November 2007 1

Advocacy and the Advocacy and the Statewide SurveysStatewide Surveys

November 3, 2007November 3, 2007

November 2007 2

TodayToday

Review highlights from the 2006 Review highlights from the 2006 SurveySurvey How libraries rateHow libraries rate Economic DevelopmentEconomic Development FundingFunding

Key playersKey players Success storiesSuccess stories

November 2007 3

The SurveysThe Surveys

http://access-somd.org/mdlibsurvey/http://access-somd.org/mdlibsurvey/

November 2007 4

Rating Rating Public Public

ServicesServices

November 2007 5

18%

26%

15%6% 5%

29%

0%

10%

20%

30%

40%

A B C D F NS

Grading the Local Public Schools

Q.3 Students are often given the grades of A, B, C, D, or Fail as a way to ratethe quality of their work. Suppose the public schools themselves,

in your community, were graded in the same way. What grade would you givethe public schools in your community: A, B, C, D, or Fail?

Schools’ “G.P.A.” 2.6

November 2007 6

18%

49%

26%31%

15%

8% 6%2%

5%1%

29%

9%

0%

10%

20%

30%

40%

50%

A B C D F NS

Grading Public Libraries

Schools Libraries

Q.4e Using that same A through F scale, how would you rate each of these other services of your local government?…Public libraries?

Schools’ G.P.A. = 2.6

Libraries’ G.P.A. = 3.4

November 2007 7

““A”A” G.P.A.G.P.A. Public Public librarieslibraries

49%49% 3.43.4

Police and Police and public safetypublic safety

32%32% 2.92.9

Parks and Parks and recreationrecreation

33%33% 3.03.0

Public schoolsPublic schools 18%18% 2.62.6 Social servicesSocial services 13%13% 2.42.4 Roads and Roads and mass transitmass transit

17%17% 2.42.4

Local Local government government efficiencyefficiency

11%11% 2.32.3

Grading Local Services

Q.4

November 2007 8

Most Desired Community AssetMost Desired Community Asset

Park 46% Public Library 18% Elementary School 12% Police Station 12% Job Center 10% All/None/Not Sure 2%

Q.6 (Metropolitan jurisdictions): If you were moving into a new neighborhood, which of thesewould you most want to have on your own street?

 Q.6 (Non-metropolitan counties): If you were moving into a new community, which of these

would you most want to have on your own street or road?

November 2007 9

Essential Service or Cultural Essential Service or Cultural Amenity?Amenity?

68%

26%

6%

0%

10%

20%

30%

40%

50%

60%

70%

Essential Service Cultural Amenity Not sure

Q.8 Turning now to public libraries specifically, are you more likely to think of your local public library as (rotate): [an essential service like a school, (or more of) a cultural amenity like an art

gallery]?

72% of frequent library users say

“Essential Service”

November 2007 10

Public Library ServicesPublic Library Services

Q.9 Can you name two services that your local public library performs?

Borrow/check out materials 54% Use the Internet 53% Bring a child for homework or a program 14% Research/Find reference information 15% Get information (forms, brochures, newspapers)

9%

Community activities 8%

Only 31% cited Use the Internet in 2003

November 2007 11

Public Library Job RatingsPublic Library Job RatingsGoodjob

Could do better

Notsure

Knowledgeable, courteous, efficient staff 80% 10% 10%

Branch close enough 75% 17% 9%

Information and materials you want/need

70% 19% 10%

Being open when you want to visit 66% 25% 9%

Q.10 When you think about your local public library, would you say it doesa good job or could do a better job at each of these?

A. Having the information and materials you want or need

B. Being open when you want to visit

C. Having a branch close enough to your home or work

D. Providing knowledgeable staff who are courteous and efficient

November 2007 12

Economic Economic DevelopmentDevelopment

November 2007 13

Trip ChainingTrip Chaining

Q.20 (If visited a public library in the past year): Do you often include other errands on your trips to the public library, or not?

November 2007 14

Economic AnchorEconomic Anchor

Q.13 Do you agree or disagree with this idea? If a public library moved into a community,it would help attract good businesses to the area.

43% agreed in 2003

November 2007 15

Teaching Job SkillsTeaching Job Skills

Q.14 And do you agree or disagree with this idea? Public libraries improve a communityby helping people learn new skills so they can get better jobs.

Not sure, 5%

Disagree, 10%

Agree, 85%

78% agreed in 2003

November 2007 16

Lifelong LearningLifelong Learning

Q.15 Do you agree or disagree? Public libraries help peoplelearn new things no matter what their age.

November 2007 17

Public Public Library Library FundingFunding

November 2007 18

Good Investment of Tax Good Investment of Tax DollarsDollars

Q.16 Generally, do you think public libraries are a good investment of your tax dollars,or do you think those taxes would be better spent in other ways?

88%

9%3%

0%

10%

20%

30%

40%

50%

60%

70%

80%

90%

Good investment Best spent other ways Not sure

94% of frequent library users see them as a good

investment.

November 2007 19

Counties´ InvestmentCounties´ Investment

Q.17 If you knew that public libraries throughout Maryland typically receiveless than 2 percent of a county’s budget, would you think this was enough,

or would you think more money should be invested in public libraries?

23%

61%

16%

0%

10%

20%

30%

40%

50%

60%

70%

Enough More invested Not sure

November 2007 20

State InvestmentState Investment

Q.18 If you knew that public libraries in Maryland typically receive less than 1 percentof the state's budget, would you think this was enough, or would you think

more money should be invested in public libraries?

17%

68%

15%

0%

10%

20%

30%

40%

50%

60%

70%

Enough More invested Not sure

November 2007 21

What’ happening now?What’ happening now?

November 2007 22

Key PlayersKey Players

November 2007 23

Key PlayersKey Players

November 2007 24

Key PlayersKey Players

Committee ChairsCommittee Chairs Subcommittee ChairsSubcommittee Chairs B & T, Ways & Means, B & T, Ways & Means,

AppropriationsAppropriations StaffStaff DelegationsDelegations

November 2007 25

Key PlayersKey Players

County officials and staffsCounty officials and staffs

November 2007 26

Key PlayersKey Players

Everyone in this room!Everyone in this room!

November 2007 27

What’s happeningWhat’s happening

November 2007 28

Message - Constituent Message - Constituent ImpactImpact

On library useOn library use On library usersOn library users FiscalFiscal

November 2007 29

Making the CaseMaking the Case

November 2007 30

Message - Economic Message - Economic DevelopmentDevelopment

November 2007 31

Libraries and EducationLibraries and Education

November 2007 32

Coummunity Coummunity DevelopmentDevelopment

November 2007 33

Legislative SuccessLegislative Success

November 2007 34

Legislative SuccessLegislative Success

November 2007 35

November 2007 36