1.  PURPOSE

The Library’s Contribution to Your Community: a Resource Manual for Libraries to Document their Social and Economic Contribution to the Local Community

Was developed under the auspices of the Strategic Directions Council and the Southern Ontario Library Service by a Steering Committee representing the Ontario public library community. The basic premise of the manual is that libraries are better placed to receive adequate and stable municipal funding when they are able to document and communicate the value of their contribution to the community.

The Markdale Public Library used The Library’s Contribution to Your Community in order to document the library’s significant contribution to the quality of life in Markdale and its value as an important and vital municipal service, making it, therefore, worthy of ongoing municipal funding.

2.  BACKGROUND

The Markdale Public Library serves the predominately English-speaking residents of the village of Markdale and three surrounding townships.  The Village itself has a population of approximately 1,200 residents, and the total population of the townships is approximately 10,000.  Markdale has a high proportion of seniors, with roughly 25% of the residents in town being over the age of 65.  The residents of the surrounding townships can be roughly divided into two categories:  farm families, many of whom have strong roots in the area; and, ‘weekenders’ and transplants from Toronto, who have seasonal or recreational properties.

The Markdale Public Library is currently in the midst of a building project.  The library fundraising committee’s MAPLE (Markdale and Area Public Library Expansion) campaign is well underway, having raised, to date, $90,000 towards the new Walter Harris Memorial Library.   The need to foster support for and sustain the momentum of this major capital campaign was one of the reasons for the Library Board’s decision to document and communicate the value of the programs and services of the Markdale Public Library.  Other contributing factors included:

• increasing demands on the library’s operating budget 

• a budget dependent upon tax levy support from three different municipal councils, and a contract for
  library service with a neighbouring library board;

• the pending amalgamation, making the Village of Markdale part of the new municipality of Grey
  Highlands, and the Markdale Library one of three libraries serving the new municipality potential
  partnerships with other agencies and service providers in the community.

3.  THE STUDY

3.1  Profile of the Library’s Services

Currently, the Markdale Public Library has approximately 1,500 members, with 34% being residents of Markdale, 22% residents of Artemesia, 25% residing in Glenelg, and 16% in Holland.  The library is open 31.5 hours a week, circulates 35,000 items annually, and provides the public with access to global information via the Internet.  In addition, the library offers a full range of programming for children and adults, and both participates in and initiates many community events, including the Santa Claus parade and brown bag lunches for community leaders.  With the completion of the new building in 2001, library service will continue to evolve and expand.    

3.2  Focus for the Investigation

The Markdale Public Library chose to investigate 6 benefits deemed particularly applicable to demonstrating its social and economic contributions to the community it serves: 

• Satisfaction with the Community as a Place to Live

• Community Awareness

•  Information Services for Personal Decisions

• Lifelong Learning

• Reading Readiness for Children

• Support for the Retail Sector.

3.3  Community Resources

The library staff was very committed to this project.  The primary contact for SOLS consultants was the Library CEO, Adele Goldsmith.  One library patron and one municipal councilor agreed to be interviewed as key informants who could speak to particular benefits of the library.  Twenty-six people, a mix of library users and non-users, participated in focus groups discussing benefits.  The three focus groups involved seniors, merchants, and parents.  Several members of MAPLE (the library’s fundraising committee) participated in the senior’s focus group.  The study also utilized two letters of support for the library’s Community Access Program application, written by Mayor Stan Baker and President of the Chambers of Commerce, Ernie Kornetz in 1999.

3.4  The Scope of the Investigation

• the library supplied statistics on library use, circulation of selected materials, reference activity, computer use, outreach activities and program attendance;

• an in-house library user survey was conducted;

• SOLS consultants facilitated three focus groups and two key informant interviews;

• SOLS consultants examined the library’s bulletin boards and pamphlet displays in order to gauge the type and range of local information available at the library.

