9:00 a.m. - 12:00 p.m.
What do we do with data and how do we apply it to visionary and operational decision-making? Hear how one organization is leading a community-driven measurement strategy for an entire province’s 300-plus library systems to drive the whole picture of public library performance in Ontario. Beginning with a strategic marketing planning process in 2013, results include a new 2015 public opinion poll of Ontarians’ attitudes toward public libraries and how they’ve changed from the 2003, 2006, and 2010 polls; a census of public library e-presences (websites, social media, and social networking); a bibliographic review of the research on major public library “value” branding campaigns in Canada and the U.S.; focus group results and interviews with key internal and external stakeholders, including librarians, library staff, library board members, and municipal administrators; and data and analysis of Ontario public library’s performance over time. This workshop shares the processes and techniques used, and illustrates how to apply data in the library context to the big issues—funding, communication, planning, and choosing priorities.
