Award Winning Public Service at the Chesterfield Township Library February 21, 2002

1. Award Winning Public Service at the Chesterfield Township LibraryFebruary 21, 2002

2. Award Criteria #1 • Demonstrate that your library provides new, innovative and superior services to its customers: • In a cost effective manner • With a can-do attitude • By always delivering promises

3. What We’ve Done • More than tripled the size of the entire collection from 15,000 items in 1995 to over 55,000 items in 2001 • Built an audio collection of over 1600 titles for a commuter community s using Community Block funds, grants from Lion’s and Rotary Clubs, and tributes • Built one of Macomb’s biggest large type book collections • Added CD Software • Added Books on CD • Added DVD’s • Introduced performance programming • Added multiple storytimes for multi-aged children • Started an Outreach Service with a $25,000 LSTA grant • Started book discussion groups • Started a Friends group • Published a newsletter distributed quarterly through the local paper

4. Storytimes Galore Toddlers Preschool Lapsit -Infant Literacy

5. Homeschool Families Marion Lusardi: This has a direct impact on finances within a family. Thus home school families need materials that do not cost money and support their curriculem such as homeschool magazines, recommended books reading lists, etc • Did you know that homeschool families are 1 income families? • They need materials to support their curriculums • A non-judgmental place to meet and use library materials both print and online • CTL offers a homeschool meeting once a month with a librarian providing instruction on a basic library tool • We serve refreshments • Low cost…big payback…trust and respect

6. Award Criteria #2 • Demonstrate your library's commitment to high standards of customer service through staff dealings with customers: • Synergy within the staff through a coordinated approach to supporting customers

7. What is synergy?It’s a noun and we have it. • Etymology: New Latin synergia, from Greek synergos working together • 1 : SYNERGISM; broadly : combined action or operation • 2 : a mutually advantageous conjunction or compatibility of distinct business participants or elements (as resources or efforts) • Food For Fines: a holiday project that forgave overdue fines with donations of canned goods that were given to the local food pantry • Used Computer Sales: Visteon donated used computers that CTL sold at minimal cost to allow low income residents to purchase a family computer • Used Book Sales: staff ran used book sales to enable purchase of large print books after lending collection was withdrawn • And last but not least……………………………………….

8. Jenny’s 100th Birthday Party

9. Award Criteria #3 • Demonstrate that your library is a team player through its collaborations in the community

10. Team Work • Collaborating within the Community • Reel Readers: a reading incentive partnership with a local theatre to award free movie tickets to kids from k-12 who reach reading goals • Here and There by Land, Sea and Air: a summer long program in partnership with the Chesterfield Senior Center funded by the Michigan Council for the Arts that explored Michigan through songs, stories, lectures and other performances. Grand Finale - catered steak dinner courtesy Outback • Hispanic Youth Day with the Michigan State Ext. Service. Scavenger hunts and storytelling at the library and bowling at our neighboring bowling alley • Stories at the Park with Parks and Rec to promote family literacy at Brandenburg Park during the summer • Joint Programming With the Senior Center: we provide feature films, large type books, and assist with selected grant writing efforts

11. The Library as a Community Partner • The Macomb Literacy Project Stuffed Animals for Police Calls Involving Children

12. Stories at the Park • Our contribution to Parks and Rec’s Summer Programming at Brandenburg Park

13. Michigan State Extension Service and the Chesterfield Library Welcome Hispanic Youth Bi-Lingual Stories Scavenger Hunt Learning to Surf the Net When can we go bowling?

14. How We Do It • Talented Staff who think “out of the box” • Employees who “buy into” our service mission: • Code of Service: • The library public is entitled to easily accessible library collections in a safe, clean, organized, and appropriate environment staffed with friendly, courteous people. • Each member of the library public is to be welcomed, fairly and courteously, without discrimination. • Service to the public takes precedence over the library’s internal paperwork and internal communications. • Information given to the library public will be based on verifiable, current sources, clearly communicated and given in a timely manner. • Use “All hands on deck” as SOP

15. Training, Training, Training…and lots of good food • Cross training • 2 In-services yearly • Conflict Resolution Workshops • Dealing with Hostile Persons • Great Catering • Humor • Rewards and Warm fuzzies

16. Humor …it works

17. Warm Fuzzies

18. Thinking “Out of the Box” Always ready to lend a helping hand

19. Good Food and Good Times and Great Staff

20. We Won Accepting theaward from State Librarian Christy Pearson Brandau Open 53 hours a week