MISSION and VISION
This week the Strategic Planning Committee worked on combining the three mission statements shared with staff last week, the excellent discussion from last Wednesday’s meeting, and the comments that were subsequently turned in through the suggestion box, into a single concise Mission Statement for the library. Our aim was to make it specific, short, and memorable. We think we’ve succeeded. It’s still considered a work in progress however so continue to share your thoughts with the committee. We appreciate the input!
The Vision Statement shared with staff met with general approval. A few word changes were suggested so we are substituting some stronger verbs and rearranging a few bits.
VALUES STATEMENT
Another element of strategic planning is clarifying what we stand for and believe in – also called a Values Statement. While our library has never specifically written a values statement before, we do include in our policy manual the following documents that represent our values:
Ethics Statement for Library Trustees
Library Bill of Rights
Pledge of Service to Elmhurst Citizens
Freedom to Read Statement
Freedom to View Statement
These documents are all readily available for staff to read. You might want to take a look! The Committee is also working to develop a Values Statement specifically for our library.
TASK FORCES
Task forces are committees organized around a specific focus area. The purpose of a task force is to examine and analyze its particular focus area, keeping in mind the challenge to consider the future and draw up pertinent goals and objectives for a five-year plan.
We will be using task forces during phase two of the strategic planning process and are currently working to determine what focus areas are needed and defining the charge for each group. Watch for a call for volunteers in late April. This will be an excellent opportunity for more staff to get involved. The task forces will begin work on May 21st at a meeting with consultant Maureen Sullivan, and continue over the summer. We hope everyone will consider participating.
Monday, March 31, 2008
Thursday, March 20, 2008
Week 9 - Review of Draft Mission and Vision Statements
Staff,along with two board members, came together Wednesday morning for an opportunity to see and discuss draft versions of library mission and vision statements. The session was moderated by our consultant, Maureen Sullivan.
Three potential mission statements were presented, along with a vision statement, and these sparked some excellent discussion. The committee will now work to distill the three statements, along with the all the valuable input, into a single mission statement. Thanks to everyone who participated and shared their thoughts!
If you were unable to attend the discussion it’s not too late to offer input. The three mission statements, along with the vision statement, have been posted on the wall of the staff lounge. Please use the suggestion box found under the Strategic Planning bulletin board to share your thoughts. The Committee welcomes any and all input.
Looking Ahead to TASK FORCES
In April the Committee will be planning for the Task Force phase. We will be determining what task forces are needed and developing a charge for each task force. Once the task forces are defined we will issue a call for volunteers. Staff will have the opportunity to select the task force that most sparks their interest. The call for volunteers will come in late April and will be more fully explained at that time. The Task Forces will be launched at a meeting with Maureen on May 21st. If you think you might be interested in serving on a Task Force save that date. The work of the task forces will stretch out over the summer, with final reports due August 8th.
Three potential mission statements were presented, along with a vision statement, and these sparked some excellent discussion. The committee will now work to distill the three statements, along with the all the valuable input, into a single mission statement. Thanks to everyone who participated and shared their thoughts!
If you were unable to attend the discussion it’s not too late to offer input. The three mission statements, along with the vision statement, have been posted on the wall of the staff lounge. Please use the suggestion box found under the Strategic Planning bulletin board to share your thoughts. The Committee welcomes any and all input.
Looking Ahead to TASK FORCES
In April the Committee will be planning for the Task Force phase. We will be determining what task forces are needed and developing a charge for each task force. Once the task forces are defined we will issue a call for volunteers. Staff will have the opportunity to select the task force that most sparks their interest. The call for volunteers will come in late April and will be more fully explained at that time. The Task Forces will be launched at a meeting with Maureen on May 21st. If you think you might be interested in serving on a Task Force save that date. The work of the task forces will stretch out over the summer, with final reports due August 8th.
Saturday, March 15, 2008
Week 8 - Trends
Although the library only recently began a formal strategic planning process (also called long range planning), our library staff have always been looking ahead, reading library literature, and making plans. To tap into this vast store of knowledge the Strategic Planning Committee sat down this week with the heads of the Adult and Kids departments, as well as the Teen Librarian, to hear their thoughts on the future of the library. Here are some of the highlights from that discussion:
Every Child Ready to Read – an emphasis on getting children ready to learn to read by fostering the six pre-reading skills in story times, at parent workshops, in print, and with early literacy activity areas.
Services to special niche groups such as children with special needs, homeschoolers, immigrants. The library already has plans to create an ESL (English as a Second Language) collection beginning this May.
Homework assistance. This might include a special homework center in the library, volunteer or paid tutors, or online homework help with a service like tutor.com.
Boys and books. In general, boys take longer to learn to read than girls do, comprehend narrative texts less easily, read less, and value reading less than do girls. Libraries and schools are changing their instruction, programs and services to accommodate the different learning styles of boys, as well as their taste in reading..
