Strategic Planning for Modern Libraries
| Pages | 7-18 |
| Published date | 01 February 1994 |
| DOI | https://doi.org/10.1108/01435129410049007 |
| Date | 01 February 1994 |
| Author | Heather Johnson |
| Subject Matter | Library & information science |
Some Definitions of Strategic Planning
The following are some definitions of strategic
planning found in the literature:
A continuous process of making present
entrepreneurial (risk-taking) decisions
systematically and with the greatest knowledge of
their futurity; organizing systematically the efforts
needed to carry out these decisions; and measuring
the results of these decisions against the
expectations through organized feedback[1, p. 125].
(1) Decisions regarding long-term strategic issues.
(2) Operations to put strategies into effect and “get
the job done”.
(3) Contingency plans to anticipate possible
change.
(4) “Business plans” or expected performance
targets are set for income and expenditure so
that likely financial performance and viability
of projects can be assessed[2, p. 37].
Strategic plans allow the library manager to take
calculated risks and develop contingencies[3,
p. 395].
The process of identifying and setting the objectives
and goals of an organization[4, p. 14].
The essence of formal strategic planning is the
systematic identification of opportunities and
threats that lie in the future which, in combination
with other relevant data, provide a basis for a
company’s making better current decisions to
exploit the opportunities and to avoid the
threats[5, p. 5].
The Importance of Strategic Planning
Librarians cannot live in the past, even though
some have been guilty of this, but must look to
the future and anticipate what another decade may
bring. Modern libraries have to be managed
according to modern practices, considering
market forces and the current economic climate.
Libraries are still regarded as library heritage
centres by many people outside the library
profession and it is important for libraries to
justify their existence in modern society. If
librarians take the future of their services
seriously then they will plan for it, allowing for
current trends and predicting future trends that
will affect library services.
Libraries have similar problems to other
businesses, and library managers, like managers
in industry, have often failed to realize the
importance of strategic planning until a crisis
situation strikes. Often library managers in a crisis
situation act in a hasty way that eventually proves
detrimental to the library[6, p. 10]. Library
services are affected by financial considerations,
staffing problems and union matters. Libraries do
not exist unchanging and independent from the
rest of the world; the library environment does
change and it is better to deal with something
planned for, rather than having something
suddenly thrust upon the library. A library
manager should plan for automation, for example,
and be prepared for it, rather than have the staff
walk through the door one morning to find a new
computer which none of them know how to
operate.
The biggest obstacle to thinking about, developing
and implementing new strategies is the need to run
today’s business. The day-to-day events drive out
most strategic good intentions[6, p. 10].
Strategic planning is essential to guarantee a
future library service for clients. Carried out
correctly, it will provide a set of realistic
measurable objectives and it should motivate staff
into helping the service to achieve these
objectives. Good planning should result in a
satisfactory library service for those who use it
and for those who provide it.
The Strategic Planning Process
Bryson identifies seven stages in the process of
strategic planning[7, p. 46]:
VOLUME 15 NUMBER 1
1994
7
Strategic Planning
for Modern Libraries
Heather Johnson
Library Management, Vol. 15 No. 1, 1994, pp. 7-18
© MCB University Press, 0143-5124
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