Thank you for the informative session about the importance of cohesive plans for strategic alignment. I am embarrassed to admit I do not have a strategic plan for my library. I’ve been here just at 4 years and have almost had to reinvent the wheel. I didn’t inherit a plan and haven’t yet taken the time to formulate some of the necessary things I might need. I’ve been surviving, but hope to begin to thrive with the information gained from RIPL. I have reached out to my state library and asked for resources for creating the plan. It will be no problem to get with my staff and stakeholders to formulate something, even if it’s just a rough draft by meeting time. I wanted to be transparent about where I am and of course, any resources or advice would be greatly appreciated.
It’s great to hear from you. It sounds like you have, and have had, some exciting challenges at your library. Putting together a strategic plan can be daunting and time-consuming, and I certainly don’t expect you to create one before RIPL. Instead, let’s keep things simple so that you can get value from the sessions without too much work beforehand.
The basic components of a strategic plan are:
> Vision / Mission
> Values
> Strategic Priorities which lead to desired outcomes (start with 3)
I suggest you start by putting together some ideas for your mission/vision (you can have both or just one), your values, and three priorities. With that in mind, you will have lots to work with for our session.
Also, I found your email address on your library’s web site, and will send you a copy of this message along with two documents you might find useful:
> A guide to strategic planning from ALA
> The strategic plan for Brockville PL, a small library system in eastern Ontario with a similar population size, but higher density.
I hope this helps. Feel free to contact me if you would like to chat before I see you in mid-December.
Looking forward to the session! Just to verify…we only need to do the Pre-session activity and not the other 3 worksheets/matrix before the live session?
Hi – question about the pre-session activity: Step B says “Review your library’s documentation that discusses the objectives set for 2019, and list them – no fewer than 3, and as many as you like — in Part B of the table. ”
When you state “objectives set for 2019” are you looking for objectives that (in theory) would have been worked on/completed in a past year?
Specifically for me, we spent 2019 creating our SP, which was supposed to launch in 2020 (then, COVID). Due to a major, all-consuming construction project we didn’t really have a SP with objectives in 2019. If you could further explain the intent of Step B, I can develop some statements that could be useful.
Thank you for the informative session about the importance of cohesive plans for strategic alignment. I am embarrassed to admit I do not have a strategic plan for my library. I’ve been here just at 4 years and have almost had to reinvent the wheel. I didn’t inherit a plan and haven’t yet taken the time to formulate some of the necessary things I might need. I’ve been surviving, but hope to begin to thrive with the information gained from RIPL. I have reached out to my state library and asked for resources for creating the plan. It will be no problem to get with my staff and stakeholders to formulate something, even if it’s just a rough draft by meeting time. I wanted to be transparent about where I am and of course, any resources or advice would be greatly appreciated.
Hi Holly,
It’s great to hear from you. It sounds like you have, and have had, some exciting challenges at your library. Putting together a strategic plan can be daunting and time-consuming, and I certainly don’t expect you to create one before RIPL. Instead, let’s keep things simple so that you can get value from the sessions without too much work beforehand.
The basic components of a strategic plan are:
> Vision / Mission
> Values
> Strategic Priorities which lead to desired outcomes (start with 3)
I suggest you start by putting together some ideas for your mission/vision (you can have both or just one), your values, and three priorities. With that in mind, you will have lots to work with for our session.
Also, I found your email address on your library’s web site, and will send you a copy of this message along with two documents you might find useful:
> A guide to strategic planning from ALA
> The strategic plan for Brockville PL, a small library system in eastern Ontario with a similar population size, but higher density.
I hope this helps. Feel free to contact me if you would like to chat before I see you in mid-December.
Happy Thanksgiving,
Kim
Holly! I see your name on the ARSL listserve. Best of energy on this! I feel your pains. I am in a similar boat. Always feeling one step behind here!
Looking forward to the session! Just to verify…we only need to do the Pre-session activity and not the other 3 worksheets/matrix before the live session?
Hi Robyn,
Correct – please do the pre-session activity before the live session. We will use the other handouts during the live session.
See you next week,
Kim
Hi – question about the pre-session activity: Step B says “Review your library’s documentation that discusses the objectives set for 2019, and list them – no fewer than 3, and as many as you like — in Part B of the table. ”
When you state “objectives set for 2019” are you looking for objectives that (in theory) would have been worked on/completed in a past year?
Specifically for me, we spent 2019 creating our SP, which was supposed to launch in 2020 (then, COVID). Due to a major, all-consuming construction project we didn’t really have a SP with objectives in 2019. If you could further explain the intent of Step B, I can develop some statements that could be useful.
For anyone who attended this session on Monday morning, here’s the document on program evaluation Group 1 developed:
https://drive.google.com/file/d/1M7-p_a37jZ2U7tPIe9LJ1UDHB-8PjX92/view?usp=sharing