Graphic novels, graphic nonfiction. Both departments see these collections as expanding.
Mobile Reference services. May include Librarians who move around the library rather than sit at a desk; a portable “reference/circ desk” that could be taken out into the community, allowing us to reach underserved areas; libraries working together to provide 24-hour live librarian reference service; the use of non-compulsory “uniforms” so librarians can be easily identified.
The Library as cultural center. Expanded programming, targeting audiences of all ages. Libraries are also hosting interactive, museum-like exhibitions. These provide opportunities to link activities with other groups in town and involve the entire community. Drama and readers theater groups are also springing up in libraries.
Gaming. Libraries are beginning to offer special gaming areas where teens can play, hold tournaments, and hang out. Libraries are also building Gaming collections. Gaming is also being used as tool to build literacy.
Downloadable music and movies
Technology. Provide access and training as technologies evolve ; continue to develop and enhance our webite ; be a real presence on the internet. Youth use the internet as a social tool. Libraries are looking for ways to tap into that by exploring the use of MySpace, Facebook, YouTube, etc. Youth like to create content (audio/video/3D/game design). Some libraries are providing space and software to assist with these activities. Blogs are a popular way to communicate and share information.
Publicize better what we have and what we can do for people. Make collections more accessible.
Every Child Ready to Read – an emphasis on getting children ready to learn to read by fostering the six pre-reading skills in story times, at parent workshops, in print, and with early literacy activity areas.
Services to special niche groups such as children with special needs, homeschoolers, immigrants. The library already has plans to create an ESL (English as a Second Language) collection beginning this May.
Homework assistance. This might include a special homework center in the library, volunteer or paid tutors, or online homework help with a service like tutor.com.
Boys and books. In general, boys take longer to learn to read than girls do, comprehend narrative texts less easily, read less, and value reading less than do girls. Libraries and schools are changing their instruction, programs and services to accommodate the different learning styles of boys, as well as their taste in reading..
Graphic novels, graphic nonfiction. Both departments see these collections as expanding.
Mobile Reference services. May include Librarians who move around the library rather than sit at a desk; a portable “reference/circ desk” that could be taken out into the community, allowing us to reach underserved areas; libraries working together to provide 24-hour live librarian reference service; the use of non-compulsory “uniforms” so librarians can be easily identified.
The Library as cultural center. Expanded programming, targeting audiences of all ages. Libraries are also hosting interactive, museum-like exhibitions. These provide opportunities to link activities with other groups in town and involve the entire community. Drama and readers theater groups are also springing up in libraries.
Gaming. Libraries are beginning to offer special gaming areas where teens can play, hold tournaments, and hang out. Libraries are also building Gaming collections. Gaming is also being used as tool to build literacy.
Downloadable music and movies
Technology. Provide access and training as technologies evolve ; continue to develop and enhance our webite ; be a real presence on the internet. Youth use the internet as a social tool. Libraries are looking for ways to tap into that by exploring the use of MySpace, Facebook, YouTube, etc. Youth like to create content (audio/video/3D/game design). Some libraries are providing space and software to assist with these activities. Blogs are a popular way to communicate and share information.
Publicize better what we have and what we can do for people. Make collections more accessible.
Monday, March 10, 2008
Week 7 - Mission and Vision
The Steering Committee has crafted first drafts of both a mission and vision statement for the library. We expect these documents to be revised a number of times before we are done. At this week’s meeting the committee reviewed and discussed what we have so far. Next, we will be asking staff for your input on these documents.
On March 19th, from 11-12, staff will be invited to join the Steering Committee for a discussion of these draft documents. We hope you will consider attending. Please check with your supervisors and mark your calendars! We plan to post the draft statements prior to the meeting so keep checking the bulletin boards.
As a guide for some of our work we have been referring to the book “Strategic Planning for Dummies” by Erica Olsen. She identifies some of the elements that should be found in good mission and vision statements. To get you thinking, here they are:
Elements of an effective mission statement:
Focuses on satisfying patron needs
Based on our core competencies
Motivates and inspires employee commitment
Realistic and clear : avoid making the mission to narrow or too broad
Specific, short, sharply focused, and memorable: write a precise statement of purpose that describes the essence of the business in words employees and patrons can remember us by.
Clear and easily understood
Says what the company wants to be remembered for: How do we want the world to think of us? The Mission statement can provide simple insight into why we do business.
Elements of a effective vision statement:
Audacious: represents a dream that’s beyond what you think is possible.
Capitalizes on core competencies: builds on what you’ve already established – strengths,
Unique capabilities, resources, and assets.
Futurecasting: provides a picture of what your business looks like in the future
Inspiring: creates enthusiasm and poses a challenge.
