Public Participation in Strategic Planning

Saxton, Matthew L. and Ruth D. Greiner. Public Participation in Strategic Planning of Library Services: Soliciting, Assessing, and Balancing        

    Community and Staff Input. Public Libraries 37. 2 (1998): 126-132

In response to a decision to combine the municipal departments of parks, recreation and the public library into the Anaheim Community Services Department the new director, Christopher Jarvi developed a strategic plan to identify the roles of the library in the community and the goals for fulfilling those roles. Identifying core issues, soliciting public input, involving staff in the planning process, and determining who makes the final decision about what is included in the strategic plan were considered during the library's strategic planning process.

Saxton and Greiner use the Anaheim Public Library strategic planning program as an example to offer readers an overview of several methods that can be used individually or in combination to conduct a strategic plan.

1. Citizen’s advisory committee was formed to represent different stakeholders in an effort to represent a cross-section of the community.

2. Focus Groups, again representing different community groups, were formed to discuss specific needs of the different groups.

3. The Future Libraries Visioning Group was asked to identify problems at the library and possible solutions to those problems.

4. Surveys and comment forms were available at the library for those who were not able to attend the meetings but still wanted to have input into the library’s plan.

Evaluation of the information gathered indicated that while the public appeared to be happy with the services the library provided, they wanted the library to do more. In particular the following services were requested:

• Longer hours

• More variety in the collection

• More children’s programs

• More cooperative programs with other libraries

• Increased access to remote sources

• Increased publicity of library programs through the local media

Overall, the public was aware that funding could be an issue. Suggested solutions to this concern included:

• Cooperative programs with other libraries

• Increased publicity of library programs and services

• Strengthening volunteer programs

Staff raised two concerns:

 1.They did not feel that they had sufficient input on the plan. Saxton and Greiner argue that excluding staff from planning will result in less innovative, and potentially less responsive library service.

2. It was observed that patrons might not be aware of the possibilities and limitations the library staff experiences. Jarvi’s response to this was to note, "such comments are not relevant if they do not agree with the vision of the community" (p.129).

There needs to be a balance. The library's goal should be to meet the publics needs. However, library management must balance the patrons' desires with the mission of the organization. It may be necessary to evaluate and adjust the mission to more efficiently meet he needs of the community it serves.

The Anaheim library staff responded to the public input by establishing new goals and objectives based on the study’s results. Other issues were raised which may or may not belong within the library’s domain. For instance, people suggested the library should provide daycare, legal assistance, stationary shops, coffee bars and other services. Are these appropriate services for the library to provide? Are they appropriate examples of "value added service." While it could be argued that these services are not appropriate uses of the public library, library staff frequently offers services that meet these needs. It is a question of local policy. It is the opinion of this reviewer that referral to other agencies is frequently a more appropriate response.

The focus of strategic planning is on long-term direction rather than on day-to-day operations. Public participation is essential to insuring that final plan will be accepted and actively supported by patrons and taxpayers. By conducting community surveys and evaluating community information such as population statistics, economic and social characteristics, library staff will be able to plan service delivery and programs as well as consider location issues. The strategic planning process enables the library administration to be pro-active rather than re-active.