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Hornsby Shire Council |
Attachment to Report
No. CC7/09 Page 0 |
Review
of the Hornsby Shire Library
Home
Library Service
January
2009
Hornsby
Shire Library & Information Service
Linking
Lives to Learning and Leisure
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CONTENTS
Terms of Reference
Executive Summary
Background
History
of Service
Current
Service
Research Methods
Customer Profile
Age and Gender
Customer
Location
Ethnic
Backgrounds
Demographic
and Social Trends
Collection Description
and Usage
Staffing Levels
Staff Working
Environment
Staff Duties
Administration
Assessing
and Satisfying Customer Needs
Delivering
Items
Customer
Liaison and Support
Marketing
and Promotion
Staff Workload
Staff Training and
Professional Development
Occupational
Health and Safety
Provision
of Information
Customer
Service
Professional
Development
Future Directions
Advances
in Technology
Social
Role of the Library
Conclusion
Recommendations
Attachment 1 – Current Customer Survey
Attachment 2 – Survey Distributed to Retirement
Villages
Attachment 3 – Survey Distributed to the Public
Attachment 4 – Home Library Staff Survey
Endnotes
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Terms of Reference
This investigation of the Home Library Service
is part of an ongoing review of the various services provided by the Hornsby
Shire Library & Information Service.
The terms of reference are:
· To undertake a
critical analysis of the role of the Home Library Service in the Hornsby Shire
Library network
· To ascertain
community knowledge of and satisfaction with the Home Library Service being
provided
· To review present
and potential services with particular reference to emerging developments in
the provision of a Home Library Service
· To make
recommendations, based on the information obtained during the review, which
support effective and responsive Home Library Services within the Hornsby Shire
Library & Information Service
This report reviews the service currently provided by Hornsby Shire
Library’s Home Library Service, based at Hornsby Central Library. It examines the extent to which the
identified needs of customers are being met, and recommends ways of ensuring
that the service is maintained, developed and continuously improved. Aspects of the Home Library Service examined
in the review include current policies and procedures, the working environment,
and knowledge of, usage of, and satisfaction with the service provided. Issues relevant to the service in the future
are also discussed.
Both quantitative and qualitative research methods were used to identify
customer needs and to measure the effectiveness of services offered. These include an analysis of census
information, and membership and usage statistics. Surveys were conducted amongst Home Library
users, the general public and Home Library staff to elicit feedback on
awareness about the service, as well as the quality of the collections and
services provided, and to gather suggestions as to how the service could be
improved.
Advances in technology will provide the service with new opportunities
for the future. Rapid changes are taking place in information technology which
will have considerable impact on the provision of services and information
provision – both remote and in house – to library customers. There will be a greater reliance on
technology, which the Library will be expected to make available. Consequently, staff and customer training in
online resources and special collections will be of increasing importance.
In considering the
future, the need to be responsive to social and demographic trends is
paramount. Libraries in general, and the
Home Library Service in particular, have an important role to play in supporting
social sustainability, by helping to reduce the growing trend towards social
isolation amongst older and
disadvantaged people, who comprise a substantial portion of the Home Library
customer base.
The report concludes that although the service currently provided
substantially meets customer needs and expectations, there are specific areas
where improvements could be made. Increased
promotion of the service and further staff training are needed, along
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with a review of the staff working area.
This will provide future benefits to both Home Library customers and
Home Library staff.
The Hornsby Library Home Library Service is
based at Hornsby Central Library. The
service began in November 1983 with the appointment of the first part-time Home
Library staff member. By March 1984, the
service catered for 160 customers and 10 institutions. Since then, the number of individual customers
and institutions has grown and staff numbers have increased to three part time
employees. Initially only books were
delivered to Home Library customers. Now
a variety of formats are available and the latest electronic formats are being
trialled.
In accordance with Library policy,[1] and in keeping with the guidelines set out by
the Australian Library and Information Association,[2] the Home Library Service caters for all residents
of Hornsby Shire, who, for some reason – for example because of illness or
frailty – are unable to come to the Library to choose their own material, or who
are unable to carry material home. This
includes carers of eligible customers. The
service is available to people of all ages, and may be provided on a temporary
or long term basis. Bulk deliveries are
made to retirement hostels and nursing homes in the Shire.
Currently, the Home Library Service caters for
223 individual customers and 14 institutions.
Home Library staff work a total of 50.5 hours per week. Deliveries are made on a three-weekly cycle with
more than 1100 items being delivered in each cycle. In 2008, 22,511 items were issued to Home
Library customers. The service delivers books
in both standard and large print, audio books on cassette and CD, music CDs,
DVDs, CD-ROMs and magazines. Home
Library staff also provide information as required on a range of topics, such
as community based services, legal information and local history.
Research for the review was undertaken by way of
personal visits and discussion, investigation of a large number of Australian
and overseas library websites and by an extensive literature review. Reference was also made to material produced
by the NSW Home Library Service Working Group.
