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G2S Project Code: 2022-MT-91793
State: Montana
Fiscal Year: 2022
Grantee
Montana State Library

Project Director
Director Name: Tracy Cook
Director Phone: 406-431-0685
Director Email: tcook2@mt.gov
General Information
Title: Consulting Services
State Project Code: LSTA 22 CONSULT
Start Date: 07/01/2022
End Date: 06/30/2023
Abstract: Montana State Library's statewide consulting team connected with library directors, boards, and staff across the state to provide support and training on board development, collection management, administration, governance, planning, professional development, and technology. This year, the team focused on helping libraries deliver the very best service to Montana patrons by providing assistance with Public Library Standards and by delivering trainings designed to create and sustain healthy library boards. In addition to delivering consultations through site visits, staff delivered virtual or hybrid presentations to best fit the needs of each community for a total of 640 consultations and 34 presentations delivered to 85 unique libraries.
State Goal: Adequate Support
Budget Information
LSTA
MATCH-State
MATCH-Other
Total
$300,201.65
$0.00
$0.00
$300,201.65
Intent(s)
Improve library operations.
Library Infrastructure & Capacity
Activities
Activity Details
Title: Library Consulting Services
Narrative: A team of three consultants provided direct assistance to public library directors on a variety of topics such as local government relationships, library personnel, public library statistics, and certification. The most common outcome from consulting interactions was an increased knowledge of library best practices (38%). In other situations, librarians felt better equipped to solve problems (26%) and access resources (28%). Through face-to-face and online visits, staff completed 640 consultations, connecting with libraries in 51 out of 56 counties. Library Feedback: "I love working with the Montana State Library Consultants! Anytime I have ever needed any help I have always known I can turn to [them]! They are all an incredibly valuable resource!"; "I have always felt very comfortable approaching our consultants for information or assistance and am in awe of the amount of time they must spend helping Montana Librarians."; "They are invaluable! I am extremely thankful for all they have done to help us provide better services and look forward to continuing our work with their guidance."
Intent: Improve library operations.

Activity: Instruction
Mode: Consultation/drop-in/referral
Format: Combined in-person & virtual


Quantity
Total number of consultation/reference transactions: 640
Average number of consultation/reference transactions per month: 53


Partner Information
Organization Type of Partner Organization(s):
Libraries: Yes
Historical Societies or Organizations: No
Museums: No
Archives: No
Cultural Heritage Organization Multi-type: No
Preschools: No
Schools: No
Adult Education: No
Human Service Organizations: No
Other: No


Legal Type of Partner Organization(s):
Federal Government: No
State Government: No
Local Government (excluding school districts): No
School District: No
Non-Profit: No
Private Sector: No
Tribe/Native Hawaiian Organization: No


Beneficiaries
Is the activity directed at the library workforce: Yes
For a targeted group or for the general population: General


Locale
Is the activity state-wide: Yes
Specific Locations: No
Library Types
Public Libraries: 82
Academic Libraries: 0
SLAA: 0
Consortia: 0
Special Libraries: 0
School Libraries: 0
Other: 0
Activity Details
Title: Public Library Standards Support
Narrative: Montana State Library established public library standards to define a base level of library service for all communities. Standards included essential criteria regarding the library board, governance, serving the community, and personnel. Statewide library consultants supported libraries in their pursuit of achieving these standards which helped libraries meet the requirements established in administrative rule and by doing so, deliver the best service possible for Montanans. Staff provided 76 library-specific consultations on standards and delivered trainings on topics like policies, budgets, and library legal practices.
Intent: Improve library operations.

