Promoting Education, Cultural
Enrichment, and Recreation
STRATEGIC PLAN
A Guide for the Future: 2005-2015
Unanimously endorsed by the ECPL Strategic Planning
Committee
Prepared by
Dr. Dennis M. Travis, Ph.D., President
D. M. TRAVIS & ASSOCIATES
Edinboro, Pennsylvania
Table of Contents
Introduction
Recent History of Planning at Erie County Public Library…………1
History and Focus of Strategic Planning……………………………3
Value of Strategic Plan over a Master or Long-Range Plan………..4
Purpose of the Study and Strategic Plan for ECPL…………………4
Overview of a Strategic Plan………………………………………..6
When Does a Plan become “Strategic”?………………………….…7
Background and Overview of the Strategic Planning Process……...7
The ECPL Strategic Planning Committee Membership………….…8
Summary of Existing
County Conditions and Environmental Scan
Population and Projections………………………………………….9
Population Characteristics……………………………………….….9
Age Structure………………………………………………..9
Education Levels…………………………………………….9
Family Income……………………………………………….9
Economic Profile, Employment, and Business Characteristics……..9
Cultural Characteristics……………………………………………..10
Fine and Performing Arts…………………………………...10
Museums……………………………………………………10
Recreation and Sports………………………………………10
Post-Secondary Education …………………………………………10
Erie County School Districts……………………………………….10
County Government and Municipalities………………………........10
Erie County Public Libraries………………………………………..11
Erie County Independent Libraries…………………………………11
Emerging Trends at
the Erie County Public Library…………………...12
SWOT Analysis: Strengths, Weaknesses, Opportunities, and
Threats
Why and How to Use a SWOT Analysis…………………………...13
ECPL Internal Strengths and Weaknesses………………………….15
ECPL External Opportunities and Threats……………………...16, 17
Erie County Public
Library Strategic Plan: Background
Mission Statement: Purpose for the Existence of the ECPL.................... 18
Guiding Core Values.............................................................................. 19
Vision for the Future.............................................................................. 21
Mission Statement, Guiding Core Values, and Vision for the Future........ 23
Strategic Priority Direction Statements, Goals, and Objectives................ 24
Erie County Public Library Strategic Plan
Strategic Priority Directions
1. Branch Libraries.................................................................. 25
2. Technology.......................................................................... 29
3. Funding and Finance............................................................ 36
4. Community Relations and Marketing.................................... 39
5. Library Operations: Human Resources and Management.43
6. Library Services and Collections.......................................... 46
Appendix A: Research and
Background Reading List................................ 49
Introduction
Recent History of Planning at Erie County Public
Library
Planning, and follow through with planning, is the key to success in any organization. The Erie County Public Library (ECPL) has been actively involved in three major planning activities in the last seven years.
- In 1998, Graney, Grossman, Ray and Associates, of New Wilmington, Pennsylvania, prepared a report entitled Erie County Public Library Services: Analysis and Plan. The report was a follow up to A Study Prepared To Assist In The Implementation Of The Erie County Community Facilities Plan. The consultants worked with the staff of the Erie County Executive’s Office, the Erie County Public Library, and the Erie County Planning Department.
The Analysis and Plan was a result of the Erie County Community Facilities Plan, the purpose of which was to ensure that all community facilities and public services in Erie County and its communities are adequate for the levels of growth and development expected through 2010. The Analysis and Plan also “examines the ability of these facilities to adequately serve current county residents in a manner which makes Erie County a better place to live, work, learn, worship, socialize, and recreate.”
The report describes and outlines information in three categories.
I. Part one is an inventory of public libraries in Erie County and examination of the anticipated public library market, actual use statistics, management, and potential strategies to ensure the infrastructure is ready for the future.
II. Part two of the report is an analysis of patron and staff surveys.
III. Part three describes planning and marketing recommendations for public library service.
The summary “positive” conclusion of the report was that the Erie County Public Library is a “success story.”
The major “critical” conclusion and recommendation of the study was that the Erie County Public Library must develop and nurture “new partnerships with all sectors of the community.”
In the section of the report entitled “Decisions for the Erie County Government,” several specific recommendations were made in three broad categories:
1. The County Government is urged to create a “locational strategy” of branches to ensure the delivery of public library services in the Erie County Public Library service area.
2. The County Government is urged to develop a marketing plan to increase public library use, support, and voluntary financial contributions.
3. The County Government is urged to facilitate the evaluation of the Library collection and a plan to address its weaknesses.
2. In November, 2004, Library Consultants C. S. Alloway and R. Bowra submitted a Report to the Erie County Public Library Foundation: Enhancing and Expanding the Delivery of Library Service to Erie County.
The consultants were hired, initially, to complete a study to provide direction to the Foundation on how to fulfill its mission to assist in the development of branch library services within the Erie County Public Library. The charge to the consultants was to determine the number, size, services, and locations of branch libraries. However, soon after beginning the study, it became apparent to the consultants that the initial study had to be expanded to include a broader focus and include additional important issues.
The essential recommendations of the Alloway and Bowra study report were:
I.
