In preparation for the MLC Long Range Planning Committee meeting that is scheduled for Wednesday, January 17th, the Long-Range Planning Workgroup, appointed by Kay Bauman, has been meeting regularly to review the Library Unbound Strategic Plan and related material. The group has drafted an updated strategic plan to be presented to the Long Range Planning Committee for approval and adoption by the Metropolitan Library Commission at its regularly scheduled meeting in February.

The purpose of this iteration of the Strategic Plan [1] is to provide clarity on the direction of the organization, not to change its strategic direction or roll-back any changes, with two exceptions.

1. We have opted to eliminate the 20-year goal: “By 2035, every person in the community will use a library service” because it is a measure that does not reflect whether Metro is fulfilling its Vision and Mission. Overarching goals need to be broad enough so that all divisions/departments can contribute to them, but detailed enough to be able to develop meaningful action plans.
2. We have opted to return to the use of the word “customer” rather than “member” to refer to those who use library services, as it is more inclusive and indicative of the relationship that we have with the communities we serve.

The plan takes the form of a traditional strategic plan with large, overarching goals supported by objectives, strategies, and tactics. For the purposes of this plan, we used the following definitions:

Goals: Goals are the big ideas that support our mission, vision, and values. They set the course for the next 3-5 years. These are the destination.

Objectives: Objectives are measurable milestones that indicate we are reaching our goals. Objectives are reviewed annually, but should rarely change. These are the agreed-upon routes that will get us to the destination.

Strategies: Strategies are the conceptual plan that tells us what we are going to do. Strategies are reviewed annually, for fine-tuning and alignment. These are the compass, setting and maintaining our course along the routes.

Tactics: Tactics are the activities we will do to accomplish the goal, meet the stated objectives, and fulfill the strategy. Tactics are part of detailed action plans developed each year during the Annual Business Planning process. These are the individual stops along the routes, guided by our compass.

Every attempt has been made to use language that has been seen, in some form or another, in other strategic planning documents from the last few years. Where no such language existed, the group has included language to fill-in gaps in the “Goals >>> Objectives >>> Strategies >>> Tactics” logic and tie together any loose ends.

Not everything that was listed in the Library Unbound Strategic Plan and related material will show up in this version of the Strategic Plan. Many of the items from Library Unbound, such as the ten initiatives or specific activities, are considered tactics. Any tactics included in this Strategic Plan are those that have been undertaken (and/or substantially completed) in the last year or two – to help everyone understand how particular activities explicitly supported the direction set by the Strategic Plan. We have included a section called “Possible Tactics” to serve as a “parking lot” for ideas that can be revisited during the Annual Business Planning process. Tactics for FY18-19 will be proposed, developed, and approved as part of the Annual Business Planning process that we plan to start in March.

We are sharing this draft with you because we need your help. Your managers/supervisors should be discussing this strategic plan with you over the next two weeks and gathering feedback. Specifically, we are wanting you to answer the following questions:

1. Are there activities, strategies, and tactics that you have been doing over the last year or two that wouldn’t necessarily fall under one of the four goals and their supporting objectives?
2. If so, what are they and what Goal or Objective would you recommend?

Any questions/concerns about this draft of the strategic plan should be directed to your immediate supervisor/manager who will collect and share them with the LRP Workgroup.

The Long Range Planning Workgroup includes:

• Morgan Jones, Manager of Planning and Assessment (chair)
• Kay Bauman, Interim Executive Director
• Anthony Herron, Deputy Executive Director/Operations
• Melody Kellogg, Regional Director
• Sarah Peterson, Director of Collection Anywhere
• Kim Terry, Director of Marketing and Communications

In this short video release, Kay and Morgan discuss changes made to the strategic plan.

View the drafted strategic plan HERE [1].