MENDON COTTAGE LIBRARY

Mission Statement: The mission of the Mendon Cottage Library (MCL) is to provide educational and recreational books and related materials and services for the benefit of the citizens of the Mendon area in a facility which is organized and conducive to meaningful education and wholesome enjoyment. The library strives to provide means for the advancement and betterment of the community as a whole.

Community Overview: Mendon is a small community located in Northern Utah.  It is nestled into the mountains bordering the western edge of Cache Valley, and is home to about 1,175 people.  Most residents work and shop in Logan, the principal city in the valley, located 8 miles to the east.

     Mendon Cottage Library was established by citizen initiative in the summer of 2005 and opened its doors to the public in September of that year. The library has been run largely by volunteer time and effort and stocked with books and media donated by many people. Book lovers buy current best sellers and turn them over to the library after they have read them. The library has received donations of computers, bookshelves, money from local libraries and residents, and grants from corporations. Patron use is increasing steadily: the July-September 2007 quarter shows a 47% increase in circulation from the July-Sept 2006 quarter (from 3460 to 5100).

Needs: Mendon Cottage Library has occupied a small rent-donated building since its start-up. Our present library facility has very limited space for programs, and at 8800 volumes has reached capacity for our holdings. In addition to increasing use and limited space, the library must plan for the expected growth rate in the Mendon area (annual growth rate of 3%).

     Mendon needs a positive community gathering place, especially to handle the increasing participation in children’s story time and literacy activities, and to expand programs for demographic groups that have not yet found a niche in the library.

     Mendon Cottage Library Board of Trustees and Mendon City has resolved that entering into partnership with Cache School District/Mendon City would provide the facility that would meet our needs for the next decade. Library board and city representatives have been negotiating with Cache County School District since 2006 to establish a co-located library in the new Mountainside Elementary School in Mendon that opened in August 2008. The projected date for MCL to move into Mountainside Elementary media center is January 2009.

2007-08

2008-09

2009-10

ü  Research operational policies of successful shared use libraries.

ü  Attend meetings and communicate via email with Cache County School district, Mendon City Council and Mountainside Elementary library personnel to study issues of establishing shared use library.

o   Establish joint advisory board, as outlined in draft interlocal agreement prepared by CSD in 2007.

o   Joint advisory board refine interlocal agreement and shared-use library operational policy.

o   Through MCL’s representative on the shared use library joint advisory board, review interlocal agreement and operational policy and adjust as necessary.

2007-08

2008-09

2009-10

ü  Appoint a member of the MCL Board of Trustees as policy specialist.

ü  Rewrite internet policy to be in accordance with state code.

ü  Mendon City Council officially designate liaison from MCL to CSD for shared-use negotiations.

• Participate in writing shared-use operational policy
• Adjust MCL policies to reflect shared use status.

• Adapt MCL policies and procedures as needed.

2007-08

2008-09

2009-10

ü  Appoint a grant-writing standing committee.

ü  Expand Friends Committee membership.

ü  Friends Committee plan auction and book sale for Pioneer Days to generate $3000. (Exceeded goal)

ü  Grant committee raise $6000 through grant proposals and private business solicitations. (Exceeded goal)

ü  Establish line item in budget for MCL Historical Collections.

• Expand donation solicitations into the greater West Cache Valley area to include the school population.
• MCL grant writers attend state training courses.
• Grant committee obtain $8,000 by June 1, 2009 for official city allocation to library budget.
• Friends committee raise $8,000 by June 1, 2009 for official city allocation to library budget.
• Budget to establish savings plan for long range planning and procurement.

• Grant and Friends committees establish new venues of obtaining funding.
• Grant and Friends Committees procure funding to meet budget needs for 20010-2011.

2007-08

2008-09

2009-10

ü  Build bulletin board by library entrance.

ü  Establish library reserve book section in the basement; build new shelving as needed.

• Move holdings into school library.
• Retrieve library furniture from storage for adult holdings.
• Erect sign for new library location.
• Install a community bulletin board near library entrance.
• Establish long range standing committee for facility planning.
• Explore possibility of establishing a MCL Historical Archive repository in one of two restored historic homes in Mendon.

• Build or purchase display cases for entrance hall of school.
• Continue long-range facilities planning committee.

