Chapter 7 Strategic Planning | Next Chapter | Return to Table of Contents
The State Library requires all certified public libraries to submit a comprehensive three-year plan, approved by the board, that addresses all aspects of library services, programs, infrastructure and technology. Planning for the library’s future for is a basic duty of the board. To obtain a broad vision of potential roles for the library, the board can work with stakeholders in the community. There are many talented individuals in any community willing to lend their expertise to the library planning process. Statistical data collected in the State Library Annual Report is another resource for boards to tap into to evaluate their library’s performance in a number of service categories.
The Purpose of Planning
Planning focuses attention on attainable goals and objectives. It sets the direction for the library and its services. A good long-range plan is visionary, but based on a real analysis of community needs and interests. The plan should set general directions but be flexible to adapt to changing circumstances. Most importantly, the plan should establish action items and assign accountability.
Planning involves answering these basic questions:
- What is our purpose? What does success look like for us?
- Who do we serve and what do our customers want from us?
- Where are we now?
- Where do we want to go now?
- How will we get there, and what is our timetable?
- What staff, money, equipment and other resources will we need to allocate?
Reporting on Your Plan
A library should have both a long-range plan and an annual work plan. The annual plan's objectives are derived from the long-range goals. Libraries are required to file their strategic plans with the State Library and to submit progress reports by October 31 each year. The State Library recommends that libraries indicate in their plan if they will rely on grant monies (federal or state) to achieve their service objectives.
A Planning Resource – The Annual Statistical Report
The State Library annually collects statistics from the state's public libraries. This report is mandated in the Utah Code for both city and county libraries. The data is used to prepare a statewide report on Utah's public libraries. Utah’s report is added to a federal database, the Federal/State Cooperative System for Public Library Data (FSCS). Local libraries will find the annual report data useful for comparing and contrasting their own library’s performance with peer group libraries in-state and out of state. Library statistics can be searched in a database maintained on the State Library’s web site.