Given by Bruce Smith (WiLS), Inese Christman (Wisconsin Valley Library System), Lori Roholt (Indianhead Federated Library System), and Michael Sheehan (Northern Waters Library System) for Lake Superior Libraries Symposium on June 6th, 2014

2. YOUR PANEL
• INESE CHRISTMAN, WISCONSIN VALLEY LIBRARY SERVICE
• LORI ROHOLT, INDIANHEAD FEDERATED LIBRARY SYSTEM
• MICHAEL SHEEHAN, NORTHERN WATERS LIBRARY SERVICE
• BRUCE SMITH, WILS

3. PROJECT WIN
THE EXPLORATION PROCESS

4. PROJECT WIN
•BRIEFLY, WHAT IS THIS?

6. STARTING POINT
•ALL THREE LIBRARY SYSTEMS HAVE LARGE GEOGRAPHIC AREAS
•ILS CONSORTIUMS OF VARIOUS SIZES
• MORE (49 LIBRARIES)
• MERLIN (27 LIBRARIES)
• ONE SCHOOL LIBRARY
• V-CAT (23 LIBRARIES)
•ALL THREE ILS SHARE THE SAME VENDOR
•TWO DIFFERENT DELIVERY VENDORS
•DIFFERENT STAFFING AND BUDGET MODELS

7. PROJECT VISION
• OUR COOPERATIVE SPIRIT AND OUR MUTUAL DESIRE TO CONSTANTLY STRIVE TO DEVELOP AND DELIVER THE BEST SERVICE POSSIBLE TO
THE MEMBER LIBRARY COMMUNITIES OF THE INDIANHEAD, NORTHERN WATERS AND WISCONSIN VALLEY LIBRARY SYSTEMS PROVIDES
US WITH A WONDERFUL OPPORTUNITY TO ENVISION NEW POSSIBILITIES WITH OUR INTEGRATED LIBRARY SYSTEMS.
• THIS OPPORTUNITY OFFERS BOTH THE CHALLENGE AND REWARD TO BUILD UPON THE YEARS OF ILS DEVELOPMENT, COMBINE OUR
RESOURCES AND EFFORTS, AND DRAW UPON ALL OUR STRENGTHS TO CREATE A NEW ILS THAT WILL BE EVEN GREATER THAN THE SUM
OF OUR CURRENT SYSTEMS.
• THIS NEW ILS WILL BE HIGHLY RESPONSIVE, ADAPTABLE AND BUILT TO EMBRACE THE FUTURE RESOURCE DISCOVERY AND SHARING
NEEDS OF MEMBER LIBRARIES AND THEIR PATRONS.
• THE ENVISIONED ILS CONSORTIUM AND INFRASTRUCTURE WILL BE ONE OF BOLD INNOVATION AND COLLABORATION BETWEEN AND
AMONG ALL OUR LIBRARIES AND ONE THAT BECOMES AN EXEMPLARY MODEL OF COLLABORATION, LEADERSHIP AND VISION TO OTHER
LIBRARIES AND SYSTEMS IN WISCONSIN AND BEYOND.

8. FACILITATION
•WHY USE OUTSIDE FACILITATION AND PROCESS
ASSISTANCE?
• FOCUS ON PROCESS
• A REFEREE
• OBJECTIVITY

9. PROCESS
•PRINCIPLES OF THE PROCESS
• OPEN AND TRANSPARENT
• FACTS VS. ASSUMPTIONS
• HAVE PROCESS AND DISCOVERY LEAD TO
CONCLUSIONS

10. FIRST STEPS
• EXPLORATION MEETINGS
• 1 WITH SYSTEM DIRECTORS AND 3 SYSTEM STAFF
• 2 WITH DIRECTORS OF LIBRARIES FROM ALL 3 SYSTEMS – ABOUT 2/3 OF LIBRARIES REPRESENTED
• WHAT WAS EXPLORED
• WHAT’S GOOD ABOUT WHAT YOU HAVE?
• WHAT IS MISSING OR BAD IN YOUR CURRENT RESOURCE SHARING ENVIRONMENT?
• WHAT COULD BE IN IT FOR YOU AND YOUR PATRONS?
• WHAT COULD BE BETTER ABOUT JOINING FORCES?
• THE PROCESS OF CHANGE
• WORRIES AND QUESTIONS
• PATRON SCENARIOS
• COMMITMENT TO PROCESS

11. RESULT OF EXPLORATION MEETINGS
• EXPLORATION MEETINGS OUTCOMES REPORT
• IDENTIFIED TOPICAL COMMITTEES
• COMMUNICATIONS AND CHANGE MANAGEMENT
• GOVERNANCE AND BUDGET
• OPERATIONS-CATALOGING AND COLLECTIONS
• OPERATIONS—ILS SOFTWARE, CIRCULATION AND TRAINING
• OPERATIONS—RESOURCE SHARING
• OPERATIONS—TECHNOLOGY
• PATRON EXPERIENCE

