Strategic Planning for Libraries

1. Strategic Planning for Libraries Service Priorities Goals & Objectives The Plan Document Implementation

3. 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.

4. 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.

5. 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

6. Strategic Planning for ResultsService Responses List of service responses online via WebJunction: http://bit.ly/16oW697 Nelson, Sandra. Strategic Planning for Results. Chicago: ALA, 2008

7. Determine priorities for long range plan • Children’s services • Teen services • Information & reader services • Library’s physical space/environment

9. 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

10. Establishing Goals External Goals Focused on the community Preschool children in OurTown will enter school ready to learn. Internal Goals Focused 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

11. 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

12. 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

13. Example Goals Children’s Services Children will find resources and services at the OurTown Public Library which stimulate and encourage their interest in reading and learning. Teen Services Teens in OurTown will have materials and programs that excite their imaginations and provide pleasurable reading, viewing, and listening experiences. Information & Reader Services All library users will have the information, resources, and assistance they need to nurture personal growth and support their reading interests. Library’s Physical Space/Environment 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.

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

15. SMART Objectives SSpecific *Can we determine whether we’ve achieved this or not? MMeasurable *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

16. Evaluating SMART Criteria Objective 1: Children’s services staff will develop relationships with local educators to promote the library’s services to children. SPECIFIC No MEASURABLE No ATTAINABLE Probably RELEVANT Yes TIME-BOUND No Objective 2: Program attendance for preschool story time will increase by 5% each year over the life of the plan. SPECIFIC Yes MEASURABLE Yes ATTAINABLE Probably RELEVANT Yes TIME-BOUND Yes

17. Writing Objectives Objective = Measure + Target + Date Measures Number of people served by a service or program Count the number of people served by a service or program Total number of children served through story hour Number of service units or transactions # of circs, # of computer uses, # of programs presented Number of children’s programs presented Number of items circulated from children’s collection How well a service met users’ needs Measure users’ opinions % of users who respond in a survey that a service meets their needs Nelson, Sandra. Strategic Planning for Results. Chicago: ALA, 2008

18. Writing Objectives Objective = Measure + Target + Date Target The number we’re aiming to achieve Use current data as a starting point • Increase summer reading program enrollment from current number Date Reasonable 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

19. 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.

20. 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.

21. Example Goals & Objectives Teen 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.

22. Example Goals & Objectives Information & 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.

24. Putting it all together An effective long range plan document is: • Clear Easy to read and understand. No jargon or acronyms. • Concise Short and to the point • Credible Accurate; no spelling or grammatical errors • Logical Arranged in a sensible manner • Persuasive Convinces people to take certain actions Nelson, Sandra. Strategic Planning for Results. Chicago: ALA, 2008

25. Plan Sections Required: • Name of library/dates of plan • Mission • Vision • Goals & Objectives Optional: • Title page • Introduction • Community/library • Activities/Action plan • Evaluation

26. Example Library Plans Carnegie Public Library, Big Timber, MT http://www.bigtimberlibrary.org/strategic_plan.htm Newbury Town Library, Byfield, MA http://www.newburylibrary.org/final%20draft%20LRP%20Newbury.pdf Centralia Regional Library District (Centralia, IL) http://www.centralialibrary.org/staff-area/library-forms-brochures/Library%20Long%20Range%20Plan%202011-2016.pdf Grafton (MA) Public Library http://www.graftonlibrary.org/grafton/documents/lrp%202011-2015%20rev3.pdf Kalamazoo Public Library http://www.kpl.gov/strategic-plan/ Gorham NY Public Library http://www.gorham.pls-net.org/longrangeplan.html Gleason PL (Carlisle, MA) – Action plan http://www.gleasonlibrary.org/documents/2011_LRPactionplan.pdf

27. 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

28. 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

30. Implementation Monitoring & Evaluation Action Plan

31. 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

32. 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

33. 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

34. Implementation Tips DO 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

36. 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 Grensing-Pophal, Lin. The Complete Idiot’s Guide to Strategic Planning. New York: Penguin, 2011 Matthews, Joseph R. Strategic Planning and Management for Library Managers. Westport, Conn.: Libraries Unlimited, 2005 Nelson, Sandra. Strategic Planning for Results. Chicago: ALA, 2008 (available from NDSL) 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)