{"id":181,"date":"2022-07-12T16:15:11","date_gmt":"2022-07-12T16:15:11","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/dev.lsslibraries.com\/?post_type=success-stories&p=181"},"modified":"2022-08-12T17:45:15","modified_gmt":"2022-08-12T17:45:15","slug":"riverside-county-library-system","status":"publish","type":"success-stories","link":"https:\/\/dev.lsslibraries.com\/success-stories\/riverside-county-library-system\/","title":{"rendered":"Riverside County Library System"},"content":{"rendered":"","protected":false},"featured_media":1089,"template":"","state":[13],"ss_type":[38],"class_list":["post-181","success-stories","type-success-stories","status-publish","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","state-california","ss_type-multi-branch-system"],"acf":{"title":"The Story of Riverside County\u2019s Historic Partnership with 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LIBRARY PERFORMANCE","evaluate_content":"Understand your library\u2019s impact, strengths and opportunities to ensure you are getting the most out of your investment with a Customized Performance Report.","evaluate_link":{"title":"REQUEST FREE REPORT","url":"https:\/\/dev.lsslibraries.com\/vitality-report\/","target":""},"ss_title":"MORE SUCCESS STORIES","success_stories":[{"ID":1082,"post_author":"3","post_date":"2022-07-15 04:07:47","post_date_gmt":"2022-07-15 04:07:47","post_content":"","post_title":"Osceola Library System","post_excerpt":"","post_status":"publish","comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","post_password":"","post_name":"osceola-library-system","to_ping":"","pinged":"","post_modified":"2022-08-11 18:50:17","post_modified_gmt":"2022-08-11 18:50:17","post_content_filtered":"","post_parent":0,"guid":"https:\/\/library-systems-services.local\/?post_type=success-stories&p=1082","menu_order":0,"post_type":"success-stories","post_mime_type":"","comment_count":"0","filter":"raw"},{"ID":863,"post_author":"3","post_date":"2022-07-08 03:29:40","post_date_gmt":"2022-07-08 03:29:40","post_content":"","post_title":"Sumter County Library System","post_excerpt":"","post_status":"publish","comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","post_password":"","post_name":"sumter-county-library-system","to_ping":"","pinged":"","post_modified":"2022-08-11 19:53:20","post_modified_gmt":"2022-08-11 19:53:20","post_content_filtered":"","post_parent":0,"guid":"https:\/\/library-systems-services.local\/?post_type=success-stories&p=863","menu_order":0,"post_type":"success-stories","post_mime_type":"","comment_count":"0","filter":"raw"},{"ID":834,"post_author":"3","post_date":"2022-07-23 20:21:48","post_date_gmt":"2022-07-23 20:21:48","post_content":"","post_title":"Escondido Public Library","post_excerpt":"","post_status":"publish","comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","post_password":"","post_name":"escondido-public-library","to_ping":"","pinged":"","post_modified":"2022-08-04 14:51:13","post_modified_gmt":"2022-08-04 14:51:13","post_content_filtered":"","post_parent":0,"guid":"https:\/\/library-systems-services.local\/?post_type=success-stories&p=834","menu_order":0,"post_type":"success-stories","post_mime_type":"","comment_count":"0","filter":"raw"}],"city_state":"Riverside, CA","director_name":"Jon Solomon","main_content":[{"ad_block_of_text":[{"variant":"text","yellow_subtitle":"no","subtitle":"","block_text":"

A Library in Need of an Ally<\/strong><\/p>\n

In the mid-1990s, a California tax proposition mandated a drastic increase in funding for state schools, at the expense of other local municipal services.<\/p>\n

This shift in distribution had a negative impact on libraries throughout the state, not the least of which was Riverside County\u2019s library system. The county\u2019s board of supervisors found that its new funding levels could not adequately cover the community\u2019s existing library service needs.<\/p>\n

Without a solution, the county would have been forced to scale back library operations, lay off workers, reduce service availability and quality, or potentially close branches.<\/p>\n","name__position":"","image":false},{"variant":"highlight","yellow_subtitle":"","subtitle":"","block_text":"

\u201cI rely heavily on LS&S to provide me with the new trends, best practices, and anything that we may be able to implement at one of our branches.\u201d<\/p>\n","name__position":"- Suzanne Holland | County of Riverside Director of the Office of Economic Development","image":false},{"variant":"text","yellow_subtitle":"no","subtitle":"","block_text":"

Historic Public-Private Partnership<\/strong><\/p>\n

Riverside County leaders refused to see their populace cut off from the library system that had educated and enriched the community for 85 years. Securing this important resource for the immediate and long term future was their priority.<\/p>\n

So in 1997, they did the unprecedented \u2013 they solicited proposals from outside organizations for operational help. But they wouldn\u2019t accept just any solution; their RFP stipulated that an ideal partner would provide the highest level of service possible within the library\u2019s allotted budget. A low bid in and of itself would not meet their county\u2019s needs.<\/p>\n

At LS&S, we knew we could bring the capabilities necessary to sustain and grow Riverside County\u2019s libraries. Our on-staff librarians, strategists, and finance experts carefully considered the needs of the county, and submitted a proposal that showed how we could actually expand Riverside\u2019s library offerings while lowering their operational costs.<\/p>\n

After Riverside County had assessed all proposals and narrowed the field down to three viable options, they ultimately chose LS&S to guide the future of their libraries.<\/p>\n

This historic decision made them the first government organization in the United States to operate a library as a public-private partnership. It was a bold choice \u2013 one that would end up not only saving their library, but fueling its growth for the next 18 years and counting.<\/p>\n

Putting Library Employees First<\/strong><\/p>\n

Libraries cannot flourish without the careful guidance of their librarians, and Riverside County was no exception. One of the first steps to sustaining Riverside\u2019s libraries was restructuring the staffing model to control long-term spending while making sure experienced employees weren\u2019t forced out the door.<\/p>\n

We worked closely with county leadership to create employment opportunities for every existing Riverside staff member. These workers became LS&S employees, but continued to receive the same pay, vacation time, and vacation accrual rates they enjoyed as government employees.<\/p>\n

Riverside librarians and staff members were able to keep their existing retirement investments, and many became eligible for 401k and Social Security for the first time in their careers. We also gave them access to a range of developmental resources, plus merit-based raises that were previously unheard of.<\/p>\n

Almost all of Riverside\u2019s employees chose to stay on board, many for the better part of a decade. This was a great opportunity for their career advancement, and a welcome result for residents who relied on a familiar face to greet them during library visits.<\/p>\n

Immediate Results<\/strong><\/p>\n

With our experts at the helm and Riverside\u2019s experienced staff on board, we were able to begin modernizing and streamlining the county\u2019s library system immediately.<\/p>\n

Within the first year of the Riverside-LS&S public-private partnership, we were able to:<\/p>\n