3.5.1 Satisfaction with the community as a place to live

A wide range of community amenities are identified as contributing factors in residential satisfaction. Leisure and educational facilities, such as libraries are frequently cited. The public library’s important role in contributing to this sense of satisfaction is an important message to convey to local decision-makers. Residential developers also now consider the existence and quality of library service in a given community before deciding where to build. This seems to be particularly true for developments targeted to recent retirees and active seniors.

KEY FINDINGS

•  78.5% survey respondents reported being very satisfied or satisfied with the community in which they live;

• 82.4% of those same respondents said the library was very important or important to their sense of satisfaction with the community as a place to live;

• the focus group comprised of seniors spoke unanimously of the library being a municipal service highly valued, and one that contributes to a sense of community and to their own satisfaction with the community;

• in two groups, participants spoke of the library as part of the village’s package of services attracting newly retired individuals, weekenders, seasonal residents and developers building retirement housing;

• the merchants groups felt that private developers interested in building retirement and seniors housing looked favourably on the library as part of what the town has to offer;  

• one participant was quite clear she “couldn’t live here without it [the library]!”

•  programs such as stone soup night and the Halloween party were credited with contributing greatly to a sense of community spirit;

•  in 1999 more than 1,500 people – adults and children – attended a library program

IMPACT STATEMENTS

“If a town has an active library, it implies that the town is intellectually interesting - they are people you would want to get to know.”

“A good library encourages people to settle here.  It is a marker of a certain kind of community - people who are active, who get things done -  and that attracts other like-minded people”.

 “With an influx of early retirees - the first of the baby boomers - expected, the library is part of a complete package of services the village has to offer this group.”

3.5.2 Community awareness

The importance of information to society is well recognized and the role of the public library in this regard acknowledged.  An informed and educated populace is frequently cited as one of the most significant reasons for maintaining affordable and accessible library services.  In measuring community awareness the focus is on local information, documenting the library’s role in keeping residents informed and involved in community affairs.  This role is particularly important in communities that do not have community information centers or bureaus.  In addition, the library may play an essential role in maintaining and preserving the community’s local history.  Frequently, the library is the repository of archives, local histories, and heritage resources.

KEY FINDINGS

The Markdale Public Library contributes to community awareness in a number of ways:

•  the provision of bulletin board space for public notices

•  space for information brochures and publicity pamphlets

• brown-bag lunches for staff from social agencies and services to get together and discuss local issues

• knowledgeable referrals on the part of library staff

• a well-developed local history collection.

The bulletin boards and pamphlet racks, housed in the library foyer, were examined on April 28, 1999.  There were 42 postings announcing local events, social services, and government information.  Specific announcements included:

• local little theatre and concert performances

•  garage sales

•  “Introducing the Markdale Organic Farmers Market Cooperative”

•  “Self-esteem and Confidence Building” (a workshop)

On the same day all 40 spaces for brochures were full, covering a range of events, services, and agencies.  Examples included:

•  the library’s own publicity

•  Saugeen Country travel brochures

• Headwater Network information brochure

• "Good News For Seniors”

•  Bruce Grey Family Resource Centre

•   “HealthSource for the mind, body and spirit:  Directory of Complementary Health Practitioners and Services in the South Georgian Bay Region”

•  Ontario Farm and Country Accommodations

•  Sweet Treats Cafe

•  publicity for summer camps

Over 60% (61.8) of the library users who responded to the in-house survey reported making use of the community information found on the library’s bulletin boards and pamphlet racks; nearly 70% (68.6) said it was very important that this information be available at the public library.

The Markdale Public Library has an extensive local history collection, well used by local and area residents, as well as by travelers.  Currently, they have 187 books, 60 rolls of microfilmed issues of the Markdale Standard dating from 1880, and 42 family histories.  Much of the collection is unique and will only grow in importance, as the village of Markdale becomes part of the larger, amalgamated community of Grey Highlands.   As written by Mayor Stan Baker, on behalf the Village of Markdale Municipal Council, in a letter to the Ministry of Citizenship, Culture & Recreation, dated September 27, 1999, “as communities amalgamate, it is important that historically relevant information be not only preserved, but be available for future generations who may want to explore family connections to those communities.”  (See appendix 8 for Mr. Baker’s letter)  

IMPACT STATEMENTS

“I have found community information that I don’t find anywhere else.”