Different surveys were distributed to current
users, the general public and Home Library staff. These were designed to gauge the level of customer
satisfaction, to raise awareness of the service in the community, and to elicit
feedback from the staff and the public. The
response was encouraging, with 120 customers, representatives of 8 retirement
villages, and 125 members of the public completing the survey. The results were analysed and will be used to
inform decisions on the future direction of the Home Library Service
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Customer Profile
The Home Library Service currently provides library material and
information to 223 customers, 83.4% of whom are female and 16.6% of whom are
male. The age breakdown is shown in the
following table.
|
Age |
% April 2008 |
|
90+ |
27.5 |
|
86-90 |
23.2 |
|
80-85 |
31.8 |
|
76-80 |
8.5 |
|
70-75 |
3.3 |
|
< 70 |
5.7 |
Although many Home Library customers are over 55
years of age, it is important not to make assumptions about the level or type
of library service they require. As the
Canadian Library Association points out:
Older adults are not a homogenous population
that can be easily categorized. Like any
identifiable group within our society, such as people with disabilities or
members of ethnic communities, the information needs and interests of older
people range widely and mirror the adult community as a whole. Also, within the broad category of ‘older
adults’ lie several generations with different life experiences and different
sets of expectations. The first
principle, then, of serving an older population is to recognize this great
diversity and to be ever conscious of
the dangers of stereotyping in planning
collections, programs and services.[3]
Customers live in all parts of the Shire, as far
afield as Brooklyn,
The majority of material borrowed is in
English. However, there have been
requests for material in Hindi, Polish, Spanish, Italian and French. These are supplied through the Community
Language scheme provided by the State Library of New South Wales. This service is especially valuable to the
elderly members of the community who want to receive material in their native
language.
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In 2008, The Senior [5] estimated the size of the various
generations in Australia today:
|
Label |
Birth Dates |
Current Age |
%
of Population |
|
Builders |
1926-1645 |
63-82 |
15 |
|
Baby Boomers |
1946-1964 |
44-62 |
25 |
|
Generation X |
1965-1981 |
27-43 |
25 |
|
Generation Y |
1982-2000 |
8-26 |
26 |
|
Generation Z |
2001+ |
Under 8 |
6 |
This illustrates that the generations yet to have a need for Home
Library visits represent a far greater percentage of the population than those
currently receiving the service. While
Home Library customers are not necessarily older adults, it is true that in the
history of Home Library services in Hornsby, older customers have
predominated. Currently over 82% of Home
Library customers are over eighty years of age.
This suggests that not only will Hornsby Home Library staff be visiting
more customers in the future, but that they will also need to spend more time
doing so.
As with the general population the percentage of
those aged over 55 years in the Hornsby Shire is rising, with 1890 aged care
residents in Hornsby Shire in June 2006. [6] Statistics for Hornsby from the last three Australian
Bureau of Statistics Census reports [7] are shown in the table below:
|
Description |
1996 |
2001 |
2006 |
|
Total Population |
137,279 |
146,242 |
151,326 |
|
No. of Persons 55+ |
28,541 |
32,115 |
37,014 |
|
% of Population Aged 55+ |
20.79 |
21.96 |
24.46 |
The NSW Local Government Population Ageing
Project [8] includes the following table which indicates
that the elderly population of Hornsby will increase substantially.
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Other forecasts indicate that the percentage of
Hornsby Shire residents aged 70 years or older, which was 9.3% in 2006, will
rise to 9.9% in 2011 and to 11.8% in 2021.[9]
The number of older Australians living alone is also
rising, with the percentage increasing as people age. In 2006, approximately 29% of older people in
According to the Australian Institute of Health
and Welfare, as the number of older Australians living alone increases, so too
do feelings of loneliness and social isolation, resulting in an increased need
for outside assistance in the case of illness.[12]
The Home Library Service fulfils a central role
in mitigating the effects of isolation felt by people who because of illness or
incapacity cannot leave their homes to enjoy social contact with others. As Carolyn Jones points out:
… it should be acknowledged that the home
library service is more than the efficient delivery of appropriate
materials. Its role and value may lie in
how adequately it generates social capital and feelings of social
inclusiveness. In times of increasing
social isolation and increasing numbers of the elderly, [Home Library]
services… contribute to both social capital and human happiness.[13]
The increase in the number of older people is
also expected to result in an increase
in the incidence of disability. The
report Life Expectancy and Disability in
In 2003, males could expect, on average, to
experience 18.6 years of life with a disability…. Females could expect, on average, to
experience 20.7 years of life lived with disability… [14]
While disability does not necessarily equate to
poor health or illness,[15] it has been defined very broadly by the
Australian Bureau of Statistics, which identifies 17 limitations as constituting
a level of disability. These include
loss of sight, not corrected by glasses or contact lenses; chronic or recurring
pain or discomfort that restricts everyday activities; incomplete use of arms
or fingers; difficulty gripping or holding things; incomplete use of feet or
legs; and restriction in physical activities or in doing physical work. [16]
As outlined in the Strategic
Plan for Older People (55 years and over) 2005-2010 [17]
and The
Strategic Plan for People with a dis-ability [18],
Hornsby Shire Council is committed to serving the needs of residents aged 55
and over and those with a disability.
