Creating a Staff-Led Strategic Plan: A Practical Guide for Libraries

Taking a staff-led approach, this book helps libraries of all types create their own meaningful and authentic strategic plans while demystifying a process that can bring many benefits to the organization. With dwindling budgets to pay for consultants and a growing interest in collaboration across the organization, libraries are increasingly taking a do-it-yourself approach to strategic planning. This book takes a step-by-step approach to grassroots strategic planning for libraries of all types. The authors, who led a successful strategic planning process at their own library, provide practical advice and detailed information to guide library personnel through their own process. Topics include aligning with institutional and community values, creating vision and mission statements, researching stakeholder needs, conducting environmental scans, collaborative drafting of the plan, communication strategies, and implementation and assessment of the plan. Each chapter helps librarians create a strategic plan for a broad spectrum of libraries, including K–12, post-secondary, public, and special libraries. A unique feature of the book is its emphasis on the ways in which different library types can collaborate to meet shared goals. This book is a one-stop-shop, providing everything library staff will need to create a strategic plan without searching for additional sources.

Table of Contents:
Acknowledgments Introduction Part One: Pre-Project Planning 1. Understanding Strategic Planning and Strategic Plans 2. Laying the Foundation for a Staff-Led Approach Part Two: Creating the Plan 3. Research and Data Analysis 4. Writing Your Strategic Plan Part Three: Implementing the Plan 5. Creating, Implementing, and Assessing Initiatives 6. Communication Throughout and Beyond the Planning Process Conclusion Appendices: Sample Library Strategic Plans A: Athens County Public Libraries Strategic Plan, 2016–2019: Building on Success B: Calgary Public Library Strategic Plan, 2019–2022: Potentials Realized C: Ohio University Libraries Strategic Plan, 2021–2023 D: The University of Texas Rio Grande Valley, University Library Strategic Plan, 2018–2021 E: Busitema University Library Strategic Initiatives, January 2021–December 2022, Excerpt: GOAL 7, Build a Robust Assessment Programme F: Forbes Library Strategic Plan, 2019–2023 Index

About the Author :
Katy B. Mathuews is the Executive Director and CEO of OhioNet, USA. Ryan A. Spellman is an Online Learning Librarian at Northern Kentucky University's Steely Library, USA.

Review :
This guide is a useful primer for all library staff, particularly in terms of in-staff communication. Mathuews and Spellman have written a must-read primer for library administrators who want to get staff of all levels involved in the strategic planning process. The authors provide plenty of salient examples, practical advice, and helpful resources to create a comprehensive, but flexible, blueprint for staff-led strategic planning. Read it cover to cover or jump to the chapters you need the most-this title has plenty to offer library leaders writing their next strategic plan. An easy-to-understand road map that libraries can follow. It offers practical tools for strategic innovation using the knowledge and creativity of staff members. This book is a welcome addition to the strategic planning literature and has much to commend it. "Why is it teamwork when there's work to be done, but never when there's thinking to be done?" One of my first library mentors asked that important question, and Mathuews and Spellman have written a book to address the issue, including the "why" and "how" for engaging your team in a strategic planning process. This book offers highly practical advice about effective strategic planning for all libraries that not only talks about getting staff buy-in, but provides meaningful actions for ensuring it.