Strategic Planning for Libraries

Service PrioritiesGoals & ObjectivesThe Plan Document

Implementation

Mission & Vision

Community Assessment/Surveys

Goals & ObjectivesThe Plan Document

Implementation

Service Priorities

• If there were no constraints, what could we do?

• How can we take our existing service to a new level?

• What has never been tried before?

• How can we improve our quality of service?

• Is there a specific group or groups we should focus services on?

Matthews, Joseph R. Strategic Planning and Management for Library Managers. Westport, Conn.: Libraries Unlimited, 2005.

Being Better vs. Being Different

Being Better Focus on your existing position Improve current programs & procedures

Being Different Identify new or unexplored user groups (A New Who)

Identify new customer needs that aren’t being met (A New What)

Identify new ways of delivering services and meeting user needs (A New How)

Matthews, Joseph R. Strategic Planning and Management for Library Managers. Westport, Conn.: Libraries Unlimited, 2005.

Possible Service Priorities

• Information and reader services• Technology • User experience• Collections and resources• Public awareness• Community development• Early literacy• Library’s physical space/environment• Staff training & education• Services to special populations

– Teens– Children– Adults– Seniors– Spanish speakers– Business community

Strategic Planning for Results Service Responses

Nelson, Sandra. Strategic Planning for Results. Chicago: ALA, 2008

List of service responses online via WebJunction:http://bit.ly/16oW697

Determine priorities for long range plan

• Children’s services• Teen services• Information & reader services• Library’s physical space/environment

Mission & Vision

Community Assessment/Surveys

Goals & ObjectivesThe Plan Document

Implementation

Defining Goals & Objectives

Goal: The benefit your community will receive because the library provides a specific service

• Broad, general statements• End point that will indicate success

Objective: The way the library will measure its progress toward reaching a goal

• Measurable target• Quantitative, number-based, specific

Nelson, Sandra. Strategic Planning for Results. Chicago: ALA, 2008

Establishing Goals

External GoalsFocused on the community

Preschool children in OurTown will enter school ready to learn.

Internal GoalsFocused on the library

OurTown Public Library will secure sufficient funding to provide quality services and programs.

Nelson, Sandra. Strategic Planning for Results. Chicago: ALA, 2008

Establishing Goals

Goal = Audience + Benefit

Audience:• Defined by demographics (age group – children, seniors) or

condition (business owners, students, Spanish-speakers)• Can be “All residents”

Benefit:• What we want to happen for the audience because the library

provides a service

All residents will enjoy a wide variety of new and popular materials available when and where they want them.

Nelson, Sandra. Strategic Planning for Results. Chicago: ALA, 2008

Establishing Goals

Effective goals are:

• Challenging …

• But realistic

• Long-term

• Aligned with mission & vision

• Reflective of community needs

• Few enough in number to remember them all

Grensing-Pophal, Lin. The Complete Idiot’s Guide to Strategic Planning. New York: Penguin, 2011

Example Goals

Children’s ServicesChildren will find resources and services at the OurTown Public Library which stimulate and

encourage their interest in reading and learning.

Teen ServicesTeens in OurTown will have materials and programs that excite their imaginations and

provide pleasurable reading, viewing, and listening experiences.

Information & Reader ServicesAll library users will have the information, resources, and assistance they need to nurture

personal growth and support their reading interests.

Library’s Physical Space/EnvironmentAll OurTown Public Library patrons will encounter a welcoming, accessible, and inviting

library space that is available during hours of greatest convenience to the community.

Objective: The way the library will measure its progress toward reaching a goal

• Measurable target• Quantitative, number-based, specific• Focused on the library

Program attendance for preschool story time will increase by 5% each year over the life of the plan.

Goal: The benefit your community will receive because the library provides a specific service

• Broad, general statements• End point that will indicate success• Focused on the community

Children will find resources and services at the OurTown Public Library which stimulate and encourage their interest in reading and learning.

Nelson, Sandra. Strategic Planning for Results. Chicago: ALA, 2008

SMART Objectives

S Specific

*Can we determine whether we’ve achieved this or not?

M Measurable

*Can it be quantified? Can you gather the data?

