Library Strategic Planning Process Overview

I have been preparing a Library Strategic Planning Process Overview for the libraries with whom I consult. It struck me that since the Strategic Planning series of Posts are THE MOST viewed (decisively more than any others, the Goals & Objectives Post has been viewed over 1,000 times), that perhaps readers would like an Overview of Strategic Planning that puts all that in a succinct summary form. So, ……..

Introduction:

Strategic Planning is a process. How extensively the library implements the process is totally dependant on the needs of the library and the community. Those library and community needs may range from a very involved and detailed application of the various steps involved in developing a Strategic Plan, or they may require only a cursory implementation.

Regardless of how extensive a process the library uses, the steps required to develop an effective Strategic Plan should be followed to ensure that the Plan is indeed effective for the library’s and the community’s needs. Shortcuts and skipping elements of the process will result in one of those typical document products that simply satisfy a requirement and otherwise gather dust on a shelf. A Strategic Plan can and should be a primary management tool for the library to accomplish its mission.

Why Develop a Strategic Plan:

A Strategic Plan requires you to consider the changes in your environment, and to establish and prioritize goals and objectives that will achieve your Mission and Vision in the face of these challenges.

Remember that a Strategic Plan:
• is proactive to prevent being reactive,
• creates the right balance between what the organization is capable of vs. what the organization desires to do,
• addresses major issues, both internal and external factors, at a macro level,
• manages change within the library,
• prevents excessive inward-focused and short-term thinking,
• communicates a common vision for the library,
• establishes priorities that accomplish the library’s mission,
• helps to better focus activities and resources on the mission, and
• guides decision making at all levels – operational, tactical, and individual.

You may ask yourself – “How in the world can this Plan possibly be worth the time and effort?” or “How can this Plan possibly be that important?”. The answer is simple – it is THE BEST method to ensure that your library accomplishes the Goals it has established to achieve the Mission it has determined is important. Everything contained in the Strategic Plan is designed and oriented toward achieving the library’s Mission – EVERYTHING! Nothing is superfluous! If there is anything in the plan that is NOT an Activity that contributes to an Objective to achieve a Goal, then it should not be in the Plan!

Without an adequate Strategic Plan your library will likely be spinning its wheels, wasting its resources and getting nowhere. It’ll be treading water, trying to stay afloat and worrying about how to keep the doors open, not knowing how to solve any problems or make any progress. Your Strategic Plan should give you the road map to your vision of what you want your library to be. Call it anything you like, make it as detailed or general as meets your needs, just so it helps you identify and achieve what you want to be as a library.

How to Proceed:

The library director should have a good working knowledge of the Strategic Planning Process in order to steer the Library Board toward accomplishing the process and assisting in developing a useful Plan that the director and library staff can then implement through their daily activities. The basic components of a Strategic Plan include the following.

I. Mission Statement – Why does YOUR library exist?

II. Vision Statement – An image toward which the library is motivated.

III. Values and Guiding Principles – Guiding principles that define and shape the organization’s culture and climate, and establishes the standards upon which it operates.

IV. Goals – The desired results we want to achieve to accomplish the mission, expressed in general terms.

V. Objectives – Achieve goals and guide activities.

(NOTE: The public version of the Strategic Plan would normally end after the Objectives. It is generally unnecessary to publish for the public the library’s Activities, Measures and Outcomes. These are for internal use to determine how to and whether Objectives are achieved.)

VI. Activities – What your library does every day, week, month, year, of which the customer sees the results.

VII. Measures and Outcomes – The performance of an Activity that can be determined over time using quantitative data, and the actual impact, benefits and/or changes resulting from performance of the Activity.

VIII. Resource Allocation – Allocating the limited resources available to implement the Activities, to achieve the Objectives, to accomplish the Goals, etc., that include anything that could be used in more than one way: funds, facilities, equipment, materials, and personnel time.

IX. Appendices -
Appendix A. – Forecast Statement
Appendix B. – Broad Category Resource Allocation Chart
Appendix C. – Detailed Resource Allocation Chart
Appendix D. – Measures Collection Chart
Appendix E. – Outcomes Evaluation Matrix

Ideally, a library’s Strategic Plan should not be encumbered by outside requirements, but realistically a state library agency (SLA) may require libraries to be certified to receive state funding, and therefore require certain areas be address in their Strategic Plan in an effort to ensure that the library is meeting established levels of services to their community.

The Plan may be required to include such areas as:
• A review of goals and objectives for the previous year
• Goals and objectives for the next 3 years
• A Technology component or a separate Technology Plan
• Public Relations / Marketing Activities
• Activities for the Board of Trustees to be active advocates for their library
• Outreach to special/underserved populations
• Provision for collection analysis
• Plans for future growth
• Plans for grant applications and expectations of grant use

Conclusion:

There are as many styles and forms of a Strategic Plan as there are libraries. Finding one that works for you is important, because your Plan should be something that you will use, and that will benefit your library from the significant amount of work that went into developing it. Deciding what you want your library to BE, DO and BECOME is the most significant foundation to a useful and effective Strategic Plan.