12 May 2020

Ottawa Public Library Annual Report and Second Quarter 2019 Performance

Today at 5 pm the Ottawa Public Library Board will hold its monthly meeting via Zoom. The agenda and documents are posted at https://app05.ottawa.ca/sirepub/mtgviewer.aspx?meetid=7912&doctype=AGENDA

The OPL Annual Report 2019 is on the agenda for information. Written by OPL management, not the Board, it is a publicity piece emphasizing the positive. Activities are covered and services provided quantified. The highlight was the work toward the design of the future Ottawa Public Library-Library and Archives Canada Joint Facility at 555 Albert Street which attracted input from more than 4,000 people. The only challenge mentioned is that of fair library pricing and access to eContent.

The following agenda item is the semi-annual performance report for July - December 2019. During the period OPL achieved improved results in six of its nine Key Performance Indicator measures — Percent of Available Meeting Room Hours Booked, Percent of Physical Materials Checked Out, Reach and Awareness Ratio, Total Cardholders Active in the Last 12 Months, Total Circulation, and Total Program Attendance per Square Foot. The KPI was not met for Electronic Visits, Cost Per Library Use, and Hold Time to Availability.

The number of cardholders active increased by 2.8%. Sustained over four years that would achieve an 11.7% increase. That's less than half the increase needed to reach the 2020-2023 Strategic Statement’s goal of 25% growth. How will that be achieved, or will it need rethinking in the new circumstance for library service?

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