PRESENTATIONS TO COUNCIL AND COMMUNITY

1. PRESENTATIONS TO COUNCIL AND COMMUNITY Joyce Cunningham, Chair Fort Frances Public Library Board joycec@jam21.net Donna Mikeluk, CEO Schreiber Public Library libinfo@schreiber.ca

2. INTRODUCTION • We are part of the community. • As such we realize that we do not live and work in isolation. • An increasing part of what we do, centres around speaking to both individuals and groups about who we are, what we do, what we have achieved and where we are heading in the future.

3. OVERVIEWExamples of presentations or reports • Annual Report – information about the operation over the past year. • Yearly budget request based on estimates of both revenue and expenses • Strategic Plan – a road map to lead us from where we are now to where we shall be in “x” years. It usually includes a Mission Statement, Objectives, Goals and an Action Plan • Reports for unique or special activities: • Reports/Updates dealing with a building project • Reports/Applications dealing with a specific grant • Reports/Discussions about a partnership • Reports/meetings with MPPs and Ministry representatives

4. PREPARATION FOR WRITING THE ANNUAL REPORT Things to consider: • Purpose • Audience • Content • Design Principles • Writing Principles • Dissemination

5. PURPOSE • The Annual Report provides key information about the library and its activities over the past year • It demonstrates accountability to council and the community • It links the activities and outcomes of the past year to its Mission Statement and perhaps the Strategic Plan • It provides the outlook for the future

6. AUDIENCE Some possible groups to be considered: • Municipal Council • General Public • Special Groups (eg. Friends of the Library, Service groups or Organizations that have been involved in projects)

7. CONTENT Although the responsibility for the Annual Report lies primarily with the Board, it is customary for the CEO and the Board to work together. Key Areas of the Content that can be considered: • Names of Board and Staff (There may be statements from the Board Chair and the CEO) • Key Activities/Successes/Accomplishments (These can be linked to the Mission Statement, Goals and Objectives) • Key Facts/Data • Financial Information – This is not an Auditor’s Report or a detailed Treasurer’s Report. Consider 3 or 4 major revenue categories and 6 or 7 major expenditure categories • Anecdotal Accounts

8. KEY FACTS OR DATA Consider the following possibilities: • Library Users/card holders • People count • Programs offered • Participation in the programs • Bookings for study rooms or meeting rooms • Use of computers • Items borrowed • Audiobook and ebook downloads • Visits to library web page • Lists of donors or partnerships

9. KEY FACTS/DATACONTINUED Some libraries also include statistics showing comparisons to the previous year: Possible topics: • Increase in memberships • Increase in program attendance • Increase in programs offered • Increase in partnerships • Materials added or withdrawn

10. FINANCIAL INFORMATION The information should include the total budget. The Major categories could be as follows: Revenue: • Municipal Contribution • Provincial Grant • Internally Generated Expenses: • Employee Salaries and Benefits • Operating (Library Services) • Building and Equipment • Other A Pie Chart is often used effectively.

11. ANECDOTAL INFORMATION • Many Annual Reports include short anecdotes from patrons and partners. • These can help to explain the diversity of services offered by the library and how it is perceived by the community. • These anecdotes are usually spread throughout the report and linked to such things as the Mission Statement, the Strategic Plan or the data presented. • They are usually accompanied by a photo.

12. DESIGN PRINCIPLESWRITING PRINCIPLES It is important to keep the audience in mind when designing and writing the annual report. Long reports with pages filled with text will probably not be read and soon be cast aside. Some tips for readability: • Attractive Cover • Bold Faced Leads • Sidebars or Columns • Photos & graphics • Clear simple language • Active Writing • No jargon • Clear theme or point of view throughout

13. DISSEMINATION Early in the preparation, you will have to decide how you will get the report to the key stakeholders and the members of the community. If you intend to present it to council who will present it and when? If you want it to be available to the community how will you ensure that?

14. DISSEMINATION CONTINUED SOME KEY OPTIONS OR DECISIONS: • Will the report be in print or online or a combination? • Will it be handed out in print to council members? • Will it be posted on your web page? • If so in what format? • Will it be available in the library in print form? • If it is online will it include video?

15. EXAMPLES Print Publications: • Schreiber Public Library • Rainy River Public Library • Kenora Public Library • Fort Frances Public Library Online Reports: • Thunder Bay Public Library • Burlington Public Library

16. Discussion/Activity Take a few minutes to discuss one or two of the following topics with somebody near you. • After looking at some of the examples, what information do you think is important? How does any of this help your cause? • Financial Information: How much detail do you think you should include? What do you hope to achieve by sharing this information? • Anecdotal Accounts: Do you think they should be included? What criteria would you use regarding content? What caveats are there? • Dissemination: Which of the options would work best in your community? Why? Are there other ways to get crucial information out to key players?

17. RESOURCES • OLBA’S Leadership by Design: One Place to Look/ Annual Reports. • The Annual Report for non-profit Boards (Ken Haycock, 2011) • The Non-Profit Annual Report: The Basic Ingredients (non-profit sector Leadership Program Dalhousie University, 2002) • How to Write an Annual Report for a Non-Profit Organization (Gail Sessons, 2012)