1. The Engaged San Antonio Public Library A Thought-Starter Scan of Present and Future Opportunities Report to the Library District Commission 11-13-06 Danielle Milam

2. Purposes: Fresh look at businesses SAPL is in Take the community pulse Is there a compelling case for increasing capacity? Surface new community champions – invitation to imagine next library services

3. Why Bother? Isn’t it Good Enough? Isn’t it Going Away? The eyes of the future are looking back at us and they are praying for us to see beyond our own time. Terry Tempest Williams

4. T O Y O T A

5. Mayor’s Education Summit 25-37% drop out rates 70-80% remedial in community college 25% adult population functionally illiterate Lack of cohesive, community-wide education support

6. Community Challenges Education Education Education Early Childhood Literacy/Development School Readiness/School Success Student Support (K-12) Youth and Adult Development – college, careers and beyond Economic Development Workforce Readiness Digital Access/Dexterity Small Business Development Financial Literacy Health Teen Pregnancy Diabetes, Hypertension, Obesity Early Death

7. Education

8. Workforce Development

9. Health

10. A Glass Half Full

11. Shape of the Future

12. Eyes of the Future Looking Back

13. Education 38% jobs requiring some post-secondary 25% advanced skills Prep for GRIN Technology Economies Learners – reading and technology Information Technology Web 2.0, Web 3.0, WiFi and Beyond Clusters of Related Enterprises

14. Eyes of the Future Looking Back What Did We See?  Urgent Issues, scope and scale immense, will require sustained, long-term attention and investment  Essential Infrastructure and Staffing Levels Required in Today’s Libraries – there is a digital divide  Promising Existing/Emerging Models of Service:  Open Architecture for Learning – print and media materials inadequate, technology sub par, but lots of consumers  Civic Space  Train the Trainer – Little Read Wagon  Emerging Community Partnerships (Connect9)  Program Improvements – May need to target. Must be resourced at the scope and scale required to make an impact community-wide, in systemic partnerships  Growth to the system – what does county-wide mean? Growth Patterns

15. The Internal and External Compelling Case is a Close Match Internal Technology improvements Facility improvements Analyze consumer preferences Staff salaries, development and staffing patterns New models of service Program improvements – system-wide, target audiences (especially youth) System-wide partnerships External Technology that is leading edge Clean up existing/get more facilities More attention to customer service Experiment with new models of service Essential player in early childhood Could be stronger in support for youth, career, and health Increase capacity to partner & jt. Venture More effective marketing of what library is/offers today

16. Building, Leveraging, & Positioning Resources Library Open Access Structure Very Relevant to Fast Changes in Society/Community – elevating essential literacy, learning, and digital dexterity required in global, knowledge economy Library an Engaged and Capable Partner in Community Context (trusted, but not expected to do it alone) Library positioned with resources for scope and scale to immediately address urgent issues

17. Program Transformation: System-Wide, Robust, Targeted Fertile ground for interesting partnerships Technology and Media – Access + Training Teen Transition Early Literacy/School Readiness Career and Business Development Adult Literacy/ESL Health

18. Technology Transformation: Leading Edge Portal Technology and Media – Access + Training – $100 k per branch – WiFi/Laptops – Maintain and grow media collections Replacement to Industry Standards

19. Next Steps ReThink – collect more data, convene community conversations, map territory, find impactful niche RePurpose – align and realign strategic directions with civic challenges and partners, build on successful models ReShape – what does the next generation of library services look like? Facilities? Technology? Collections? Programs? ReImage – Raise visibility, breadth and depth of library reach, reposition image as essential service for knowledge city

20. Cost of Doing Nothing

21. Build on Inquiry Invite Community Reverb With Your Outreach – Surface New Champions Develop Your Big Vision