Given the current trends in population, it could be assumed that there
will be an increased necessity for Hornsby Shire Library to provide services to
older residents and those with a disability, including an expanded Home Library
Service.
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Home Library customers compete with other users
for access to material from the general collection. At any one time, over 2,200 items are either
on loan to Home Library customers, or have been put aside for delivery. Demand is particularly high for audio books
on CD. Rather than creating a separate
collection for Home Library customers, the Library will use recently
distributed additional government grant funding to expand the collection of audio
books on CD over the next few months.
Material in other formats can usually be sourced
from the Hornsby Library network. Staff
use library databases and genre lists to find additional titles by authors who
have a similar writing style to writers individual customers have identified as
favourites. Requests for new titles are
regularly followed up by Home Library staff.
This approach, combined with the implementation of the library’s Collection
Development Policy meets the needs of the majority of customers, with 71.67% of those
surveyed indicating they are very satisfied
with the selection of material, and
28.4% indicating they are reasonably satisfied.
All comments from survey
respondents were positive. Customers
described staff as helpful, friendly, reliable and respectful, and commented on
how much they appreciated the service. However, there is
always a need to maintain effective communication with library customers to
ensure that the collection remains relevant to their needs and expectations.
In 2008, 22,511 loans were made to Home Library
customers in the following formats:
|
Format |
% of Total Loans |
|
Books |
71.7 |
|
Magazines |
1.2 |
|
Audio visual
materials |
27.1 |
Since 2007, there has been an increase in the
use of audiovisual items, and a slight drop in the use of books and
magazines. Customers using audiovisual
materials have largely embraced more recent formats, such as CDs and DVDs as
opposed to older formats, such as videos and cassettes. However, staff cannot assume that all
customers are aware of the availability of newer formats. As part of the survey, customers were asked
if they would like to make changes to the formats of the material delivered to
them. Although only 13%, asked for changes,
the question arises as to how many customers would have requested a change had
they known what alternative formats are available. A well defined procedure needs to be
established to ensure that customers are aware of the wide range of titles and
formats held in the library collection.
Current Home Library customers were asked to
comment on the condition of the resources they received. More than 50% commented on this aspect of the
collection. It is significant that audiovisual
material, which makes up approximately 27% of Home Library loans, accounted for
80% of the unfavourable comments.
Cassettes and CDs were most often cited as having been found to be
faulty. This problem could in part be
attributed to incompatibility between the material supplied and the equipment customers
are using. Alternative delivery methods
such as audio streaming and the use of pre-recorded material could help
alleviate this problem.
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Staffing Levels
Three permanent part-time Home Library staff work
a total of 50.5 hours per week, with none of them working more than three days
a week. These hours are in line with the
guidelines produced by the Australian Library and Information Association
(ALIA) which recommends that ‘Home Library staff should not be involved in
visits for more than four days a week.’ [19]
Usually the choosing and issuing of materials
for Home Library customers takes place at Hornsby Central Library. However, on occasion, such as during staff
leave or sickness, choosing is done at the branch libraries and the material is
sent to Hornsby for packing and delivery.
The work area at Hornsby is located within the general library work area,
so that the Home Library staff interact closely with other team members.
In the staff survey, most respondents reported
that the space in the Home Library area is not adequate. Staff were also of the opinion that the
layout of the area could be improved.
More shelving space would also be greatly appreciated. In view of the fact that the population is
ageing, putting more pressure on the Home Library Service, these issues need to
be addressed.
A considerable amount of time is also spent in
the Home Library van. Usually, a single
staff member makes the deliveries. This
is increased to two staff members for long runs and to cover double deliveries
and pick-ups at holiday times. Given
that Hornsby Shire covers one of the largest areas in the NSW, the van covers
long distances on busy roads in peak morning time traffic. When responding to the staff survey, some
employees indicated that they would like more training in driving the van which
at times needs to be manoeuvred and parked in very constrained areas.
Customers’ homes are an important part of the
work environment for Home Library staff.
Occasionally items are dropped off and picked up at the door, but at other
times customers invite staff in for a talk or to share some refreshment. Sometimes staff need to go inside to pick up
and deliver material if the customer is unable to carry the items to the
door. Visits to retirement villages
might involve the deposit of a bulk collection and/or deliveries to home owners
within the complex. Several retirement
villages cover a large area, so staff have to be prepared to walk long
distances when required.
The Home Library team is managed by the Community
Liaison Coordinator, while the day to day workflow is coordinated by the Team
Leader. The Team Leader is responsible
for tasks such as the rostering and
training of staff, the scheduling of Home Library visits, the maintenance of
customer records and profiles, the collection and analysis of statistics, and
the administration of customer accounts.
