2025-2030
About the Library
Mission Statement: Providing access to knowledge and information to inform, educate, entertain, and serve.
LIBRARY DISCRIPTION: The Roanoke Public Library is located in the town of Roanoke, Indiana in Huntington County. Roanoke is one of the fastest growing areas of Huntington County, in part because of its close proximity to both Huntington and Fort Wayne. Its attractiveness can be found in its small-town atmosphere, rural setting and great public services.1 The library district is the residents living within the city limits of the town of Roanoke, Indiana.
LIBRARY BOARD: The Roanoke Public Library is governed by a Library Board of Trustees. The Library Board is composed of seven (7) members. The Board members are appointed as follows: three (3) by the Huntington County School Board; one (1) by the Huntington County Commissioners; one (1) by the Huntington County Council; one (1) by the Roanoke Town Council and one (1) by the Roanoke Town Council President.
LIBRARY STAFF: The Roanoke Public Library employs one full-time employee; one part-time employee and one temporary/substitute employee.
LIST OF PRESENT FACILITIES
- NAME: Roanoke Public Library
- CONSTRUCTED: 1900
- SPACE OCCUPIED: 3000 square feet
- LOCATION: in a portion of the “old” Coil Factory
- TECHNOLOGY AVAILABLE: 6 patron computers,1 color printer, 1 color copier, 1 scanner, 1 fax machine, 2 wireless routers and wifi throughout the area.
MATERIALS AVAILABLE: access to over 3.5 million bibliographic records which in turn provides access to over 5.5 million items thanks to being part of the Evergreen Indiana Consortium
Community Profile
As of the 2020 census the population was 1762.2 This is an increase from 2010 count of 1722. According to the 2020 Census Survey the median age in Roanoke is 39.4 with 400 of the 1762 total population being under 18 years old; 95 are fifteen to 19 years old and 354 are 60 years or older.3 The survey goes on to say 98% of the population is white; only 4.5% speak a language other than English; 25% have bachelor’s degree or higher; 89.5 are at or above 150 percent of the poverty level with a median household income of $70, 583 and 67.7 are in the labor force4.
Roanoke Elementary School is the only School within the Library’s district. According to NCES, Roanoke Elementary School is a public school located in Roanoke, IN. It has 419 students in grades K-5 with a student-teacher ratio of 15.52. 105 students are free lunch eligible and 14 are reduced price lunch eligble.5 According to Public Schools Review, Roanoke Elementary School ranks in the top 50% of all schools in Indiana for overall test scores. The percentage of students achieving proficiency in math is 53% (which is higher than the Indiana state average of 38%) for the 2022-23 school year. The percentage of students achieving proficiency in reading/language arts is 43% (which is higher then Indiana state average of 41%) for the 2022-23 school year. The student: teacher ratio of 16:1 is higher than the Indiana state level of !5:1.6
Assessment of Facilities, Services, Technology and Operations
Facilities:
- Been leasing present facility since 2013.
- Original owners who the library contracted with for the building lease sold the building. The new owners are doing piecework repairs slowly on the building.
- Building has a flat roof which causes flooding issues on occasion mainly on the top floor but has caused some damage to the library on the main floor.
- There is limited space for tutoring, child services, and supervised visits
- Bathrooms are not part of the Library’s responsibility
- Library is responsible for maintenance inside our ~3000 sq. feet for which we have a volunteer
- Library is responsible for cleaning inside our ~3000 square feet for which we contract out.
Services
- With limited staff, only one full-time and one part-time, programming is limited.
- Adult programming is done by Director who has limited success. Adult coloring and craft night is the only one that is ongoing. The others have been high attendance at first and then shrinks to almost nothing so we end that program and try to come up with something different.
- Preschool programming is done by the Library Assistant as the main part of her job so it is very successful. She also does special programming for elementary and preschool age children during the year.
- Summer reading is successful. It is so successful that the numbers have to be limited because of our building size limitation. More program times have been added to allow for more participation.
- Young adult programming is done by the Library Assistant. These programs are low attendance.
Technology
- The library provides 6 public computers all attached to the Internet and with printing capabilities.
- 2 routers provide wifi throughout the library’s space.
- Because we are in a factory with thick walls, the wifi extends only inside the building and a few parking spaces in front of the building.