“It’s the place to go to find out what’s going on in the community.”

“I go to the library to get plugged in.”  

3.5.3 Information services for personal decisions

Perhaps one of the most significant contributions the library makes in the day-to-day affairs of community residents is to provide information to assist with decision-making.  The library provides affordable, accessible, reliable and confidential information.  Consumer reports will be reviewed by residents about to make a major purchase; travel guidebooks will be borrowed by those planning a vacation; ‘how-to-manuals’ will be consulted by individuals attempting to do anything from writing a will to renovating their home; those needing to apply for unemployment insurance or a passport will look to government documents for advice; and students choosing a university or looking for a night school course can get the information they require at the library.  The library is also the only way in which some members of the community can access information technology.  

KEY FINDINGS

It was well demonstrated that the resources available at the Markdale Public Library are used to help people in the community make better decisions in their lives:

•  in a four-week period the staff received 67 requests for information related to either personal decision making or lifelong learning

•  more than half of the people who completed the survey indicate that they use the library for reasons connected with making better decision in their lives. 

•  31.4 % have used consumer reports in the last year

•  26.5 % have used self-help and life skills materials

•  47.1 % have used health and medical information

•  travel material is the most frequently cited example of decision-making material consulted; 51.2% of those who said they use the library for reasons connected with making better decisions cited travel information as an example.

•  one user explains in her comments that she “gained knowledge of cancer and the treatments, medication, etc.”

While the library’s current automation system makes it impossible to provide comprehensive use statistics by subject, some sampling was possible.  The most recent available edition (1996) of the Lemon-Aid Used Car Guide, for example, retailed for $16.95 and has circulated 24 times.  This translates into a per use cost of $0.71, which represents a remarkable economy of scale.  In terms of value, on the other hand, the price of the book, multiplied by the number of people who borrowed it, represents a value of $406.80 to the community. 

Likewise, a 1990 publication entitled 250 Home-Based Jobs:  Innovative, Imaginative Alternatives to the World of 9 to 5 has circulated 16 times.  The initial retail cost of $19.95, divided by the 16 times it’s been borrowed, amounts to a per use cost of $1.25.  The cost, multiplied by the number of people who borrowed it, represents an accumulated value of $319.20 to the community.      

The health and medical collection was examined as an example of a collection that helps people make better, more informed, healthier decisions.  The ten most popular titles circulated a total of 330 times.  The total cost of the books was $202.95; the per use cost was $0.62; and the total value to the community $66,973.

The survey findings also provide compelling evidence that users benefit from the assistance provided by staff who help them find information, and that they strongly believe that this is an important service:  87% of survey respondents reported making use of staff assistance; and 97.6% saw it as very important that staff assistance be available.  One user commented that “the staff always finds ways of obtaining information”. 

IMPACT STATEMENTS

“The library saves our household lots of money!”

“We recently traveled and prior to our trip, used library resources to gain more information re our destination.”

on health and medical information – “the library was necessary to understand my physician’s prognosis, etc.”

“In the information age, rural people have a need for access to technology and information, as many do not have computers in their homes or even work places.”  

3.5.4 Lifelong Learning

Frequently lifelong learning, which includes the process of learning and skill development, will contribute to specific occupational goals of the individual.  It is necessary today for individuals to continuously upgrade their skills to remain competitive in the marketplace. In addition to occupational retraining, the library has a central role in what might be call “learning for leisure”. From its inception the public library, historically referred to as the people’s university, has always been seen as a resource for anyone wanting to pursue learning outside the context of formal education.