Assessing and Satisfying Customer Needs
Once eligible customers have signed the
membership form and an agreement allowing staff to enter their property, a
customer profile is prepared. The
customer profile identifies the type and number of resources to be delivered,
and includes customer
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contact details and an emergency contact. The profile includes the customer’s reading
preferences and favourite authors, their likes and dislikes, as well as details
of the subjects which interest them most.
Other records kept for each customer include driving directions to reach
their home, and details of available parking facilities. These records are constantly updated to
ensure that each customer receives fast and effective service at all times.
Choosing resources to match customers’
requirements is a complex and time consuming activity. Since Home Library customers cannot visit the
library to select material, and deliveries are made only once every three
weeks, making the right choice the first time is very important. The task requires well trained, patient,
committed staff who are highly professional and have an ability to empathise
with the customers they serve. They must
have a thorough knowledge of the various genres and authors as well as the
ability to use print and online resources to help them find the best match for
each client.
This is because customer requests can vary from
wide ranging to very specific. Some
customers are prolific readers, and enjoy being exposed to a variety of
subjects and literary genres. Others
limit their reading, requesting for example, only romances by English authors, or
only novels with happy endings and no upsetting dramatic events. Staff also need to consider the weight and
size of items for those customers who have difficulty lifting, holding or carrying
heavy material.
Home Library staff also provide a research
service to locate information for their clients. The service has the potential to reduce
social isolation by putting customers in contact with people and services they
need to lead more independent and satisfying lives. Two of the three Home Library staff spend
time serving on the library’s circulation and/or information desk. This gives them added experience, and enables
them to develop the skills and knowledge they need to provide a quality information
service to all customers.
Home Library staff have provided information on
a wide range of topics, such as how to donate a body for research, how to access
home help services, and how to arrange transport between home and
hospital. Staff can find much of this
type of information on the Internet and in the library’s online subscription
databases, including the online Community Directory. As the population ages and the Home Library’s
customer base grows, such requests are expected to increase.
The following table shows the approximate number
of items delivered over a three week period.
|
Item
Description |
Number |
% |
|
Large Print |
390 |
35.14 |
|
Standard print |
418 |
37.66 |
|
Spoken word cassettes/CDs |
205 |
18.47 |
|
Videos/DVDs |
66 |
5.94 |
|
CDs (music) |
8 |
0.72 |
|
Magazines |
17 |
1.53 |
|
Community Language material |
6 |
0.54 |
|
Total |
1,110 |
100 |
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Delivering so many items on time and according
to a strict schedule is a physically demanding task. The job typically involves bending, lifting
and reaching to select materials, bagging items for each customer, loading the
bags onto trolleys and packing them into the Home Library van, before removing
them to deliver to individual homes. Finding
parking can be a problem, adding to the difficulty of meeting set
schedules. The delivery procedure is
reversed on the return trip, with items being packed into the van, then
unpacked at the library, before being wanded into the library system. If time allows, returned items are shelved
after each delivery run. This workload
is shared by three members of staff. While
some staff surveyed reported that they were able to complete tasks in the
allocated time, others indicated that that they were regularly unable to do so.
Home Library work can be emotionally taxing,
since considerable time is spent working with customers who are often socially
isolated and in need of varying levels of assistance and support. All the staff relate well to those they
visit. They are aware of the effects of
the ageing process and the issues affecting people with disabilities, and take
extra care to keep in regular contact in person and by phone, to ensure that
individual customer needs are satisfied.
Feedback from the customer survey shows that
most respondents feel comfortable contacting Home Library staff by phone. However the responses of those who are not
comfortable contacting the staff by phone emphasise the importance of seeing
each customer as an individual rather than stereotyping – for example, by
assuming that anyone who is uncomfortable phoning Home Library staff has a
hearing difficulty.
|
Reason |
No |
|
Physically unable to use a phone |
1 |
|
Unable to use a phone because of impaired vision |
1 |
|
Unable to use the phone because of a hearing difficulty |
6 |
|
No reason given |
1 |
|
No need to phone |
3 |
|
Not aware of the number to use |
1 |
Occasionally, as they grow older, customers can
become upset or confused, in which case staff need to spend time to reassure
them and explain Library policies and procedures. Home Library staff have indicated that they
would like to spend more time with individual customers. Although ALIA guidelines state that the
average duration of visits to individual users should be fifteen minutes,[20] often it is not possible to spend this
amount of time visiting clients without disrupting the busy schedule.
Home Library customers were asked whether they
were satisfied with the length of the visit they receive. Although most stated that they are happy with
the current length of each visit, a significant number (33.3%) expressed a
desire to have longer visits.
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Their responses are summarised in the table
below:
|
Response |
% |
|
Happy with current length of time |
66.7 |
|
Would like 5-10 minutes more |
8.3 |
|
Would like more than 10 minutes more |
8.3 |
|
Would like as long as possible/all day/3 hrs. etc |
3.3 |
|
Would like as much time as staff can spend |
13.4 |
Those customers who expressed a preference for a
longer visit were asked if they would be happy for a trained volunteer to
deliver their material and visit with them.
