Experts Gather to Develop a Plan to Manage Library Data Challenges
September 19-20, 2017 | Baltimore, MD
Overview:
The Chief Officers of State Library Agencies (COSLA) and the Institute of 
Museum and Library Services (IMLS) have started a project to “examine, evaluate, and map the landscape of public library data collection in the United States.” The Measures that Matter initiative will develop a Library Data and Outcomes Action Plan by engaging key library stakeholder groups for a more coordinated approach to the collection of public library data on a national level.
Over the course of 9 months, CMP worked closely with COSLA to develop a program that allowed for a significant amount of interaction and sharing of ideas. The meeting provided an opportunity for everyone to be heard and gain a better appreciation of the challenges each other are facing.
Part of the meeting was dedicated to a World Café approach which is a flexible format for small group discussions that focus on specific topics. Some of our ten topics included Health & Wellness, Connectivity & Access to Information, Government, Civic, & Community Engagement, and Education & Academic Achievement. Groups of 10 participants discussed a topic and then transitioned to a new topic every 20 minutes. Ideas were written on flip charts and post-it notes, and then later presented to the entire group for further discussion.
CMP Services Provided:
CMP was hired by COSLA to plan and implement the first stakeholder meeting under the Measures that Matter initiative. We brought together 80 representatives from state and local libraries, federal government agencies, private corporations, and universities.
Our services included:
- Site selection and contract negotiation
- Materials production (name badges, signs, folder contents)
- A/V and technology coordination
- Live webcasting with captioning
- Room sets and meeting facility coordination
- Food and beverage coordination
- Hotel room block management
- On-site implementation
CMP Value Added:
We negotiated a very favorable guest room rate during a very busy time in downtown Baltimore. We also reduced A/V costs by 35% and catering costs by 25%. While on-site, we made sure that everything ran smoothly so that our clients and guests could enjoy the meeting and focus on the conversations.
