support job search and career development through supporting individuals who
desire to look for work, prepare resumes, identify career opportunities, study for certifications, submit job applications
on-line, identify educational opportunities, and develop necessary skill sets. We do this through:
Print collections which supports job search and career development
Computers dedicated to job and career development at Job Help Center at Main Library and Sugar
Creek, and available for similar use at all locations
On-line resources such as Career Transitions which are available remotely from home that allow job
seekers to develop self-guided job search and career development plans
Outreach programs in fragile neighborhoods supporting job search and career development, such as
the Career Cruiser
Staff-led orientations to print, PC-based and on-line resources which support job search
Programming initiatives that bring volunteers into libraries to present on subjects such as
interviewing skills and job search strategies
Programs that prepare teens for life after high school; for example, Operation College Launch helps
teens understand college requirements and make informed decisions about college
Staff do not create resumes or find job opportunities for customers but rather guide people to the resources they need
to find work and develop career opportunities.
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Understanding the Service and Product Lines of Charlotte Mecklenburg Library
Discover Your Roots: Genealogy and Local History
Residents and visitors will have the resources they need to connect the past with the present through their
family histories and to understand the history and traditions of the community.
At Charlotte Mecklenburg Library, we support genealogical and local history research allowing individuals to research
their family history or local history. We do this through the staff and collections in the Robinson-Spangler Carolina
Room at Main Library and a smaller collection at Steele Creek. The Robinson-Spangler Carolina Room is recognized as
one of the top genealogy and local history collections in the country.
At Charlotte Mecklenburg Library, we:
Provide dedicated genealogy and local history collections
Maintain archives of relevance to the history of Charlotte, Mecklenburg County, the Carolinas and the
region
Offer one-on-one reference interviews as part of customer service
Provide original research on a fee basis
Maintain an on-line presence, CMStory, which serves as a self-guided reference tool for genealogical
and local historical resources
Provide classes to train small groups on how to use the resources in the Carolina Room
Staff do not develop family trees for customers or provide free research, but orient people to the resources they
require to embark upon a research program of their own design.
Build Successful Enterprises: Business and Non-Profit Support
Business owners and non-profit organization directors and their managers will have the tools they need to
develop and maintain strong, viable organizations.
At Charlotte Mecklenburg Library, we support business owners and non-profit organization through:
Print and on-line resources that guide individuals in the creation, growth and management of non-
profits and businesses
Hosting the Business Collection at Main Library
Also at Main Library, hosting the Foundation Center Cooperating Collection, a collection dedicated to
supporting non-profit organizations
Assisting customers through reference interviews in locating the information they require
Provide space for SCORE, a community organization which places volunteers in the Main Library to
assist customers with entrepreneurial counseling services
Maintaining an on-line presence, BizLink, which serves as a standard self-guided reference tool for
authoritative, current, and relevant links to Internet resources of interest to businesses and
entrepreneurs
Offers on-site training classes on how to use the Business and Foundation Center collections
Staff do not create business plans or write non-profit charters for customers but do provide referrals to community
organizations which are able to provide specialized help with these services.
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Understanding the Service and Product Lines of Charlotte Mecklenburg Library
Research, Create and Share Ideas: Innovation
Residents will have the services and support they need to innovate through researching, creating and
sharing original print, video, audio, or visual content in a real-world or online environment.
Charlotte Mecklenburg Library is a key resource in providing the tools for innovation to support innovation and sharing
of ideas among residents of our community. We do this through:
Spaces specifically dedicated to the research, creation and sharing of ideas, such as the Howell
Research Room in the Carolina Room at Main Library, and Studio I at ImaginOn
Programming initiatives such as storytelling, which is a key component of early literacy activities in
children’s story times at all library locations
Teen programming initiatives, like those that focus on digital media content creation, which
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encourage the development of 21 Century literacy skills
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Display and gallery spaces at the Library include historical documents and artifacts on the 3 floor of
Main Library and the StoryLab at ImaginOn
Providing access to computers and bandwidth which allow customers to research, create and share
ideas on-line
Novello Festival Press, which has put 300 authors in print since 2000
Library staff support customers in their pursuit of innovation by providing the space, information sources and other
resources needed to create and share their ideas.
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Understanding the Service and Product Lines of Charlotte Mecklenburg Library
Auxiliary Services
Auxiliary Services are those which the Charlotte Mecklenburg Library provides on a best effort basis, subject to
funds and resources available. Other entities in the community may be better equipped to provide services in
these areas. Eliminating an area of Auxiliary Service will limit but not eliminate the public’s access to these
resources.
Be an Informed Citizen: Community, National, and World Affairs
Residents will have the information they need to support and promote democracy, to fulfill their civic
responsibilities at the local, state, and national levels, and to fully participate in community decision-
making, as well as access to information about the wide variety of programs, services, and activities
provided by community agencies and organizations
At Charlotte Mecklenburg Library we do this through:
Providing space for civic activities such as early voting
Providing resources (space, computers) for community partners such as VITA to provide tax help
Providing resources (space, computers) for community partners such as Community In Schools to
offer student aid application assistance
Providing meeting space for Charlotte Mecklenburg Schools to host Parent University session
Acting as a distribution outlet for communications originating with Mecklenburg County (e.g.
pandemic flu plans) or other government entities (e.g. state and local tax forms)
Providing access to news from around the world in both print and on-line.
Welcome to the United States: Services for New Immigrants
New immigrants and refugees will have information on citizenship, English Language Learning (ELL),
employment, public schooling, health and safety, available social services, and any other topics that they
need to participate successfully in American life.
At Charlotte Mecklenburg Library we:
offer occasional programs of relevance to new immigrants
provide access to English as a Second Language (ESL) instructional materials
provide space for community partners to provide ESL classes in community rooms
provide Outreach to immigrant communities; for example, Connections that Count supports school
readiness and pre-literacy skills for Latino children and their parents
Library staff do not teach English or naturalization classes, but guide customers seeking information on these topics to
appropriate resources.
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Understanding the Service and Product Lines of Charlotte Mecklenburg Library
Celebrate Diversity: Cultural Awareness
Residents will have programs and services that promote appreciation and understanding of their personal
heritage and the heritage of others in the community.
At Charlotte Mecklenburg Library we offer occasional programs related to diversity and cultural awareness, as well as
provide materials which allow individuals to learn more about their own heritage and that of others. For example,
last year, the library received an Arts and Sciences Council grant to host the World Family Festival at ImaginOn; about
10,000 people attended the festival over four Saturdays, celebrating Native American, African American, Asian
American, and Latin American cultures.
Charlotte Mecklenburg Library is fortunate to have an International Advisory Committee, composed of community
volunteers, to help guide the library in serving and celebrating a diverse community
Learn to Read and Write: Adult, Teen and Family Literacy
Adults and Teens will have the support they need to improve their literacy skills in order to meet their
personal goals and fulfill their responsibilities as parents and caregivers, citizens, and workers.
At Charlotte Mecklenburg Library we offer occasional programs related to adult, teen or family literacy and
communicate with customers on this topic in one-on-one service encounters. We do not teach people to read, but do
provide resources (e.g. space) used by tutors who do come to the Library with their students, as well as and materials
(e.g. high interest, low ability books and graphic novels) which individuals with low literacy skills will find within the
scope of their skills and which also hold their interest.
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