Most customers indicated that they would be happy with visits from
volunteers. Amongst those who indicated they would not be happy with such an
arrangement, the main reason given was that they were very happy with the
service provided by the particular staff member currently delivering to
them. Many of these customers mentioned
the particular staff member by name, reinforcing the idea that the relationship
of trust built up with individual members of staff is greatly valued by customers. The results also reflect the desire of many
customers for more social interaction with Home Library staff. This suggests that if volunteers were to be
used to make deliveries in the future, a phased introduction should be
considered, perhaps beginning with new customers.
A range of activities are undertaken to market
and promote the Home Library Service.
The Team Leader gives presentations to community groups to promote the
Home Library Service, while the Community Liaison Coordinator works with
community groups, Council committees and the Community Services Branch to plan
and deliver outreach programs promoting the Home Library Service. Activities include attendance at Council
sponsored events, the presentation of information sessions during the year, and
the preparation of articles for inclusion in local newspapers and newsletters
such as The Hornsby Advocate and Mature Matters.
Despite these efforts, nearly 40% of people
surveyed in the wider community did not know about the Home Library
Service. This indicates that promotion needs to be undertaken
in a wider variety of areas. Although
seniors groups and seniors newsletters have received publicity about the
service, the more mobile groups in the community need to be made more aware of
the service so that they can inform those who neither attend seniors groups nor
receive seniors newsletters.
Although the feedback indicates that customer
demands are being met, Home Library staff surveyed reported that they would
like more time to complete administrative tasks, to gather more complete
customer profiles, to choose the most appropriate items, and to visit and
liaise with individual customers – especially those who are socially
isolated. There was some concern about
how staff would manage the expected increase in the number of Home Library
customers as the population ages. All
staff would be happy to see trained volunteers introduced to help with the non
professional aspects of Home Library work.
It was agreed that the selection of material should continue to be
carried out by professional library staff.
Staff suggestions will be further investigated.
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Staff Training and
Professional Development
It is very encouraging to note the high level of
satisfaction with the service expressed by the majority of survey participants. However, ongoing training is essential to
ensure that staff can continue to meet customer expectations, and to deal
effectively with the complexities involved with providing a high quality Home
Library service.
Occupational Health and Safety
All Home Library staff are required to undergo
manual handling training and to read and sign relevant documents, such as Safe
Work Methods Statements and an internal report entitled Physical Demands Job Analysis
Report for Access & Egress of the Home Library Van – Hornsby Shire Council
.
When asked if they were able to comply with best
practice in the area of OH&S, the majority of staff surveyed answered always.
However, some staff – predominantly those working on a casual basis – answered
sometimes, indicating that further
investigation and training is needed in this area.
Staff who drive the Home Library van come with a
range of driving experience. If
necessary, an external driving instructor is employed to help build skills and
confidence. In other cases a new driver
accompanies an experienced staff member to gain the confidence to drive alone. Most staff feel that they received enough
driver training before being asked to drive the Home Library van. Further investigations will be
undertaken to ensure that those who need
more training receive assistance in this area.
According to the ALIA guidelines, ‘two people
should visit home library service users, for reasons of occupational health and
safety and security.’ [21] Time and staffing constraints at Hornsby do
not allow for two people to make each visit.
However, for added security, staff delivering material carry a mobile
phone at all times. Staff have suggested
that double runs undertaken at holiday time should always be delivered and
collected by two people. This suggestion
will be considered.
As well as undertaking the tasks specific to
Home Library duties, Home Library staff also need to be aware of the sources of
information available within the library and externally. Internal resources include material held in
the general collection, in the local studies collection and in online
databases. External sources may include
organisations which provide services for older adults, the providers of other
Home Library Services, and publishers of resources for those who cannot use
standard print material. Greater
familiarisation with the tools available to help with the selection of material
was one of the training and professional development activities most frequently
requested by current Home Library staff.
As the needs and expectations of Home Library customers grow and change,
more training in the provision of information will be needed to enable Home
Library staff to continue to enhance their customer service skills.
Training in the area of working with and
understanding the elderly and people with a disability was also frequently
requested by staff. Various training
sessions have been organised in these areas.
However, given the emotionally draining effect on staff of working with
a number of customers with special needs, regular training is needed in this
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area.
Staff also need to remain aware of advances in technology, as they are
sometimes called upon to assist customers with equipment such as DVDs and
cassette machines.
Home Library staff attend the meetings of the
NSW Home Library Service Group. The Team
Leader attends these meetings and where possible, other Home Library staff also
participate. All three permanent Home
Library staff attended the all-day seminar Seniors in Focus @ Your Library at
the State Library of NSW. Feedback from
staff confirms that they feel they have learned a great deal from taking part
in specialist training of this nature, which is offered in addition to any relevant
training given to all Hornsby Library staff.