KEY FINDINGS

In many respects, all use of the library is contributing to lifelong learning.  Nonetheless, it is possible to isolate certain types of library use that indicate the users are engaged in lifelong learning: 

•  more than half (53.1%), or one of every two users borrow  items in the library classified as “do-it-yourself” materials

•  73% of users think that it is important that this type of material be available at the public library.

•  almost 70% of users borrow items related to a hobby or personal interest such as gardening and crafts

•  80% of users believe that it is very important for the library to make these kinds of material available

•  those who describe themselves as leisure readers often fit the profile of the lifelong learner; 89% of the survey respondents borrow adult materials for pleasure

• in a four week period the staff received 67 requests for information related to either personal decision making or lifelong learning

• in 1998 the library organized workshops on Massage Therapy, Healing Touch, and Herbs and Herbalism

Current titles on popular topics that support lifelong learning are well used. For example, the title How to Use the Internet:  Join the Internet Revolution Today has circulated 31 times since it was added to the collection.  At a retail cost of $24.95, the per use cost works out to $0.80, representing a value of $773.45 to the community.  Another publication, Recipes For Surfaces:  Decorative Paint FinishesMade Simple cost $19.95 or $1.66 per use, and has an accumulative value of $239.40 (based on 12 circulations).

The study used gardening as an example of lifelong learning and looked, in particular, at the ten most popular gardening books, as one collection that serves lifelong learners.  The ten titles retailed for a total of $148.03.  This small collection represents an impressive economy of scale, with an accumulated value of $65,429.26 and a per use cost of $0.33 ($148.03 divided by 442 circulations).    

The library also supports people’s interests in lifelong learning with an extensive magazine collection that includes Popular Mechanics, Canadian Art, Prevention, Organic Gardening, and Canadian Home Workshop. 

IMPACT STATEMENTS

on the do-it-yourself collection – “saves a lot on repairs”

“The library helps immensely with the challenges of parenting.”

3.5.5 Reading readiness for children

Most public libraries provide story times for preschoolers.  These programs are often the child’s first introduction to literacy and to socialization outside of the family circle.  The library is frequently the first institution directly influencing the child’s education and assimilation into society.  The libraries’ activities in this area, both for individual children (usually accompanied by a caregiver) and for organized groups such as Sparks, Beavers, day care centres, etc., play a substantial role in personal growth and well being for children and their families.  They also have a broader social impact as preparation for formal schooling and group socialization.  For young children from immigrant families, especially, those whose language in the home is not English, these programs can be especially critical.

KEY FINDINGS

The Markdale Public Library is very active in supporting the development of children’s reading skills.  Almost two-thirds, or 61.4%, of families that use the library, do so to encourage their children to read.  These users believe that the library provides access to a greater variety of material than is available from other sources of support for reading and literacy available in the community. 

• 90% of all survey respondents believe it is very important that book/reading based programs for children be available at the public library

•  62.1% of survey respondents believe it is very important that the library offer special events related to children’s reading, e.g. Franklin’s visit.    

• 80% of survey respondents believe it is very important that the public library make available parenting books and information

• in 1998/99 five classes visited the library on a bi-weekly basis for stories and book exchange; at an average class size of 30 children, it is estimated that 150 children and their teachers were told stories and borrowed books a minimum of 15 times each, amounting to 2,250 contacts with library staff and resources to encourage reading · in addition, the library’s Reading Buddies program provided one-on-one reading assistance for a number of children throughout the school year 

• 54 children attended March break programs 

• 473 children participated in the summer reading program 

• over 700 preschoolers attended story hours 

• 200 children and 85 adults attended Family Spook Night 

• in a typical two-week period in the fall of 1999, approximately 25% of all materials borrowed were children’s books 

• 29.4%, or almost a third of library users, borrow children’s books for pleasure 

• 29.4%, or almost a third of library users, borrow children’s books for pleasure

IMPACT STATEMENTS

“The library has instilled in my child a love of reading and that means she’s more capable of learning.”