A Attainable

*Can we actually accomplish this?

R Relevant

*Does this apply to the goal?

T Time-Bound

*By when is this expected to be completed?

Grensing-Pophal, Lin. The Complete Idiot’s Guide to Strategic Planning. New York: Penguin, 2011

Evaluating SMART Criteria

Objective 1: Children’s services staff will develop relationships with local educators to promote the library’s services to children.

SPECIFIC NoMEASURABLE NoATTAINABLE ProbablyRELEVANT YesTIME-BOUND No

Objective 2: Program attendance for preschool story time will increase by 5% each year over the life of the plan.

SPECIFIC YesMEASURABLE YesATTAINABLE ProbablyRELEVANT YesTIME-BOUND Yes

Writing ObjectivesObjective = Measure + Target + Date

Measures

Number of people served by a service or programCount the number of people served by a service or programTotal number of children served through story hour

Number of service units or transactions# of circs, # of computer uses, # of programs presentedNumber of children’s programs presentedNumber of items circulated from children’s collection

How well a service met users’ needsMeasure users’ opinions % of users who respond in a survey that a service meets their needs

Nelson, Sandra. Strategic Planning for Results. Chicago: ALA, 2008

Writing ObjectivesObjective = Measure + Target + Date

TargetThe number we’re aiming to achieveUse current data as a starting point

– Increase summer reading program enrollment from current number

DateReasonable date or time frame to accomplish the objective within the date range of the plan

– By FY 2016– Each year– By the end of the plan period

Nelson, Sandra. Strategic Planning for Results. Chicago: ALA, 2008

Example Goals & Objectives

Children’s Services:

Goal: Children will find resources and services at the OurTown Public Library which stimulate and encourage their interest in reading and learning.

Objective 1: The number of children served through story hour will increase by 5%

each year over the life of the plan. Objective 2: The number of items circulated from the children’s collection will

increase 20% by 2016. Objective 3: The number of items published since 2010 in all formats in the

children’s collection will expand by 20% by 2017.

Example Goals & Objectives

Library’s Physical Space/Environment:

Goal: All OurTown Public Library patrons will encounter a welcoming, accessible, and inviting library space that is available during hours of greatest convenience to the community.

Objective 1: Increase the library’s open hours by adding 4 hours on Saturdays by 2016. Objective 2: Develop and implement a preventive maintenance program for the

building by 2015. Objective 3: During FY 2017, at least 80% of library users will indicate they find the

library space welcoming and accessible. Objective 4: Directional and informational signage will be added throughout the library

to help citizens better locate the materials and services they’re looking for by 2015.

Example Goals & ObjectivesTeen Services

Goal: Teens in OurTown will have materials and programs that excite their imaginations and provide pleasurable reading, viewing, and listening experiences.

Objective 1: The library will hire a dedicated teen services librarian by FY end 2016.

Objective 2: During FY 2016, at least 70% of teens who used the library to obtain leisure materials will indicate they found materials to meet their needs.

Objective 3: Increase the number of teen programs offered to 10 per year by year end 2016.

Example Goals & ObjectivesInformation & Reader Services

Goal: Library users will have the information, resources, and assistance they need to nurture personal growth and support their reading interests.

Objective 1: The library will increase the annual budget for all materials to 15% of the total budget by 2017.

Objective 2: Annually analyze collection use trends to determine spending allocations based on customer demand.

Objective 3: Upgrade the library web page and library catalog to make them accessible via mobile devices by 2015.

Objective 4: Circulation of materials in all formats will increase by 3% annually over the life of the plan.

Mission & Vision

Community Assessment/

Surveys

Goals & Objectives

The Plan Document

Implementation

Putting it all together

An effective long range plan document is:

• ClearEasy to read and understand. No jargon or acronyms.