With the rapid technological advances taking
place today, and as the population ages, the usage of audiovisual and online
material is likely to increase. Many
current Home Library customers already prefer to receive information on DVD or
as an audio book As computer literate
Baby Boomers and members of Generation X
become Home Library customers, they will expect the Library to provide
material in newer formats as they are introduced. The
library is one of the main avenues by which many socially isolated or
economically disadvantaged people are able to access this material. As technological advances are embraced by the
wider community, there are likely to be changes in the makeup of the Library
collection, with an increased emphasis on audio streaming and downloading
material to complement the print collection.
As the Baby Boomers age, Web 2.0 tools, such as
blogs, wikis, RSS feeds and social networking sites will increasingly be used
by staff and Home Library Service customers, both as a promotional tool and as
a way of socialising and sharing information and ideas. Home Library customers will expect the
library to provide easy access to such services.
Although future Home Library customers are
likely to have more technological skills and greater expectations of
technology, the gap between their skills and what they can achieve due to loss
of sight and motor skills may increase, leading to a greater dependence on the
Home Library staff and the services they offer. Home Library staff will need additional
skills and knowledge to assist customers to use emerging technologies, while
still maintaining the highly personal service and support so much valued and
needed by socially isolated people.
Marion Wilson, from the University of Newcastle,
emphasises the need for well trained and empathetic staff to help customers
make the best use of new technologies.
Many administrations have demanded staff cuts in order to introduce new
technology, when experience shows that this is the point that our clients have
an absolute need for the personal touch of expert staff assistance. New ways of operating, and the technology
that often accompanies can be a daunting prospect. We need to ensure that our clients are
comfortable in dealing with technology, and are able to gain the maximum
benefits from any services we provide … We cannot introduce new services
without the promotion and publicity to properly advise people of what is
available, and how they can use it. [22]
|
Hornsby Shire Council |
Attachment to Report
No. CC7/09 Page 14 |
Hornsby Library staff are aware of the need to
plan for the future to meet this challenge.
We are currently investigating three new technologies which are not
dependent on the use of a CD or cassette, using grant funding from the State
Library of NSW. The products being
trialled are Audio-Read, DAISY and Playaway.
Audio-Read is an Australian designed and
produced system for recording and playing digital information. The player is called a navigator and the navigator
is capable of playing both Audio-Read material and standard MP3 and Windows
Media material as well as podcasts. It
can also convert text files to audio. A
number of Home Library services in NSW public libraries are currently trialling
this technology which has distinct advantages for some Home Library customers,
but which is not suitable for others.
DAISY (Digital Accessible Information System)
has become the accepted standard amongst many organisations in the world which
provide for the needs of people who are visually impaired and/or who cannot use
standard print products. This format is
used by Vision
Playaway is a product of Findaway World in
It was decided to trial all three devices, to
assess the level to which each product meets the needs and capabilities of a
variety of users. The features of one
format and/or player may be more useful to some users than to others. The results of the trial will inform future
decisions on the type of material made available both to Home Library customers
and other library members.
The need to investigate new technologies such as
these is especially great since talking books on cassette are being phased out
by producers. The use of alternative
technologies will also help to address the problem of damage to audiovisual
material caused by use of conventional hardware by people with low vision or
poor motor skills.
With an ageing population, increased life
expectancy, and a growing number of people living alone, the public library is
taking on a greater social role within the community. This is reflected in the objectives of the
Hornsby Library Service, included in the Service Plan 2008-2009. Under the Plan, the Library has undertaken to
‘create an environment and provide programs to support the role of the Library
as a social and cultural facility.’[23]
The Home Library Service caters for a
predominantly ageing population, some of whom are socially isolated and/or
affected by the onset of disabilities. Consequently,
as time goes by, the Home Library Service can be expected to play an
increasingly important role in achieving this ongoing aim.
|
Attachment to Report No. CC7/09 Page 15 |
Conclusion
Hornsby Shire Library’s Home Library Service
currently meets customer needs and is much valued by the community. However, improvements could be made in some
areas. The evidence suggests that
greater emphasis needs to be given to staff training, while a review of the staff working area would also
assist in planning for the future. To
help alleviate staff workload, consideration should be given to employing
volunteers to carry out some of the non professional duties currently
undertaken by Home Library staff. More
promotion of the service is also needed to raise awareness in the wider
community.
It is recommended that:
1. training for Home Library staff be maintained, and increased where required
2. a review of the staff working area be
undertaken
3. consideration be given to employing
volunteers to undertake non professional tasks within the Home Library Service
Team
4. promotion of the Home Library Service be
increased
|
Attachment to Report No. CC7/09 Page 16 |
|
Attachment 1 – Current Customer
Survey |
|
Attachment to Report No. CC7/09 Page 20 |
Attachment 2 – Survey Distributed to Retirement Villages
|
Hornsby Shire Council |
Attachment to Report
No. CC7/09 Page 21 |
|
Attachment to Report No. CC7/09 Page 22 |
Attachment 3 – Survey Distributed to the Public
|
HOME LIBRARY SERVICE QUESTIONNAIRE |
The Home Library Service,
provided by Hornsby Shire Library and Information Service, is offered free of
charge to Hornsby Shire residents who are incapacitated or ill and unable to
visit the Library.
