5 - Developing A Plan For Your Library

Ah… a sigh of relief. You've finished your analysis of the information collection and community consultation - and you've identified some critical needs in the community. That's great, but you're not done yet. The time has come to translate needs assessment into directions. In short, you need to prepare a plan for your library. This chapter describes:

5.1     The components of the plan
5.2     Developing the plan
5.3     Putting the plan into action
5.4     Monitoring your results
5.5     Doing it again

5.1 The components of the plan

SEE EXHIBIT 17: COMPONENTS OF A STRATEGIC PLAN

The components of a strategic plan include:

A Mission Statement: a clear statement of why your library exists and what you are trying to achieve. For most libraries this will mean developing a description of what unique role the library will play in the community.

Objectives: statements of what specifically the library wants to achieve to support the mission.

Action Plans: step-by-step actions, which will contribute to achieving the identified objectives. Actions may range from short-term, one-time tasks to long-term ongoing tasks. Action plan defines actions, responsibilities and timing.

5.2 Developing the plan

Strategic planning is in many ways a top-down process. While community input is essential to the process, ultimately it is the Board / Committee of Council who must set the directions for the future growth and nature of the Library.

Once the Board / Committee of Council has had an opportunity to review the needs assessment they should have a workshop to discuss the results and to begin to develop their directions for the future. You should consider involving a facilitator (call SOLS for their advice in identifying a facilitator) to help through the process of defining a mission, objectives and role statement.

Key questions to use in guiding to workshop include:

What is the Library's purpose?
What features of the Library do we want to change / preserve?
How should the Library in the Year 2000 be different from today?
What unique role should the Library play in the community?

5.3 Putting the plan into action

SEE EXHIBIT 18: EXAMPLES OF ACTION PLANS

A strategic plan comes to life through implementation. The mission and objectives developed will only be realized if the Board / Committee of Council, staff and the community see the plan as a guiding document - one which must be referred to continuously and one which provides an ongoing framework for long term planning and budgeting.

To ensure successful implementation, specific actions should be incorporated into the plan. Examples of action statements include:

Obtain agreement of Township Council X to fund and build a new branch
Design and implement a new staff training program
Develop a new collection development policy

Once a strategic plan has been completed it should be distributed to all staff and interested groups in the community. The plan should also be made available for review in municipal buildings and branches in the county/region.

The Board / Committee of Council should review the plan annually prior to the annual budgeting process and set out which of the plan's actions it believes should be priorities for the coming fiscal year.

Exhibit 18

Examples of Action Plans

Objective: Development of Rural Library System

To ensure the development of a library which can accommodate the collections and services needed by the residents of the residents of the rural township now and in the future.
In particular:

To provide a branch library of approximately 3,000 square feet in Township X by 1993.
To develop standards based on community need for branch library facilities including recommended size of branch, collection size, range of services, staffing requirements and hours of opening.
To build a new library administrative office of 5,000 square feet in Town Y by end of 1992.

Action Plan 1992

Action

Responsibility

Timing

I. Identify preferred alternative and location for Branch X and recommend to council	Chief Librarian Board Chairman	January 1992
II. Obtain agreement of Council to fund and build a new library	Board	Februrary 1992
III. Prepare tender documents	Chief Librarian and Board Sub-Committee	March 1992
IV. Review tenders		April 1992
V. Commence construction		May 1992
VI. Order furnishing		May-June 1992
VII. Finish construction		August-Sept. 1992
VIII. Move to new building		September 1992

Objective: Information Services

To expand the library's collection in areas relevant to the needs of users in order to improve the quality of information services provided and to ensure adequate access to those resources not held by the library.
In particular:

To develop subject strengths in the collection based on client use and information requests.
To broaden the scope of the library's information collection with educational and information videos, microforms and compact disk products.
To provide an adequate number of public access catalogue in each branch library.
To implement an automated patron circulation system so that materials may by loaned and tracked quickly and efficiently.
To improve and expand office automation services at headquarters.
To provide a turnaround time for delivery of 80% of requested materials in 3 days for materials owned by the library, and one-week for items not owned by the library.

Action Plan 1992
Action	Responsibility	Timing
Allocate a minimum of 20% of the book budget to purchasing material in specific subject areas as identified by analysis of information requests received and branch staff input. Introduce video services to Branches X, Y and Z Investigate available Compact Disk products and determine which ones are compatible with the branch CD drives. Investigate the possibilities for fundraising money for a new microform reader / printer for Branch. Fundraising efforts to purchase Le Pac units for 3 branches. Provide 2 updates to the compact disks of library holding. Choose an appropriate vender to provide a branch rotation and circulation system by July 1992. Work with the County's Information Services Division to develop a long-term plan for office automation.	Etc.	Etc.

Objective: Increased Client Awareness

To increase general awareness of the resource and library services available.
In particular:

To target specific services to undeserved segments of the population including young adults, seniors, and illiterates or functionally illiterates.
To increase liaison with schools and community groups and to encourage regular group visits to the library.
To provide a broad range of programming activities for adults and children.
To encourage residents to volunteer their services at the Library.

Action Plan 1992
Action	Responsibility	Timing
Highlight literacy efforts with special literacy and reading related displays twice a year in each main branch. Continue to participate in Literacy Coalition and CORE initiatives. Produce a series of booklists of recommended titles and displays to tie into each planned programming activity or aimed at a specific targeted audience, e.g., young adults. Have staff from each branch visits local schools at least twice a year. Formally recognize volunteers to the library annually.	Etc.	Etc.

5.4 Monitoring your results

The Chief Librarian and Board / Committee of Council should prepare an annual implementation report showing the progress that has been made in implementing the objectives and actions in the plan.

5.5 Doing it again

Strategic planning is an ongoing process. It is not something, which you can do just once. The Board / Committee of Council should update the plan on a regular basis and undertake a review prior to the end of their term. This review should include consultation with the public, though a large-scale consultation / survey process may not be necessary.

The Oxford County Experience

The Oxford County Board began their strategic planning in a daylong session on November 18, 1991. The session was designed to fulfil two purposes: review the preliminary results of the need assessment and develop a mission, objectives and role for the future.

The Board developed 11 objectives under the headings of:

- Staff training
- Resource-sharing
- New Formats/Non-Book Collection
- Future Facility Opportunities
- Programming
- Flexibility
- Delivery
- Partnerships
- Branch Standards
- Policies and Procedures
- Awareness

The agenda for the day was overly ambitious, and in the end, there was not sufficient time to develop a new mission or role statement.

Sam Coghlan took the previous Board's preliminary objectives and prepared a report for the incoming Board outlining options for implementing their objectives.

A statement in Sam's report highlights the challenge now facing Oxford County:

"Oxford County Library has many problems. We cannot pretend that we have found answers to all of them, magically, by doing this needs study. We must fully consider what we've learned and make plans to apply it wisely over time. Our community must see that we are spending their taxes wisely, not impetuously."

6 - The Oxford County experience
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