Activity: Instruction
Mode: Consultation/drop-in/referral
Format: Combined in-person & virtual


Quantity
Total number of consultation/reference transactions: 76
Average number of consultation/reference transactions per month: 6


Partner Information
Organization Type of Partner Organization(s):
Libraries: Yes
Historical Societies or Organizations: No
Museums: No
Archives: No
Cultural Heritage Organization Multi-type: No
Preschools: No
Schools: No
Adult Education: No
Human Service Organizations: No
Other: No


Legal Type of Partner Organization(s):
Federal Government: No
State Government: No
Local Government (excluding school districts): No
School District: No
Non-Profit: No
Private Sector: No
Tribe/Native Hawaiian Organization: No


Beneficiaries
Is the activity directed at the library workforce: Yes
For a targeted group or for the general population: General


Locale
Is the activity state-wide: Yes
Specific Locations: No
Library Types
Public Libraries: 82
Academic Libraries: 0
SLAA: 0
Consortia: 0
Special Libraries: 0
School Libraries: 0
Other: 0
Activity Details
Title: Library Board Trainings
Narrative: The state library consulting team delivered 34 trainings to support the work of library trustees. Consultants responded to requests from library boards and directors to visit in person or online to address training topics relevant to each local community. Presentations included topics like "Healthy Boards, Healthy Staff" where trustees from 14 libraries learned about practices that create effective boards and ideas for supporting library staff during challenging times. Feedback from participants: "Excellent training with lots of relevant information for trustees and directors. I thought the facilitator did an excellent job of covering a variety of topics and answering questions from those in attendance."; "I like that [Montana State Library] has a generic presentation that can be fine-tuned to fit the needs of individual boards. The presentation was tailored to our needs and presented in a friendly, discussion format. I received very positive feedback from others who attended."
Intent: Improve library operations.

Activity: Instruction
Mode: Presentation/performance
Format: Combined in-person & virtual


Quantity
Presentation/performance length (minutes): 90
Number of presentations/performances administered: 34
Average number in attendance per session: 14


Partner Information
Organization Type of Partner Organization(s):
Libraries: Yes
Historical Societies or Organizations: No
Museums: No
Archives: No
Cultural Heritage Organization Multi-type: No
Preschools: No
Schools: No
Adult Education: No
Human Service Organizations: No
Other: No


Legal Type of Partner Organization(s):
Federal Government: No
State Government: No
Local Government (excluding school districts): No
School District: No
Non-Profit: No
Private Sector: No
Tribe/Native Hawaiian Organization: No


Beneficiaries
Is the activity directed at the library workforce: Yes
For a targeted group or for the general population: General


Locale
Is the activity state-wide: Yes
Specific Locations: No
Library Types
Public Libraries: 82
Academic Libraries: 0
SLAA: 0
Consortia: 0
Special Libraries: 0
School Libraries: 0
Other: 0
Project Outcomes
Project Outcomes
List any important outcomes or findings not previously reported:
Montana's Public Library Standards now require library boards to complete three hours of training each year. The Montana State Library used multiple approaches to help libraries meet this requirement. Consultants delivered more board trainings, and staff targeted trustees at library federation meetings and through recorded courses (as documented in the State Match and Continuing Education projects).
Please briefly describe the importance of these outcomes and findings for future program planning:
10% of public libraries reported that the board training standard was a challenge for them in 2023. The Montana State Library will work to more clearly define what constitutes a "board training." For example, staff will answer questions like whether a quorum needs to be present to qualify as board training.
Explain one or two of the most significant lessons learned for others wanting to adopt any facets of this project:
Effective library training should include trustees because strong libraries need knowledgeable, capable, and enthusiastic board members. Thriving library boards create a healthy environment where library staff feel supported and can provide excellent service to the public.
Do you anticipate continuing this project after the current reporting period ends:
Yes
Do you anticipate any change in level of effort in managing this project:
No
Explain:

Do you anticipate changing the types of activities and objectives addressed by the project:
No
Explain:

Was an evaluation conducted for this project:
No
Was a final written evaluation report produced:
No
Can the final written evaluation report be shared publicly on the IMLS website:
No
Was the evaluation conducted by project staff (either SLAA or local library) or by a third-party evaluator:
Third-Party
What data collection tools were used for any report outcomes and outputs:
Did you collect any media for the data:
What types of methods were used to analyze collected data:
Other:
How were participants (or items) selected:
What type of research design did you use to compare the value for any reported output or outcome:
Exemplary: No
Exemplary Narrative
Project Tags: consultants, trustees, standards