Branch size, number, and location. Develop four strong branch libraries for
the system (Iroquois, Edinboro, Millcreek area, and the Glenwood Park / Mercyhurst corridor).
II. Marketing. Develop a formal marketing plan to increase awareness about library services in Erie County.
III. Communication. Develop open, and regular, communication among library stakeholders. Begin with a “Stakeholder Summit” to share and exchange information and observations and plan future meetings.
IV. Erie County Public Library Foundation. The Foundation needs to serve as a catalyst to foster branch library development in the County. The Foundation also needs to increase its endowment through planned giving and other development and fundraising activities and approaches.
V. Strategic Planning. The Erie County Public Library must develop a strategic plan for the delivery of library services to the residents of Erie County. The strategic plan should be comprehensive and include the essential activities of marketing, community relationships, funding, programs and services, and management.
3. In April 2005, the ECPL and its stakeholder organizations began a “fast-track” strategic planning process. They hired D. M. Travis & Associates, a consulting firm, to facilitate the process. Dr. Dennis M. Travis, Ph.D., President of D. M. Travis and Associates, was identified to facilitate the process and help prepare the strategic plan document. This report is a result of that strategic planning.
History and Focus of Strategic Planning
Military beginning and evolution into management practice
The history of strategic planning has its roots in the military. According
to Merriam-Webster Online, strategy
is “the science and art of military
command exercised to meet the enemy in combat under advantageous
conditions.” Currently, the use of
strategic planning as is applied in management has been transformed to mean the
art of devising or employing plans or stratagems,
a maneuver to gain an end, toward achieving a goal. One fundamental element remains the
same in both military and management strategic planning: the aim of strategic planning is to achieve a
competitive advantage.
Strategic planning begins by taking a certain period of time to analyze and study the situation and to decide on a course of action. The study results in a formal document, i. e., a strategic plan. Once the planning is done, the actual work of implementation, which is a separate and discrete process, begins. Strategic planning is oriented towards and focuses on the anticipated future. The planning looks at how the world could be different five to ten years from now. It is aimed at creating the organization's future based on what this future is likely to look like.
Strategic planning is based on a thorough analysis of
foreseen or predicted trends and scenarios of the possible alternative futures,
as well as the analysis of internal and external data. Strategic planning is flexible and oriented
towards the big picture. It aligns an organization with its environment,
establishing a context for
accomplishing goals, and providing a framework
and direction to achieve the
organization's desired future.
Strategic planning creates a framework for achieving competitive advantage by thoroughly analyzing the organization, its internal and external environment, and its potential. This enables an organization to respond to emerging trends, events, challenges, and opportunities within the framework of its vision and mission, developed through the strategic planning process.
Non-profit and profit organizations
Strategic planning is focused on adaptability to change, flexibility, and importance of strategic thinking and organizational learning. "Strategic agility" is as important as the strategy itself, because the organization's ability to succeed has as much to do with its ability to transform itself, continuously, as it has to do with the right strategy. Being strategically agile enables an organization to transform its strategy depending on the changes in its environment.
During the past decade, organizations have had to confront many changes in their external and internal environment and respond to emerging challenges, such as decreasing financial support or revenue, rapid technological advances, changing demographics, and outdated infrastructure and services or products.
Value of a Strategic Plan over a Master or Long-Range
Plan
Differences between traditional planning and strategic planning
The major difference between traditional long-range, or master, planning and strategic planning is that traditional planning focuses on looking at problems based on current understanding and an inside-out thinking mindset. Top-down thinkers often recommend traditional planning. Strategic planning requires an understanding of the nature of the issue, and then finding an appropriate response, or an outside-in mind set. Strategic planning involves wide consultation across an organization.
Long-range planning involves a projection from the present or an extrapolation from the past. Strategic planning builds on predicted future trends, data, and competitive assumptions. Long-range planning tends to be numbers driven. Strategic planning tends to be idea driven, more qualitative. Strategic planning seeks to provide a clear organizational vision for the future. Long-range planning tends to be more status quo and political consensus driven.
Purpose of the Study and Strategic Plan
It was determined that the Erie County Public Library (ECPL) needs a comprehensive strategic plan. Comprehensive means that it is both a management and marketing plan. A strategic plan is needed because we live in a changing, diverse, competitive, and complex society and County. A strategic plan is needed because it is an effective tool to ensure good stewardship of the ECPL financial, personnel, and infrastructure resources. A strategic plan is needed as an educational process and tool for ECPL stakeholders and County citizens.
A strategic plan describes “what ought to be.” It is an outcome from a thorough and systematic study and introspection. A strategic plan is a product based on the knowledge of internal (Library) strengths and weaknesses and external (County) opportunities and threats.
A strategic plan describes a destination and how to arrive there. A strategic plan is based on an institution’s foundational Mission Statement. A Mission Statement is a collective statement developed by an organization’s internal stakeholders describing their highest sense of purpose in serving citizen needs.