12. COMMITTEE DEVELOPMENT
•FORMED A LEADERSHIP TEAM OF THE SYSTEM DIRECTOR AND ONE STAFF
MEMBER FROM EACH SYSTEM
• RESPONSIBLE FOR PROCESS PLANNING AND EXECUTION
• RESPONSIBLE FOR COMMUNICATION
• EACH OF 6 TEAM MEMBERS SERVED AS LIAISON TO EACH OF 6 COMMITTEES
•ASKED FOR VOLUNTEERS TO SERVE ON THE COMMITTEES
• VOLUNTEERS INDICATED THEIR TOPICAL PREFERENCES
•2 DIRECTORS FROM EACH SYSTEM SERVED AS COMMITTEE CHAIRS

13. COMMITTEE PROCESS
• EACH COMMITTEE WAS PROVIDED WITH:
• A CHARGE TO DEVELOP A RECOMMENDATIONS REPORT
• A LIST OF TOPICS, QUESTIONS AND CONCERNS IDENTIFIED AT EXPLORATION MEETINGS
• RESOURCES AVAILABLE TO THEM FOR THEIR STUDY OF TOPICS
• PROCESS AND MEETING LOGISTICAL GUIDELINES
• WHO ELSE HAS DONE THIS?
• DISCUSSIONS AND WEBINAR WITH HEARTLAND LIBRARY SYSTEM IN ILLINOIS

14. RECOMMENDATION REPORT PROCESS
•SURVEY DEVELOPED FOR EACH COMMITTEE’S RECOMMENDATION REPORT
• ABOUT 65% OF LIBRARIES COMPLETED SURVEY
•COMMITTEES RECONSIDERED RECOMMENDATIONS ACCORDING TO FEEDBACK,
RESULTING IN A 2ND DRAFT REPORT
•EACH ILS CONSORTIUM MET TO DISCUSS 2ND DRAFT OF RECOMMENDATIONS
• IDENTIFIED REMAINING CONCERNS AND AREAS OF DIFFERENCE
• DISCUSSED POSSIBILITIES AND BENEFITS
•MEETINGS OF 3 SYSTEM DIRECTORS TO DEVELOP DRAFT BUDGET

15. STILL TO HAPPEN
•FINAL RECOMMENDATIONS PROPOSAL FROM LEADERSHIP TEAM
•POSSIBLE VOTE BY ALL 3 ILS CONSORTIA FOR MERGER INTO ONE ILS

16. WHERE WE ARE TODAY?
•BASED UPON SURVEY RESULTS ON THE
RECOMMENDATION REPORT THERE IS SOME
GENERAL CONSENSUS ON SOME OF THE ISSUES BUT
THERE ARE STILL SOME BIG QUESTIONS THAT NEED
TO HAVE ANSWERS

17. BIG QUESTIONS
•WHAT WILL IT COST?
•IS THE COST BE WORTH THE BENEFIT?
•HOW WILL IT IMPROVE SERVICE?
•WHAT IS THE IMPACT ON DELIVERY?
•WHAT ARE THE ALTERNATIVES TO ACCOMPLISH THE SAME
VISION?

18. LESSONS LEARNED (SO FAR)
• NEED TO EXAMINE POSSIBLE INTERNAL ISSUES FIRST
• COMMUNICATION IS ESSENTIAL
• FACEBOOK
• EMAIL
• WEBSITE
• BLOG
• LIBRARY STAFF DON’T NECESSARILY KNOW WHAT OTHER LIBRARIES/SYSTEMS ARE DOING
• FLEXIBILITY

19. WHAT DID YOU THINK WERE GOING TO BE
THE CHALLENGES GOING INTO THIS AND
WHAT DID YOU END UP EXPERIENCING AS
CHALLENGES?

20. WHAT DID YOU THINK WERE GOING TO BE
THE OPPORTUNITIES GOING INTO THIS AND
WHAT DID YOU END UP FINDING AS
OPPORTUNITIES?

21. WHAT DID YOU LEARN ABOUT THE PROCESS
ITSELF AND FROM THE PROCESS?

22. WHAT APPROACHES WORKED AND DIDN'T WORK WITH
FACILITATING THE COMMITTEES AS FAR AS THE LOGISTICS OF
ORGANIZING THE COMMITTEE, FACILITATING DISCUSSION
AROUND A TOPIC, COMING TO A RESOLUTIONS AND
COMPROMISES AROUND DIFFERENCES, ETC?

23. THANK YOU!!!
• INESE CHRISTMAN, ICHRISTMAN@WVLS.ORG
• LORI ROHOLT - ROHOLT@IFLS.LIB.WI.US
• MICHAEL SHEEHAN - MSHEEHAN@NWLS.LIB.WI.US
• BRUCE SMITH - BSMITH@WILS.ORG