We would like to determine
the community's knowledge of, and satisfaction with, the Home Library
Service. Please take the time to complete this questionnaire
and either return it to your local branch of the library or use the attached
reply paid envelope.
Please return the questionnaire even if you answer ‘No’ to question
number 1.
1 Are you aware that Hornsby
Library & Information Service offers a Home Library service?
Yes No (Go to question 4)
2 Do you know anyone who uses the Home Library
Service from Hornsby Library?
Yes No (Go to question 4)
3 How satisfied are they with
the service they receive?
|
|
Very satisfied |
|
Reasonably satisfied |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Not happy |
|
Very dissatisfied |
|
Not sure |
4 Do you know of anyone who lives in the
Hornsby Shire and who could be using the Home Library Service but who is
unaware that it is available?
Yes No
|
|
Please continue with Questions 5-7. |
|
Thank you for taking part. Please go to the end if you wish to enter
the draw for a Borders voucher |
5 Please
mark the boxes to tell us more about this person.
|
|
Resident of Hornsby Shire |
|
|
|
|
|
A person who is incapacitated or ill and unable to
visit the library |
|
|
|
|
|
The carer of an incapacitated or ill person |
|
|
|
|
|
A person able to visit the library and choose
material but unable to carry it home |
5
|
Hornsby Shire Council |
Attachment to Report
No. CC7/09 Page 23 |
6 Please
mark the formats which would benefit this person.
|
Books |
Other |
||
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Regular print |
|
Talking Books on CD or
cassette |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Large print |
|
DVDs |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Fiction |
|
Magazines |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Non fiction |
|
Music CDs |
|
|
|
|
|
7 Please
mark the relevant age group of this person
|
|
Less than 30
|
|
30-39 |
|
40-49 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
50 -59 |
|
60- 69 |
|
70- 79 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
80 – 84 |
|
85 and over |
|
|
Thank you for your assistance with this
questionnaire.
If
you would like us to contact any eligible persons who are not using the service
please provide their contact details below:
Name:________________________________________________
Phone Number: __________________
Have you discussed the Home Library Service with
them?
Yes No
If the person would rather contact the Library please
ask them to ring
9847 6806 to speak to Home Library staff.
If staff are visiting customers, or the call is made
at weekends or after 5:00 pm, a message can be left on the answering machine.
If you would like to enter the draw to win a $50
Borders voucher for the return of questionnaires, please give your details
below. Details must be received by 30th May 2008 to be eligible for
the draw.
Your Name _________________________________________
Your Phone Contact _________________________________________
and/or
Your
Email Address _________________________________________
|
Attachment to Report No. CC7/09 Page 24 |
Attachment 4 – Home Library Staff Survey
HOME LIBRARY
SERVICE STAFF QUESTIONNAIRE
As
part of the Home Library Review we would like to have feedback from those who
work in the Home Library area – either as part of their regular duties or as
relief or casual Home Library assistants.
In
answering the following questions please provide us with any information that
you think will help to improve the service.
Work Load
1. Are you able to complete your Home Library
work in the allocated time?
|
|
Yes |
|
No |
|
N/A |
If no
· What type of things stop you
from completing your work in the allocated time?
|
|
Regular |
|
One
off |
|
N/A |
· On average how much extra time
do you work each week?
_________________________________________ N/A
2. How well do you feel you work is done when
you are on leave?
___________________________________________ N/A
3. Do you think there is sufficient back up from
other library staff when Home Library staff take planned leave?
|
|
Yes |
|
No |
|
N/A |
4. Do you think there is sufficient back up from
other library staff when Home library staff take unplanned/emergency leave?
|
|
Yes |
|
No |
|
N/A |
5. What level of stress do you feel when meeting
the regular deadlines?
|
|
Too
high |
|
A
bit much |
|
Acceptable |
|
None |
1.
|
Hornsby Shire Council |
Attachment to Report
No. CC7/09 Page 25 |
6. How do you think increased publicity about
the Home Library Service would affect your workload?
___________________________________________________ N/A
7. Would you be happy to see trained volunteers
introduced to help with some aspects of Home Library work?
|
|
Yes |
|
No |
Do you have any other comments
on your work load or suggestions for improvement?
_____________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________
Processes & Procedures
8. Does your work load allow you to keep current
with the necessary paperwork?
|
|
Yes |
|
No |
|
N/A |
9. Are there any parts of the paperwork that you
think are no longer necessary or which could be better done on the computer?
|
|
Yes |
|
No |
|
N/A |
If yes, which
____________________________________________________
10. Do you feel that Home Library customers are
disadvantaged because there is no separate Home Library collection
|
|
Never |
|
Sometimes |
|
Always |
If Sometimes, in which areas?