- There are 3 wifi portals. One is public and two are private, pass-worded for security
- The library has a contract with Comcast for internet, phone and separate fax line.
- A contracted computer technician comes to do maintenance on our 9 desktop computers monthly.
- 8 security cameras are place around the library which we pay for 7 days of cloud-based videos.
- OpenDNS filtering is on all 6 public computers.
- All staff computers have Sophos Internet suite on them for Internet safety, including antivirus.
- Deep freeze is downloaded on all public computers to assure they go back to default settings after use.
Operations
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- The library staff does laminating.
- The library staff can assist you in scanning pages, pictures or other printed materials. These items can then be printed or sent to an email address.
- Library Director, Celia Bandelier, is a Notary Public.
- The Roanoke Public Library offers all Roanoke Elementary School students, who live outside the town limits, a free library card.
- The Roanoke Public Library has a cart with free books for the taking. There is also an area where you can take book(s) for a monetary, freewill donation to the Library.
- For $1, the Roanoke Public Library will attempt to repair your DVDs or CDs.
- The Roanoke Public Library will monitor/proctor test taking for students or potential employees at no cost.
- The Roanoke Public Library has a meeting room available for public use.
- Overdue fees are set by Evergreen Indiana. Replacement costs for lost or damaged materials are set to the manufacturer cost of the item.
Community Needs and Goals
- General Information
Need: People in the Town of Roanoke’s area will know that the Roanoke Public Library as one of the town’s assets and services as advertised in the town’s brochure and on the Town’s website, DiscoverRoanoke.7
Goal: Roanoke Public Library is available for general information; literacy; formal learning; lifelong learning and business career needs.
Objective:
- Collaborate with the Roanoke Chamber of Commerce so that the library is aware of and can promote town events.
- Collaborate with Jackson Square Apartment in promoting library events so their residents are
Informed
- Collaborate with Roanoke Elementary School so children/parents are informed of free student cards for non-resident students
- Collaborate with Roanoke Elementary School so first graders include the Library in the “get to know the town” tour.
- Continue to lease space in the Coil Factory Building working with fellow occupants on events
- Work with Town Council and other local leaders in seeking opportunities to assist the community with library services
- Work with Town leaders in fundraising and community events.
- Basic Literacy
Need: The Roanoke Elementary School has only at proficiency of 43% in reading and 53% in math.8
Goal: Children in the Town of Roanoke will have ready access to a wide variety of programs and materials to meet their general information, basic literacy and formal learning needs.
- Review collection and order needed materials and weed unused materials
- Observe best seller lists and order popular books
- Confer with other children’s librarians on list-serves, workshops, conferences and others in Huntington County
- Collaborate with local school as to visits to the library and the librarian visiting the school
- Collaborate with local school as to special projects and assignments for which the library can obtain materials
- Plan a Summer Reading Program different from the state program so we are offering another option from surrounding libraries
- Collaborate with any local daycare or nursery schools as to best times for programs to meet their schedule
- Prepare flyers to send through the school to publicize programs.
- Prepare flyer to have in the library to pass out to those visiting the library.
- 3. Lifelong Learning
Need: 400 of the 1762 population or 77.3% of the population are over 18 years old9.
Goal: Adults will have ready access to a wide variety of programs and materials to meet their general information, basic literacy and lifelong learning needs.
Objectives:
- Plan programs and obtain any necessary materials
- Collaborate with other libraries as what programs they are providing
- Advertise programs through flyers and newspapers
- Survey participants for feedback
4.Learning Support
Need: There are 95, fifteen to 19-year olds in Roanoke.10 This may not seem like a lot but they are the decision-makers of tomorrow.
Goal: Young Adults will have ready access to a wide variety of programs and materials to meet their general information, basic literacy and lifelong learning needs.
Objectives
- Plan a program to attract young adults into the library
- Collaborate with other libraries as what programs they are providing
- Advertise program
- Survey program participants for feedback
5.Business and Career Information
Need: 67.6 of the residents in Roanoke are employed11
Goal: the town of Roanoke residents will have ready access to information to enrich their businesses and careers.