Motivating: clarifies the direction in which we need to move and keeps everyone pushing forward to reach it.
Purpose-driven: gives employees a larger sense of purpose, so they see themselves as building a cathedral instead of laying stones.
Sound challenging? It is!
On March 19th, from 11-12, staff will be invited to join the Steering Committee for a discussion of these draft documents. We hope you will consider attending. Please check with your supervisors and mark your calendars! We plan to post the draft statements prior to the meeting so keep checking the bulletin boards.
As a guide for some of our work we have been referring to the book “Strategic Planning for Dummies” by Erica Olsen. She identifies some of the elements that should be found in good mission and vision statements. To get you thinking, here they are:
Elements of an effective mission statement:
Focuses on satisfying patron needs
Based on our core competencies
Motivates and inspires employee commitment
Realistic and clear : avoid making the mission to narrow or too broad
Specific, short, sharply focused, and memorable: write a precise statement of purpose that describes the essence of the business in words employees and patrons can remember us by.
Clear and easily understood
Says what the company wants to be remembered for: How do we want the world to think of us? The Mission statement can provide simple insight into why we do business.
Elements of a effective vision statement:
Audacious: represents a dream that’s beyond what you think is possible.
Capitalizes on core competencies: builds on what you’ve already established – strengths,
Unique capabilities, resources, and assets.
Futurecasting: provides a picture of what your business looks like in the future
Inspiring: creates enthusiasm and poses a challenge.
Motivating: clarifies the direction in which we need to move and keeps everyone pushing forward to reach it.
Purpose-driven: gives employees a larger sense of purpose, so they see themselves as building a cathedral instead of laying stones.
Sound challenging? It is!
Monday, March 3, 2008
Week 6 - Looking out to the commmunity
Community Survey
A marketing class at Elmhurst College, taught by Amy Clugg, will be conducting a survey on the library’s behalf as part of their class work this semester. Sarah Caltvedt visited the class on Tuesday evening, February 26, to share with them some background on the library, the process we are going through, and what we would hope to learn from a survey. The class will draw up a list of objectives, target audiences, and a draft survey that they will then review with us before moving forward.
“Community Voice” Focus Group
We are working to develop a guest list for participation in a community focus group meeting. This meeting will take place on April 9th, from 1:30 – 3 p.m. and be facilitated by Maureen Sullivan. So that participants can feel free to speak openly, library staff will not attend. Invitations will be sent out in about two weeks.
Library Patterns of Use
At previous meetings the Committee looked at Elmhurst demographic statistics and other background information on the community. At this meeting we focused on the library, examining circulation and card holder statistics for the past five years. In the past five years the library has seen a 35.16% growth in circulation and an 18.76% growth in number of card holders. A ranking of SWAN Consortium libraries by number of items checked out has Elmhurst at the top, followed by Downers Grove, Indian Prairie, Oak Lawn, and Woodridge. We also looked at some statistics from the Public Library Annual Report that compared Elmhurst to other libraries in a variety of ways.
What do these statistics tell us about the future of the library? Has circulation gone up because we have made the library easier to use? We have added bags patrons can check out to carry materials; improved the accessibility of the catalog; permitted patrons to place their own holds and renewals; provided a drive-up window, etc. These are good questions to ponder as we move forward.
A marketing class at Elmhurst College, taught by Amy Clugg, will be conducting a survey on the library’s behalf as part of their class work this semester. Sarah Caltvedt visited the class on Tuesday evening, February 26, to share with them some background on the library, the process we are going through, and what we would hope to learn from a survey. The class will draw up a list of objectives, target audiences, and a draft survey that they will then review with us before moving forward.
“Community Voice” Focus Group
We are working to develop a guest list for participation in a community focus group meeting. This meeting will take place on April 9th, from 1:30 – 3 p.m. and be facilitated by Maureen Sullivan. So that participants can feel free to speak openly, library staff will not attend. Invitations will be sent out in about two weeks.
Library Patterns of Use
At previous meetings the Committee looked at Elmhurst demographic statistics and other background information on the community. At this meeting we focused on the library, examining circulation and card holder statistics for the past five years. In the past five years the library has seen a 35.16% growth in circulation and an 18.76% growth in number of card holders. A ranking of SWAN Consortium libraries by number of items checked out has Elmhurst at the top, followed by Downers Grove, Indian Prairie, Oak Lawn, and Woodridge. We also looked at some statistics from the Public Library Annual Report that compared Elmhurst to other libraries in a variety of ways.
What do these statistics tell us about the future of the library? Has circulation gone up because we have made the library easier to use? We have added bags patrons can check out to carry materials; improved the accessibility of the catalog; permitted patrons to place their own holds and renewals; provided a drive-up window, etc. These are good questions to ponder as we move forward.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
