Strategic planning "is the process of documenting and establishing a direction of your [library]—by assessing both where you are and where you’re going. The strategic plan gives you a place to record your mission, vision, and values, as well as your long-term goals and the action plans you’ll use to reach them. A well-written strategic plan can play a pivotal role in your [library's] growth and success because it tells you and your employees how best to respond to opportunities and challenges." ["What is Strategic Planning?" - The Hartford]
This formal, board-approved document puts into writing what the library's goals will be over the next 3–5 years and how the library plans to meet these goals. There is no prescription for how long your strategic plan should be. Typically, a plan has three to five goals, with measurable, S.M.A.R.T objectives for each.
In this webinar, Joy Fuller, author of the Public Library Association’s (PLA) newly released book, Strategic Planning for Public Libraries, will introduce the approach outlined in the book and provide a sneak-peek into an important step in the strategic planning process.
Available to borrow from the NH State Library
This project was made possible in part by the Institute of Museum and Library Services and the New Hampshire State Library.