PLANNING FOR RESULTS: A Public Library Transformation Process
Why Plan?
Libraries that plan will make better decisions than those that don't,
and better decisions lead to better results. If Authority Board members
and librarians understand the diverse needs of the people we serve, we
can plan for meeting these needs, and have a positive impact on the people
who live in our community.
Decisions based on good information yield better results than decisions
that spring from guessing, unfounded assumptions, or ignorance. Many libraries
try to do too many things and so do many things inadequately instead of
a few things well. Planning helps us decide what to stop doing as well
as what to start doing. It will help the Authority Board and librarians
decide how best to deploy our finite monetary and human resources.
Libraries need to be involved in a continuous transformation process,
constantly changing and adjusting as our community changes. Transformation
is a process of evolution, beginning with what already exists, and developing
into something new, different, better. The Library needs to build on our
strengths and successes while looking for more effective ways to serve
our customers.
Taxpayers look for results. They are willing to pay for services that
have a positive impact, and will not support those that do not.
Input
The Library sought community input with:
- 6 focus groups - 3 library user, 3 non-library user
- telephone survey to 1,000 residents
- 9 community forums, geographically located throughout the county
- mail-in questionnaires available at branches and mailed to community
organizations and individuals
- e-mails and letters received from community members
- meetings with Friends of the Library Branch Affiliates, volunteers,
and staff
Data Collection
The Library reviewed community data including:
- demographics 1990 census and updates
- growth projections by library service area provided by Sacramento Area
Council of Governments
- School and economic data
The Process
This input was used in the following process to:
1. Articulate a community vision - a description of how the people
who live in the community want the community to be better. It is a "picture
of excellence" and an "expression of hope." A vision is
an ideal; it stretches our imagination. The Library must recognize it may
not be the same for all community members.
2. Scan the community - to know and understand the community.
Scanning the community gives some indication of where the community is
headed. It is nonjudgmental; it collects facts and opinions. This data
1) describes reality or what currently is; 2) identifies trends; and 3)
describes what reality will probably be three to five years out for services
and 20 years out for facilities.
3. Identify community needs - analyze the information in the
community scan in relation to the ideal conditions expressed in the community
vision statement. We asked "How large is the gap between where our
community is and where it wants to be?" We identified a list of community
needs and what would have to happen to fill them or, at least, to narrow
the gap.
We asked questions such as, "Who lives in the community now?"
"How is this likely to be different in the future?" For example,
will there be more ethnic diversity? Will the number of residents over
age 65 be increasing or decreasing? Are younger families moving into an
area? We also looked at economic development, major employers and types
of employment, likely wages of residents. We looked at the tax base and
how it will grow and other economic factors that will impact the ability
of a publicly supported institution to respond to needs.
We also assessed the impact of technology on libraries and projected
technological infrastructure, realizing that technology could be a powerful
tool in bridging some of the gaps.
4. Scan the Library - this is similar to the community scan 1)
describing where the library currently is; 2) identifying trends, the direction
things seem to be going; 3) what reality will probably be in three to five
years if the Library continues on its current path. We looked at the current
program of service, its strengths and weaknesses, and our current resources.
5. Determine which community needs the Library should address -
we began to look at areas where the Library's strengths and the community
needs seem to overlap. In some areas the Library seems well-suited to address
the needs, and there were some the Library cannot or should not address.
The needs were assessed for 1) importance compared to the others; 2) what
other agencies or organizations in the community were better suited to
fill the need; 3) if the need had components, can and should the Library
address part of the need; 4) what additional resources should the Library
have to address the need; 5) would new gaps be created if the Library stopped
doing some things it currently does in order to address these needs; 6)
what community partnerships could be developed to address the needs.
6. Service responses - these responses are based on what the
library currently does, what it should stop doing, what it should improve
or do more of.
7. Goals - service goals will be prepared for 2000-2003 and updated
each year.
