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Strategic Planning: Home

A collection of resources to support libraries' strategic planning activities.

Community Based Strategic Planning

A long range plan is an essential tool for a public library.  It has help focus a library’s efforts and resources on important goals.  Developing a long range plan is an excellent way to learn more about the library, the community, and the connection between the two.

All public libraries are required to have a “community-based, board approved, written long range plan of service developed by the library board of trustees and staff” as part of the Minimum Standards encoded in the Regulations of the Commissioner of Education. Failure to maintain the minimum standards could result in the loss of a library’s charter.

It is more important than ever for libraries to ensure that their long range plans align with community needs. Doing so ensures that the library is seen as central to the success of the community. To get insight on community needs, it is recommended that libraries use surveys, focus groups, and/or community interviews:

The guide was developed to collect resources to help libraries build and implement their plans.

A good planning process includes the following steps:

  • Survey the Community/Gather Data - Ask the community about its strengths & weaknesses and collect data.  
  • Develop a Plan - How will the library address community needs? 
  • Secure Funding - How much is needed to implement the plan & where can it come from?
  • Implement the Plan - Go out and Do!
  • Evaluate the Plan - How did it go?
  • Report of the Implementation & Evaluation - Tell your story!
  • Restart the Process - It's a cycle!

Survey the Community & Gather Data

Collecting community feedback and data is an essential part of any community-based long range plan.  Doing so helps to ensure that the library is meeting the needs of the community.

Collection Tools:

  • Surveys
  • Focus Groups
  • Community Interviews
  • Census Bureau (data)
  • ILS /Circulation System (data)
    • Contact Brian Lee for help with ILS stats
  • Annual Report (data)

 

What do the people & data say?

These are the kinds of questions that the interviews, focus groups, and data can help answer:

  • Who uses the library?  What age groups, demographics, etc
  • Who does not use the library and why?  
  • What are people in the community concerned about?
  • What can the library do to address community concerns?
    • Programs
    • Collections/Resources
    • Connecting people with groups, resources, etc

 

More Resources

Developing a Plan

After collecting and analyzing feedback from the community and data about the library, certain trends should start to emerge.  Use this information to help determine what the library's goals and objectives should be for the plan.

When crafting goals, keep these things in mind:

  • Use SMART goals
    • Specific
    • Measurable
    • Achievable
    • Realistic
    • Time-Based
  • It's ok to focus on a few particular goals
  • Unless the library has specific long range goals (like a building project), a 2 or 3 year plan is sufficient

Evaluation

For best results, build evaluation measures into the plan.  What will success look like?

Success can be evaluated with:

  • Statistics- especially increased or decreased numbers (outputs)
    • Ex, increased circulation or program attendance
    • Retrieved from the ILS or other sources
  • Changes in awareness, perception or behavior (outcomes)
    • Ex. learned a skill, got a GED, got a job
    • Usually captured through surveys, comment cards, focus groups, etc

4CLS Director