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<br />econometric model. The conclusion is that all taxpayers benefit from public <br />libraries through their contribution to education, the economy, tourism, <br />retirement, and quality of life. Overall Florida's public libraries return $6.54 for <br />every $1.00 invested from all sources; the Pennsylvania ROI in public libraries is <br />5.5 to l.as <br />We used this knowledge base to develop three principles as the basis of our <br />recommendations for library service in Orange County: <br />1. a regional approach <br />2. collaborative county-wide planning <br />3. a 3-5 year plan to address immediate needs. <br />Using the first principle, we recommend that the county adopt a regional approach to <br />library service. This translates to main libraries in Hillsborough and Chapel Hill and <br />geographically located branches elsewhere, plus a Heritage Center in Hillsborough. Your <br />acceptance of the attached facility requirements and the capital investment in the new <br />main library building are steps in the fulfillment of this recommendation. The next step <br />would be consolidation of the two small Carrboro facilities in a Southwest Branch, <br />followed by a North/West expansion of the Northern Branch in Cedar Grove and the <br />establishment of a West County Branch in Efland. Please see attachment (1) for a chart <br />comparing where we are now to the recommendations of the 4-year-old 2004 facilities <br />plan. <br />The second principle is continued growth in collaborative county-wide planning. The <br />planning process underlying the several task forces has fostered a cooperative approach. <br />The acceptance of a county library standard moves us forward on this goal. Attachment <br />(2) shows what has been accomplished and what remains to be done in the achievement <br />of this standard. Future initiatives, such as courier service among ail the libraries and <br />interoperability of online public access catalogs, for example, are possible next steps. We <br />recommend that the county investigate the advantages and disadvantages of a jointly <br />operated technical support system using a common online public access catalog (OPAC) <br />by engaging an expert to conduct a study of costs and alternatives. . <br />The third principle we recommend is the development of a 3-5 year plan to address <br />immediate needs. We recommend ongoing reviews of progress and plans using the two <br />attached standards for facilities and services with consideration for changes in technology <br />and current best practices, and information reports to the county commissioners. <br />a Griffiths, Jose-Marie; Donald W. King, Christinger Tomer, Thomas Lynch; Julie Harrington (2004). <br />Taxpayer Return on Investment in Florida Parblic Libraries: Sarmmary Report. Funded by the Institute of <br />Museum and Library Services and administered by the Florida Dept. of State, State Library. and Archives <br />of Florida. Accessed 4/28/2008 from http://dlis.dos.state.fl.us/bid/roi/pdfs/ROISummaryReport.pdf. <br />s Griffiths, Jose-Marie; Donald W. King and Sarah Aerni (2006). Taxpayer Return-on-Investment (ROI) in <br />Pennsylvania Public Libraries. Funded by the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania. Accessed 4/28/2008 <br />from http://www.statelibrary.state.pa.us/libraries/lib/libraries/paroireporifinal7.pdf. <br />2 <br />