"We use the library to enhance what we teach at home and what our children learn at school.”

3.5.6 Support for the retail sector and the local economy

While the library’s economic contribution to the community may not be vast, it is nonetheless significant relative to a small local economy, and is not to be overlooked.  Visits to the library made in conjunction with other activities, such as shopping can support local retail operations and may, in fact, contribute significantly to the continued viability of downtown. The library also contributes to the local economy as an employer and a purchaser of goods and services.

KEY FINDINGS

While not all of it is quantifiable, there were a number of indications, some measurable, some anecdotal, that the library makes a significant contribution to the viability of Markdale’s downtown, and to the village’s overall local economy.  Certainly, residents of the surrounding townships appreciate the Markdale Public Library as one of the amenities offered by the village, and one of the compelling reasons for regular visits to Markdale. 

The vast majority of survey respondents (83.3%) reported combining trips to the library with shopping.  Given that, on average, 500-600 people visited the library every week in 1999, it is estimated that at least 400 of them also shopped.  This is particularly significant, given that 68.6% of survey respondents reported that they do not live in Markdale, but are residents of Artemesia, Glenelg or Holland.  There was widespread understanding of the fact that people who use the library shop nearby and several people voiced the opinion that a new and bigger library with meeting room space and better parking will bring more visitors to Markdale, including weekend and summer residents, as well as from Artemesia, Glenelg and Holland.

Other ways in which the library supports the retail sector and other small businesses in Markdale and area include:

•  space for advertising and promoting of local services, e.g. bulletin board notices such as one introducing the Markdale Organic Farmers Market Cooperative, and brochures promoting Headwater Network, Complementary Health Practitioners and Services, Ontario Farm and Country Accommodations, and even Sweet Treats Café

•  trained staff that can provide assistance to business users engaged in research

•  free access to the internet for retailers and small business owners who do not have their own access and/or require training and guidance in making use of the resources on the internet; this access, in the words of Chamber of Commerce President Ernie Kornetz, will “allow our local businesses to take advantage of marketing research, develop broader marketing strategies, and offer their services to a market which reaches far beyond our local boundaries.”  (See appendix 9 for Mr. Kornetz’ letter in support of the Library’s CAP application).

•  a nearby fax and photocopier service for retailers and business owners

•  purchases made by the library of goods and services from local retailers such as:  Foodland, IGA (they both also donate to the library), Bargain Centre, P.J. Knickerbocker’s, Pro Hardware, Noble Tech, the bank, the post office, and the florist

•  creative partnerships with retailers such as has happened twice with P.J. Knickerbocker’s, where the library and the children’s store co-sponsor an event that results in increased sales for the retailer, eg. Franklin’s visit in 1998, and Fast Eddy the Yo-Yo Guy in 1999  

IMPACT STATEMENT

 “The library is an essential service in the area serving not only Markdale, but all surrounding townships.  Since Markdale is the center of commerce it is an ideal location for such a facility.”

Glenelg resident

“Markdale has everything:  Library, pharmacy, hospital, great places to eat, L&M, Foodland, lawyers, Grey Lodge, and on and on …”

Euphrasia resident

3.6 Report to the Library

A comprehensive report to the Markdale Public Library Board included documentation of each of the 6 benefit measures, and recommendations for a communication plan.  Appendices to the report included the survey results, statistical data, focus group and key informant interview notes, and an example of a newspaper article that effectively portrays the London Public Library as a key partner in a learning community.  A newspaper article outlining the key role libraries can play in a newly amalgamated municipality is being written by one of the SOLS consultants, using the benefits measures from the study, in particular community awareness and satisfaction with the community as a place to live.