• ConciseShort and to the point

• CredibleAccurate; no spelling or grammatical errors

• LogicalArranged in a sensible manner

• PersuasiveConvinces people to take certain actions

Nelson, Sandra. Strategic Planning for Results. Chicago: ALA, 2008

Plan Sections

Required:• Name of library/dates of plan• Mission • Vision • Goals & Objectives

Optional:• Title page• Introduction• Community/library• Activities/Action plan• Evaluation

Example Library Plans

Carnegie Public Library, Big Timber, MThttp://www.bigtimberlibrary.org/strategic_plan.htmNewbury Town Library, Byfield, MAhttp://www.newburylibrary.org/final%20draft%20LRP%20Newbury.pdfCentralia Regional Library District (Centralia, IL)http://www.centralialibrary.org/staff-area/library-forms-brochures/Library%20Long%20Range%20Plan%202011-2016.pdfGrafton (MA) Public Libraryhttp://www.graftonlibrary.org/grafton/documents/lrp%202011-2015%20rev3.pdfKalamazoo Public Libraryhttp://www.kpl.gov/strategic-plan/Gorham NY Public Libraryhttp://www.gorham.pls-net.org/longrangeplan.htmlGleason PL (Carlisle, MA) – Action planhttp://www.gleasonlibrary.org/documents/2011_LRPactionplan.pdf

Communicating Your Plan

• Planning effort is ineffective if the plan isn’t shared

• Full plan report• Official report of the process formally approved by the board• Necessary for internal library use/implementation• Limitations for communication purposes

• Targeted communications• Inform specific groups about the library’s plan

Targeted Communications

• Who needs to know?• Local government• Media outlets• Audiences based on plan’s goals

• What type of media/format?• Depends upon audience• Brochure, single sheet overview, social media, website

Mission & Vision

Community Assessment/

Surveys

Goals & Objectives

The Plan Document

Implementation

Implementation

Action Plan Monitoring & Evaluation

Action Planning

Actions:Concrete steps taken to accomplish goals and objectives

• Good place to involve staff

Consider resources needed to complete actions• Resource reallocation• New resources

Nelson, Sandra. The New Planning for Results: a Streamlined Approach. Chicago: ALA, 2001

Goal: Children will find resources and services at the OurTown Public Library which stimulate and encourage their interest in reading and learning.

Actions:

• Develop a parenting home page with links to parenting sites on the web

• Present storytime programs at all publicly funded day-care centers

• Work with day-care centers to develop programs that will encourage parents to bring their children to the library

• Develop a newborn packet to be given to new mothers that includes information on the importance of reading to preschool children, a free book, and an application for a library card

• Present story programs in the library

• Add read-to-me programs in the library

• Present a series of parenting programs for the parents of preschool children

Nelson, Sandra. The New Planning for Results: a Streamlined Approach. Chicago: ALA, 2001

Monitoring & Evaluation

Monitor your progress on a regular basis

Analyze data throughout the objective’s timeframe

Evaluate the plan regularly (at least annually)

OK to be flexible, adapt the plan to new situations and conditions

Revise objectives, action plan as needed

Implementation TipsDO encourage your staff to think of the library plan as the blueprint they are using to build better

library services

DO monitor the progress being made toward achieving goals and objectives in the plan on a regular basis

DO stay focused on the end result – plan is intended to improve the library’s service to the people of your community

DON’T lose track of the reasons for changes

DON’T expect change to be quick

DON’T hesitate to make changes in the plan when circumstances change

Nelson, Sandra. The New Planning for Results: a Streamlined Approach. Chicago: ALA, 2001

Mission & Vision

Community Assessment/

Surveys

Goals & Objectives

The Plan Document

Implementation

Nelson, Sandra. Strategic Planning for Results. Chicago: ALA, 2008 (available from NDSL)

Grensing-Pophal, Lin. The Complete Idiot’s Guide to Strategic Planning. New York: Penguin, 2011

Grace, Kay Sprinkel, Amy McClellan, and John A. Yankey. The Nonprofit Board’s Role in Mission, Planning, and Evaluation (2nd ed.). Washington, DC: BoardSource, 2009

Nelson, Sandra. The New Planning for Results: a Streamlined Approach. Chicago: ALA, 2001 (available from NDSL)

Wallace, Linda K. Libraries, Mission & Marketing: Writing Mission Statements That Work. Chicago: ALA, 2004 (available from NDSL)

Matthews, Joseph R. Strategic Planning and Management for Library Managers. Westport, Conn.: Libraries Unlimited, 2005