2007-08

2008-09

2009-10

ü  Activate Collections Standing Committee. (Tasks: Weed for book sale; recommend acquisitions)

ü  Build adult and young adult historical fiction and current best sellers.

ü  Purchase current adult and young adult fiction

• Purchase additional reference books.

• Weed and sort book, audio, video collections to prepare for the move into the school library.
• Buy magazine and newspaper subscriptions; decide paper or online.
• Buy family movies, audio books on tape, more large-print fiction
• Purchase beautiful, up-to-date hardback children’s picture books.
• Consult with Mountainside Elementary School to coordinate holdings.

• Purchase biographies/

     autobiographies of scientists,   

     inventors, & achievers, regional  

     and western U.S. history books,

     and biographies in adult, young

     adult, and juvenile.

• Expand Great Basin Native American history and culture books

2007-08

2008-09

2009-10

ü  Network with other community organizations to ascertain need for library services.

ü  Accept ongoing patron requests

ü  Conduct a Collections Needs Survey among library staff and volunteers

ü  Obtain and set up catalog computer in the library.

ü  Put library catalog online.

• Survey older community residents to determine their collection needs.
• Network with the area served by the school population (College Ward, Young Ward, County areas) to determine collection needs.
• Plan collections purchases to meet surveyed needs in accordance with our area situation, patron requests, space, and in compliance with library laws.
• Establish protocol & make up a form for patron requests.

• Survey patrons to determine potential need for computer software ( income tax and investment software, family history, etc)

2007-08

2008-09

2009-10

ü  Establish Historical Collections Standing Committee to organize local history archives.

ü  Gather area/community records, documents, photographs, and other material of historic significance to central sort location.

• Purchase a complete set of Utah Centennial County Histories and area community and family history books.
• Catalog Historical Collections archives.

• Continue cataloging history archive
• Display community history artifacts and documents
• Establish early Cache Valley railroad history repository.

2007-08

2008-09

2009-10

ü  Update contract with Comcast to service new equipment and programs

ü  Purchase backup internet coverage from Comcast for continuous online access.

ü  Establish internet access to on-line catalog.

ü  Begin the process of re-entering and cleaning up data retrieved from original catalog by Destiny-Follett.

ü  Set up access to Pioneer database.

• Staff attend training in Pioneer database and provide assistance to patrons in Pioneer use.
• Assign a member of the board to assist library director to maintain webpage.
• Set up links with Mendon City webpage

• Refine web page link to MCL catalog
• Provide computer use classes for patrons in areas identified by survey.

2007-08

2008-09

2009-10

• After state certification, fully implement ILL.

• Promote ILL
• Create MCL book lists for patrons

• Continue to promote ILL
• Create MCL book lists on Website

2007-08

2008-09

2009-10

ü  Organize a Toddler Story Time

ü  Continue 3-5 Year-Old and 6-10 Year-Old story times.

ü  Increase number of participants in summer reading program from 90 to 140

• Establish an after-school homework support program to attract more middle school and high school patrons.
• Tailor children’s story times to new shared-use library schedule.
• Expand summer reading program participation from 140 to 180.

• Plan and implement programs to attract retired community members as library patrons.
• Offer individual genealogical research training in PAF and online history resources.
• Plan library displays to coincide with story-time themes.
• Expand story-time participation and provide community outreach by scheduling community historians, storytellers, and artisans to tell stories, lead discussion groups, and provide displays.

2007-08

2008-09

2009-10

ü  Replace patron computers

ü  Purchase and install a new printer for patron computers.

ü  Purchase and install a new server.

• Purchase and install a new patron copy machine.
• Retrieve the furniture necessary to set up computer stations, circulation software, and server in the shared-use library.

• Evaluate, clean, and upgrade patron and administrative computer software and server.
• Continue to expand features and information on MCL website.
• Increase the number of patron computers to 4

2007-08

2008-09

2009-10

ü  Establish library website.

ü  Contract with a computer technician for computer and network maintenance services.

ü  Install new circulation software on main library computer.

ü  Provide access to Public Pioneer

ü   Place library catalog online.

ü  Research internet connectivity at Mountainside Elementary

• Upgrade MCL website.
• Install public patron internet access, appropriate switches, and filters on public patron computers in shared-use library.
• Work with CCSD network administrators to set up MCL internet connectivity in partnership with school to take the place of microwave connectivity.
• Purchase two computer privacy screens for public internet computers for shared-use library.

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