3.7 Communicating the Results

Successfully communicating the benefits of library service is as important as identifying and documenting the benefits. A detailed communications strategy should be outlined, implemented and revised on an annual basis. The strategy will include:

•  Annual objectives – to include key messages to be communicated

•  Statistical and anecdotal information where appropriate to support key messages

• The most effective communication techniques

• A program schedule and an evaluation mechanism

The results of The Library’s Contribution to Your Community study provide the board and staff of the Markdale Public Library with valuable data to support several key messages. The combination of quantitative and qualitative data included in this study can serve as a solid foundation of information suitable for a variety of situations and audiences. The strength of this approach is that it balances anecdotal with statistical, recognizing that while numbers persuade some decision-makers, others are more moved by stories and impact statements.

The most immediate use for the results of this study is to sustain public support for the library building project and to position the Markdale Library and the libraries in Flesherton and Kimbeincrease awareness with the public and the new Municipal Council.  While the study results are particular to Markdale, some of them can be easily extrapolated to include the other two libraries.  Further development of the poster ideas introduced on page 25 might lead to a catchy public relations campaign, aimed at helping the community understand that everyone benefits from the existence of the library, users and non-users alike.

The Communication Plan section of the final report offered sound principles that lead to successful communications strategies, a long list of communications techniques, and a few examples of key messages arising from the data.  Also included was a checklist developed by the Canadian Library Association for its Advocacy Now program, as a communications evaluation tool.     

4.   OBSERVATIONS

.1 Time Committed to the Project  

 .2     Observations by SOLS Consultants

• In hindsight, the study attempted to measure too many benefits at once.  The selection of two or three benefits would provide more of a focus to the study, but also make data collection much more manageable for library staff.
• The impressions around the library being part of a package of amenities being offered to potential residents were remarkably consistent, indicating the need for further research, eg. interviews with developers, corporate employers, residents who have recently relocated to Markdale
• The library’s collection management database does not seem to lend itself to reporting some data on members and use of materials, eg. % of library users who are children; % of materials circulated that are children’s, making it difficult, if not impossible, to measure accurately some of the benefits. 
• In small libraries, it may be more appropriate to consider some or all of the 9 economic benefits collectively, rather than individually.  This would allow for more impressive measures and, therefore, stronger messages.  

.3  Library’s Observations 

•  Since Markdale Public Library was (and still is) involved in a major fundraising campaign, it was very helpful to be able to use the preliminary information from the surveys when we were approaching potential donors.  It was enormously useful to be able to quote some of the positive comments that our survey respondents made about the library when faced with the question: “What do you want a new library for?”

•  Since we were also involved in the municipal amalgamation process, it was useful to be able to share the early findings with library amalgamation committee members when we discussed planning for the future.  

•  The process was a tremendous morale booster for staff.   After years of fighting funding cutbacks, striving to maintain services, and trying to provide the best possible library we can for our community, it was really rewarding to have our patrons tell us they thought we were doing a good job!

•  The information verified a lot of issues for staff.  For example, we now know, rather than just suspect, that our patrons would like the library to be open more hours, that we need to look at how we collect and use statistics, and that our marketing strategies need some work.  It showed up our weaknesses as well as our strengths.

• This was a tremendously worthwhile exercise, the results of which have already been shared, informally with other libraries.  We look forward to being able to use the information with our newly elected council when it comes time to make our budget submission.  Thanks to the SOLS staff for all their guidance and support.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION

.1  On the study methods, how SOLS could assist your library in conducting a study or to order The Library’s Contribution to Your Community: A Manual for Libraries to Document their Social and Economic Contributions to the Local Community, contact the Director of Library Development, Southern Ontario Library Service:

 .2  On the Markdale Public Library or a copy of the full report on the study, contact:

Adele Goldsmith, Branch Head, Markdale Branch, 
Grey Highlands Public Library (formerly CEO, Markdale Public Library), 
(519) 986-3436 or library@bmts.com

 .3  On Library Advocacy Now! For the future of Canada’s libraries and librarians. contact:  

The Canadian Library Association (613) 232-9625 or http://www.cla.ca/