North Country Library System

The North Country Library System's Five Year System Plan of Service aims to support local libraries and their communities by maximizing sharing, creativity, and innovation to improve the lives of North Country residents. Key strategic elements include enhancing resource sharing through cooperative collection development, integrated library systems, delivery, interlibrary loan, and digital access. The plan also focuses on serving special client groups, providing professional development and consulting services, coordinating member services like virtual reference and digitization, and fostering awareness and advocacy. Additionally, it emphasizes communication among member libraries, collaborative efforts with other library systems, and supporting library construction projects to ensure safe and accessible buildings.

This Free Direct Access Plan for the North Country Library System outlines how the system ensures equitable library services for all residents within its boundaries, fulfilling Commissioner's Regulation 90.3. It details provisions for individuals outside chartered service areas, addresses scenarios of member library withdrawal, and defines criteria for 'serious inequities and hardships' among member libraries, along with actions to mitigate them. The plan also covers conditions for modifying the access plan and mechanisms for ensuring member library compliance, emphasizing that all persons within the service area have free access to all member libraries.

The Central Library Plan of Service for the North Country Library System outlines the strategic direction for its Central Library, which serves as a major reference and interlibrary loan resource for 65 member libraries. The plan focuses on four key goals: expanding and improving reference and information services, enhancing interlibrary loan and collection accessibility, optimizing resource allocation to balance existing and emerging demands, and increasing the publicity of central library services. The intended outcomes include boosting awareness and utilization of services, ensuring timely and accurate information delivery, developing effective collections, and adapting resource management to meet the evolving needs of member libraries and patrons.