How libraries help to change the world... Ross Duncan Deputy Chair, Public Libraries Australia

Public Libraries Australia | “The future will see all the world’s information available at all times to all people wherever they are”…… Michael Ossipoff - Telstra Futurist What does this mean for us????

Public Libraries Australia | About Sunshine Coast libraries... AspectStatistics Number of branches10 static and 3 mobile libraries Active membership130,908 (approximately 39% of the resident population). Collection size894,678 items Annual visits2 Million visits annually (approximately 7,000 per day) Annual loans3.9 Million loans annually Website hitsApprox 120,000 per month, or 1.4 Million per year Number of members receiving monthly newsletter 53,000 (increasing 15% annually) Annual number of reservations of material 450,000 (increasing 14% annually) Internet access90 public access computers offering approximately 130,000 hours of free internet access. Wireless Internet access at 9 branches, offering free access during library opening hours for people with their own laptop/mobile device. Programs, activities and events.Approximately 4,500 annually. Annual operating budget$11,132,870 (includes internal charges) Annual expenditure on lending items $1,719,210

Public Libraries Australia | Are we seeing the whole picture? Kodak case study….

Public Libraries Australia | Is this us?

 Even if you have innovated in the past, you need to continue to monitor consumer trends and strive to innovate to deliver what the customer wants.  If we do nothing but play it safe, the competition may make sure we are unable to “stay in the game”. Public Libraries Australia Ltd The moral?

Public Libraries Australia | What are the trends for loans?

Public Libraries Australia | Historical levels of visitations

Public Libraries Australia | What business are we in?  Education.  Inclusion.  Awareness.  Information.  “Experiences”.  Connecting people with information.

Public Libraries Australia | Our role.... CHANGE THROUGH LEARNING & EDUCATION Australia’s most sustainable region: vibrant, green and diverse Current practices, existing attitudes and behaviours in our communities. NOW THE FUTURE

Public Libraries Australia | How Libraries change the world We can positively impact on all aspects of the “Quadruple bottom-line”.  Environmental sustainability.  Social development.  Cultural development.  Economic growth and stability.

Public Libraries Australia | Who is our audience?

Public Libraries Australia | A growing virtual service

Public Libraries Australia | Where do people ‘listen’ to us

Public Libraries Australia | Understanding our customers 1.“Serving” our current customers 2.From customers to customizing 3.Re-Membering our past customers 4.Actively attracting new customers

Public Libraries Australia | “Serving” our current customers  Easiest option – ‘business as usual’.  Existing services and operations and products delivered to existing customers.  What are the challenges if we continue…..  We constantly use resource constraints to explain our concentration here….  Our “comfort zone”.

Public Libraries Australia | From customers to “customizing”  63,000 s and growing.  The customers have the answer…..  Surveys to design next educational workshops, performance of services, and members expectations for the future.  Promotion of events and educational workshops and initiatives from other areas of Council.

Public Libraries Australia | Customers to ‘customizing’ (cont.)  Improving our spaces.  Changing our ‘tone’ – notices, signage, job titles.  Upgrading LMS.  Talking Tech inbound.  Self check machines.  Introducing new tech ASAP.

Public Libraries Australia | Re-Membering our past customers  Aimed at reconnecting with members who hadn’t visited in the last two years.  “We’ve missed you ! – here is what you’ve missed”.  Asking people to return any overdue items, or simply come back to visit and renew their relationship with us.  Messages targetted by age groups.  Many long overdue items returned, and many members reconnected

Public Libraries Australia | Actively attracting new customers  Kid’s Only card campaign – Green Sheep campaign. Targeted at 10,000 children prep to Year 2. 3,800 new members in 1 st year…

Public Libraries Australia | Attracting new customers (cont.)  Going to where the customers are (Social housing outreach, local playgroups, pop-up library at Uni).  Design competition for youth library card.  Y-Shop  “The Corner” for children and their parents.

Public Libraries Australia | How much time are we spending on each activity?  “Serving” our current customers  From customers to customizing  Re-Membering our past customers  Actively attracting new customers Are we doing the right things at the right time?

Public Libraries Australia | Our partners.... Large companies/multinationals Other Government Agencies Local businesses and not for profit organisations

Public Libraries Australia | Facebook From 722 to almost 6000 in 7 months

Public Libraries Australia | Our responsibility….  If not now, then when, if not by us, then by whom?  Lead, innovate, experiment, explore, adapt, overcome, convince, persuade, entice, modify.  The customers have the answers……

Public Libraries Australia | “We are going to relentlessly chase perfection, knowing full well we will not catch it, because nothing is perfection. But we are going to relentlessly chase it, because in the process, we will catch excellence. I am not remotely interested in just being good” - Vince Lombardi

Public Libraries Australia |

Environmental Sustainability  Contributing to Environmental Sustainability through activities, workshops and events.  Worm farming and Composting – 1000 people  Growing your own veggies – 800 people  Keeping chickens – 600 people  Solar Panel information sessions – 200 people  Efficiency programs for pool owners  Energy reduction and efficiency sessions

Public Libraries Australia | Social Development  Contributing to Social Development through activities, workshops and events.  Adult Literacy programs  Healthy Today, Here tomorrow (health talks)  Eat Well, be active (encouraging active and healthy lifestyles)  Changing face of adoption, legal sessions  Asperger’s sessions  Developing “Bibliotherapy” approach in conjunction with local GP’s  Linking with partners for Stress, Depression and Anxiety workshops

Public Libraries Australia | Cultural Development  Contributing to Cultural Development through activities, workshops and events.  Stimulation of local creative industries.  Sales and display of work of local ‘creatives’ in libraries  Major channel for communication and engagement with the community on topics such as the Community Plan, Social Plan, Cultural Plan and other strategies and approaches.  Connection gained by participants through 4500 workshops, activities and sessions annually.

Public Libraries Australia | Economic growth and sustainability  Contributing to Economic growth and sustainability through activities, workshops and events.  Small business skills (Let’s get digital workshops, How to work in your PJ’s)  Electronic publishing/distribution info sessions  FIFO-DIDO worker intelligence gathering  Collaborations to improve skills in tourism operators  Sales of products from local authors, artists and others in online store  ‘Digital Economy’ skills development

Public Libraries Australia | Some challenges...  Perceived decrease in relevance of libraries.  Increasing availability of electronic books, and paper books at cheaper prices.  Increasing population and increasing expectations of residents and visitors.  Restricted financial resources.

Public Libraries Australia Ltd Future plans...  Increased membership and increased number of visits  Increased understanding of our community and our customers  Freeing librarians to be librarians  Introduction of e-books and e-audio books for loan  Better technology and more public courses on emerging technologies  Improved marketing and promotion for libraries  Improved leadership position at the state level on important issues including mentoring of smaller library services  Staff attraction and retention strategy

Public Libraries Australia Ltd Future plans (continued)... To change the world! Help our communities to become:  More understanding  More accepting  More inclusive  More prepared for challenges  More resilient to change  More enjoyable, welcoming and inclusive for all

Public Libraries Australia Ltd How libraries can help Councils...  Implementation of Council’s strategies  Community Engagement  Consultation venues  Community information displays  Public education  Surveys and questionnaires  Limited only by your imagination!