Narrative Examples

1. Project Purpose
Briefly describe what you intended to do (i.e., implement, create, accomplish), for whom (i.e., target audience), and for what expected outcome or benefit.

Example 1 (Planning):
The purpose of our project was to undertake a planning process to determine the library services and direction our local community wanted, resulting in a multi-year plan for our library. We intended to strengthen relationships with our public, volunteers, and community leaders by involving them in the planning process and to develop, with their participation, a strategic plan for the Library that will better serve our current users, attract new users, and better allocate our limited resources. We also expected that community involvement in our planning process would further inform the public about our current activities and programs. Additionally, we expected to empower our staff by actively engaging them in the planning process.

Example 2 (Internet Infrastructure Improvement):
The purpose of our project was to increase our local capacity to provide hands-on library instruction in use of electronic resources, the Internet, and NC LIVE databases. Our plan to accomplish this was to purchase laptop computers to develop a mobile training lab so that we could offer classes in any of our five branches to members of the community -- particularly our senior citizens -- desiring to improve their knowledge and skills in using Internet-based resources.

2. Project Activities/Methods
What activities or methods were used; i.e., how did you carry out the project?

Example 1 (NC ECHO Digitization):
Computer science students developed the database and designed the website in the first several months. We purchased a computer and scanner for the project. We trained staff and graduate assistants who then scanned the textual and photographic content over the course of 4 months. Once the digitized content was loaded to the website, we held bibliographic instruction classes for history students. We also taught four workshops for public school teachers to share information about the website and its wealth of resources for K-12 instruction. We publicized the project at one national and two state professional conferences.

Example 2 ( Internet Infrastructure Improvement):
We purchased 13 laptop computers with wireless adaptors, two wireless access points, an LCD projector, storage cart for the laptops, A-V cart, projection screen, wireless mouse, and appropriate furniture. * We worked with the campus IT department to install before classes started in the second semester. * Trained library staff to use the workstations. * Developed a scheduling procedure and informed faculty that library staff had a new facility for delivering classes in subject-specific NC LIVE databases.  

3. Project Outputs
Provide measures of project or program performance (e.g., number of participants, number of objects scanned, number of workshops taught) to tell numerical results of the project. Compare to pre-project numbers where applicable.

Example 1 (NC ECHO Digitization Starter):
255 color slides showing the county pictorial history were scanned. A website was created in February 2007 and at the end of June 2007 there had been 1,806 hits for people using the new pages to access the collection. In the first four months the site was up we received 25 letter, email and phone requests for further information that we can attribute to the availability of this material in a digital format.   

Example 2 ( Internet Infrastructure Improvement):
Now that we have a wireless training lab which has given us the capacity to teach more classes, we increased the number of Internet and NC LIVE classes we offer to students and faculty from 4 per month to 15 per month. The number of attendees increased from 30 per month to an average of 175 per month during the second semester (January - May). In addition, NC LIVE use increased from an average of 440 uses per month to more than 750 uses per month, which represents a 70% increase in use.

4. Project Outcomes
Describe the changes (or indicators of changes) in the target audience's skills, knowledge, behavior, attitude, status, or life condition brought about in part as a result of this project. Include a description of the ways outcome information was gathered, such as through surveys, pre- and post-tests, or other systematic measures of intended outcomes. [Note: You may not have outcomes to report – not all projects can be evaluated in this way – but there should be outputs to report.]

Example 1 ( Internet Infrastructure Improvement):
One of the objectives of implementing and using our mobile training lab was to increase students’ understanding of the value, and then use, of NC LIVE database resources. We documented such change in the following way: Prior to installing our training lab and providing more instruction on Internet and NCLIVE database resources, staff did not see much student use of XYZ database, and could recall only infrequent questions about it. Three weeks after delivering classes on the NC LIVE databases, focusing particularly on XYZ database, staff kept tallies on four different days to capture instances when students asked for both basic and advanced help to use the XYZ resource. The number of questions recorded were substantially beyond “infrequent” (8 or more on each of the tally days), and confirmed to our staff that due to the more extensive training we’d been able to provide, the students had begun to grasp the value of XYZ and were asking for more help to use it effectively.

Example 2 (School Library Collection Development):

Our library staff and teachers expected to see students using the new books in writing school reports, especially in social studies and in the sciences; lack of up-to-date media center books in these areas had meant few opportunities for students to cite book sources in recent years. To substantiate this changed behavior, three teachers sampled student reports pre- and post- availability of the new books; they found a three-fold increase in citations of media center books between the pre- and post- results. We think this increase is significant and supports our numerical measures (e.g. increased circulations) that show the new books are being used.

5. Other Results
Describe any results not documented in Project Outputs or Project Outcomes, e.g., unexpected benefits, spin-off projects, etc.

Example 1 (Automated System Grant):
Too many times to count, patrons have commented about how happy they are that they no longer have to come to the library with their books in order to renew them. They can simply do it at home now, and they are overjoyed when they find that they can also place their own reserves. Although statistics were not kept in the past about how many reserves have been placed and filled, staff have commented repeatedly that they are certain that their “holds” shelves continue to stay full. An additional reason to believe that our reserve requests have increased dramatically comes from the fact that even though we have changed from a courier route twice per week to a daily one, the courier seems still to be shuttling the same amount of items back and forth.

Example 2 (NC ECHO Digitization):
In addition to all the material from our existing collection that we were able to digitize, including segments from some of out transcribed older oral histories, we've seen an unanticipated result of the project. Three new community-based oral history projects have been launched over the past year and two more are in the planning stages. Donations of additional interviews have come in because of the project, including an especially interesting group of interviews with Native American elders in our region and recording of a civil rights activists' reunion hosted by the local history museum.

Example 3 (School Library Collection Development):
As a result of our project, our principal has noticed what a difference the new books have made to the students’ use of the library. She even participated in a newly-started weekly “Recess Story Time.” The principal has agreed to increase our book budget in the future so that we can continue to add adequate numbers of new books that attract our students and help them complete their assignments using current information. 

6. Anecdotes
Share stories, comments, feedback, and observations about how people used the products or services of the project, especially how they benefited from them.
 
Example 1 (Automated System Grant):
We were prepared for the improved functionality of the new integrated system and understood its potential benefits. We did not expect the joy with which it was greeted by our patrons. The new system, online for just three months, has opened a new world of possibilities and exploring it is proving exciting – for both patrons and staff.  For example, patrons love the feature that allows you to keep a list of all the titles you check out; they will print out their list at home and then bring it with them to the library so that they don’t waste time looking through books they have already read.

Example 2 (NC ECHO Digitization):

A variety of uses have been made of the website and its digitized oral histories: 1) a class project on Southern food-ways used an interview with African American seniors from Midtown neighborhood; 2) Students researching the civil rights era used the cross-collection feature to find interesting insights from the local Jewish community; 3) A university professor in Taiwan uses the interviews to teach English; 4) Family members of now deceased interviewees access the site.