Objective1
- Assist those seeking employment on filling out forms on the computer
- Collaborate with Workforce Development in Unemployment Assistance tools
- Collaborate with other local libraries in circulating local job information
- Post any job seekers sites or resources as available from State agencies or new sources
- Library Board member or Library Director will meet regularly with Chamber of Commerce
- Roanoke Library will circulate information on all Chamber of Commerce events
- Library Staff will review collection and order needed materials
FINANCIAL RESOURCES AND SUSTAINABILITY
- The library submits an 18-month budget every October to the state. The library’s day-to-day operations are funded by local taxes, primarily property taxes from the town of Roanoke. Other income comes from non-residents who pay a fee to use the library.
- To provide a wider tax base to ensure the stability of the library in the future, it is in the library’s best interest to pursue expanding the library tax district to include Jackson Township, the township the library is a part of and where most of the non-residents reside. This will require action on the part of the local township trustee or a referendum on election day. All efforts toward approaching the township to discuss this matter have been rebuffed.
- When the library moved to its current location, a corporation was set up so that a 40-year lease with a 40-year extension could be entered into with the building’s owner. That corporation receives all the large donation made to the library. When the library needs money for capital items, as in replacement of computers, this money can be accessed. Its main purpose though is to ensure the library can relocate if that should be necessary.
Equipment Replacement Schedule
TECHNOLOGY INVENTORY – CURRENT AND PROJECTED
| Inventory Category | Current Count | Projected – 2026 | Projected – 2027 | Projected – 2028 | Projected 2029 | Projected-2030 | ||
| Networks | ||||||||
| Client Server | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | ||
| Computers | ||||||||
| Server | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | ||
| Workstation | 9 | 9 | 9 | 9 | 9 | 9 | ||
| Peripherals | ||||||||
| Laptops | 3 | 3 | 3 | 3 | 3 | 3 | ||
| Color Laser Printer | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | ||
| Color Copier | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | ||
| Fax Machine | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | ||
| Firewall | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | ||
| Hub | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | ||
| Laminator | 2 | 2 | 2 | 2 | 2 | 2 | ||
| Router | 2 | 2 | 2 | 2 | 2 | 2 | ||
| Scanner | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | ||
| Switch | 2 | 2 | 2 | 3 | 3 | 3 | ||
| UPS (uninterruptible power supply) | 5 | 5 | 5 | 5 | 5 | 5 | ||
| Internet Connections | ||||||||
| Cable/broadband | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | ||
| Telecommunications | ||||||||
| Touch Tone Handset | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | ||
| Cordless Handset | 4 | 4 | 4 | 4 | 4 | 4 | ||
| Cordless Headset | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 1 | ||
| Software Subscriptions | ||||||||
| Update Schedule | 2025 | 2026 | 2027 | 2028 | 2029 | 2030 |
| PCs | ||||||
| Director’s Computer | X | X | ||||
| Circulation Computer | X | X | ||||
| Cataloging Computer | X | X | ||||
| Patron Computer 01 | X | X | ||||
| Patron Computer 02 | X | X | ||||
| Patron Computer 03 | X | X | ||||
| Patron Computer 04 | X | X | ||||
| Patron Computer 05 | X | X | ||||
| Patron Computer 06 | X | X | ||||
| Peripherals | ||||||
| Printer | As needed | |||||
| Copier | As needed | |||||
| Monitors | As needed | |||||
| Test Laptop | X | |||||
| Projector Laptop | X | |||||
| Study Laptop | X | |||||
| NOTE: we replace PCs every 5 years |
Professional Development Strategy
The Roanoke Public Library has a staff of only 2 people with another who comes in on a temporary as-needed basis. They will attend workshops, seminars and other training sessions as they become available and necessary in order to perform all the needed activities to stay up to date with current and expanding technology. This will be done through programs offered through Webjunction, the Indiana State Library, ILF, MCLS and any other sources that may become available nearby or online.
Community Collaboration
The library regularly collaborates with the following local organization to provide information and entertainment for the Roanoke community:
- Roanoke Town Council
- Roanoke Chamber of Commerce
- Roanoke Park Board
- Roanoke Lions
- Roanoke Beautification
- Roanoke Elementary School
- Roanoke Interchurch Council
- Jackson Square Apartments
- Blooming Beginnings In-Home Childcare
- Workforce Development and other governmental agencies
We will continue to foster these relationships to better serve the community by expanding our programs and services to meet the users’ and non-user’s needs and wants and to help better the community as a whole.
Evaluation
The library board will evaluate progress toward the goals in this long-range plan annually, at the end of each year at which time any updates, amendments, and/or corrections will be made.