____________________________________________________
11. How often do you need to ask for branch requests?
___________________________________________________ N/A
1.
|
Hornsby Shire Council |
Attachment to Report
No. CC7/09 Page 26 |
12. How often do you need to ask for Inter Library
Loans?
___________________________________________________ N/A
Do you have any other comments
on the processes and procedures involved in your work or suggestions for
improvement?
_____________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________
Training & Support
13. Please list any in-house training that would
assist you in Home Library work.
___________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________
14. Please list any external training that would
assist you in Home Library work.
___________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________
15. Please list any professional development
seminars/meetings that you would like to attend.
___________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________
16. Do you think that the driver training you
received was
|
|
Too
little |
|
Adequate |
|
Too
much |
|
N/A |
17. What level of support do you feel that the
Home Library Service receives from Library administration?
|
|
Need
more |
|
Adequate |
|
Excellent |
|
N/A |
18. What level of support do you feel that the
Home Library Service receives from other library staff?
|
|
Need
more |
|
Adequate |
|
Excellent |
|
N/A |
|
Hornsby Shire Council |
Attachment to Report
No. CC7/09 Page 27 |
Do you have any other comments
on the level of training & support received or suggestions for improvement?
_____________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________
OH&S Issues
19. Please rate the suitability of the Home
Library work area in terms of
Space
|
|
Too
little |
|
Adequate |
|
Too
much |
|
N/A |
Furniture/equipment
set up
|
|
Needs
some changes |
|
Suitable |
|
N/A |
Computer set up
|
|
Needs
some changes |
|
Suitable |
|
N/A |
Workflow
|
|
Some
double handling |
|
Works
well |
If double handling, in which areas?
____________________________________________________
20. Please rate your ability to comply with best
practice/safe work methods statements in terms of
Weight of bags
and boxes
|
|
Never |
|
Sometimes |
|
Always |
Lifting of boxes and bags
|
|
Never |
|
Sometimes |
|
Always |
Bending and reaching
|
|
Never |
|
Sometimes |
|
Always |
Loading/unloading
the Home Library van
|
|
Never |
|
Sometimes |
|
Always |
Entering/exiting
the van
|
|
Never |
|
Sometimes |
|
Always |
|
Hornsby Shire Council |
Attachment to Report
No. CC7/09 Page 28 |
Do you have any other comments
in the area of health and safety or suggestions for improvement?
_____________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________
Do you have any further
comments you would like to make on these or any other aspects of the Home
Library Service?
_______________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________
_______________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________
Thank you for
taking the time to complete this survey.
[1] Hornsby Shire Library, Policy Guidelines for Hornsby Shire Library Home Library Service, November 2007, p. 2.
[2] Australian Library and Information Association, Guidelines
for Australian home library services, [
[3] Canadian Library Association Interest Group on Services for Older
People, Canadian guidelines on library and information services for older
adults. [
[4] Mylee Joseph, Active engaged value: older people and NSW
public libraries. [
[5] ‘Gen labels’, The Senior, October, 2008, p. 57.
[6] Australian Bureau of Statistics,
New South Wales Regional Statistics 2007, Canberra, ABS, 2007.
[7] Australian Bureaus of Statistics, 2006 Census of Population and Housing – Hornsby Local Government Area, Table 2068.0, ‘Age by Sex for Time Series’, Canberra, ABS, 2007.
[8] N O Jackson, NSW Local Government Population Ageing Project. 2004. Available at http://www.lgsa.org.au/resources/documents/hornsby_shire_council _241105.pdf.
[9] Hornsby Shire Council, Population Forecast, forecast.id, 2008.
[10] Australian
[11] Australian Bureau of Statistics, Census of Population and Housing
1996, 2001 and 2006, Canberra, ABS, 1991-2006.
[12] Australian
[13] Carolyn Jones, ‘Home library services in
[14] Australian
[15] Australian
[16] Australian
[17] Jayne Boardman, Strategic Plan for Older People (55 years and over) 2005-2010, [Hornsby], Hornsby Shire Council, n.d. http://www.hornsby.nsw.gov.au/ourcommunity/index.cfm?NavigationID=1866
[18] Hornsby Shire
Council, Strategic Plan for People With a dis-Ability 2005-2010,
[Hornsby], Hornsby Shire Council, n.d. http://www.hornsby.nsw.gov.au/uploads/documents/PWD_endorsed1.pdf
[19] Australian Library and Information Association, Guidelines for Australian home
library services, [
[20] Australian Library and Information Association, Guidelines for Australian home
library services, [
[21] Australian Library and Information Association, Guidelines for Australian home
library services, [
[22] Marion Wilson, ‘Understanding the needs of tomorrow’s library user: Rethinking library services for the new age’, Aplis 13(2), June 2000. p 3.
[23] Hornsby Shire
Council. Library & Information
Services Group, Service Plan 2008-2009,
Unpublished internal document.