The Erie County Public Library Strategic Plan, A Guide for the Future: 2005-2015, is a long-range plan for library services in Erie County. The Erie County Public Library services promote education, cultural enrichment, and recreation. The Library Director and staff will use the Strategic Plan to guide decision-making for future Library services. The County Council, Friends of the Library, Library Foundation, and Library Advisory Board will use the Strategic Plan to determine their level, and type, of support for future Library services.
The development of the Erie County Public Library Strategic Plan served as an educational process for library stakeholders through their representatives on the Strategic Planning Committee. Development of the Strategic Plan was the first time in recent years that the diverse stakeholders met and systematically studied the mission and goals of the ECPL together.
The Strategic Plan is a management and leadership tool. It is the guide for daily and annual operational plans and decision-making. Operational plans identify detailed tasks, timelines, staff responsibilities, and outcomes. The Strategic Plan is a guide for allocating financial and personal resources and setting priorities on an annual basis.
The Strategic Plan deals with all aspects of the Library that require careful attention to stay on task to implement the Mission of the Erie County Public Library in a changing, diverse, and competitive society and County. The Strategic Plan focuses on priority areas where change is required to deal with external opportunities and threats and internal weaknesses and strengths.
The Strategic Plan does not deal with all facets of the ECPL services. The Director and staff will continue to deal with any areas of Library operations that are not separated out for special attention. However, those areas may emerge as major issues for priority attention in future strategic planning updates.
Overview of a
Strategic Plan/A Strategic Plan includes:
I.
Mission
Statement
The Library Mission statement briefly and clearly articulates the purpose - the reason - for the existence of the ECPL. The Mission Statement, along with the Vision for the Future Statement, defines and guides the daily operational and strategic work of the ECPL.
II.
Guiding Core
Values
The Guiding Core Values are linked to the organization’s character or integrity. Core values are a set of guiding principles that impact how everyone in the organization thinks and acts. The Guiding Core Values are the soul of the organization and the cement that holds it together.
III.
Vision for
the Future
The ECPL Vision for the Future Statement clearly describes what the Library will look like in the future when it is operating at its best. Together with the Mission Statement and the Guiding Core Values, the Vision for the Future Statement provides the pathway and scenario to how the Library will evolve and achieve its Vision for the Future.
IV.
Strategic
Priority Vision Statements
The Strategic Priority Vision Statements are a set of priorities that the ECPL will seek to achieve to implement its Mission and to create its Vision for the Future.
A. Goals (for each Strategic Priority Vision Statement)
Goals need to be developed for each Strategic Priority Vision Statement. A goal is a general statement that points direction to the future. Goals are general enough that they can’t be easily measured. Goals are directions that can be translated into tangible focused action plans.
B. Action Plan (for each Goal of each Strategic Priority Vision Statement)
An action plan (objective) is an activity, a way to achieve a goal. Action plans can be easily measured. An action plan should be assigned to someone to implement with an assigned deadline date for completion. Resources may need to be made available to the responsible individual (s) to achieve an action plan.
When does a Plan become “Strategic”?
A plan becomes “strategic” when the various units within the Library, and the units in support of the Library, agree upon, and seek to implement, the action plans (objectives) designed to achieve the goals.
Each action plan should include an area unit of responsibility (ies) and person (s) in that area who are assigned the responsibility for achieving a goal through the related action plans.
Approval, funding, and accountability of action plans ensure that the ECPL is in the process of reaching, and achieving, the described destination in each of the Strategic Priority Vision Statements.
Background and Overview of the Strategic Planning
Process
A group of Erie County Public Library stakeholders held a “Stakeholders Summit” in Spring of 2005. They discussed, and confirmed, the need to develop a comprehensive Erie County Public Library Strategic Plan.
Dr. Dennis M. Travis, Ph.D., President of D. M. Travis & Associates of Edinboro, PA, was hired as a consultant to facilitate the development of a comprehensive strategic plan. Dr. Travis was selected after an interview with the Stakeholders Summit group, and a separate interview meeting with County Clerk Doug Smith and Jim Spiegel, President of the Library Foundation. Fifty percent of the consulting fee was paid for by the ECPL Library Foundation and fifty percent was paid for by Erie County Council
Normally, a strategic planning process takes approximately twelve months for most organizations developing their first Strategic Plan. However, the ECPL stakeholders were anxious to complete the plan in a four and one-half month “fast track” time period. The goal was to develop an excellent, comprehensive, Strategic Plan that could be used to recommend and document need to the Erie County Council and County Executive for the next annual budget.
To achieve the development of the Strategic Plan in such as short period of time, the Strategic Planning Committee met with Dr. Travis every other week, beginning April 19 through August 16, 2005. Meetings lasted for two to three and one-half hours.
Dr. Travis prepared handouts in advance to distribute at each meeting. The handouts were discussed and action taken on them at each meeting. Dr. Travis drew upon his extensive experience in strategic planning in public and private organizations and in working with university libraries. He also did extensive Internet research and brought related material to the meetings for discussion and reaction.
In the end, virtually every word in the final Mission Statement, Guiding Core Values, Vision for the Future, Strategic Priority Direction, and Goals and Actions was reviewed and, ultimately, endorsed by the Strategic Planning Committee. The instructional narrative for developing a strategic plan, and related background information, was also supplied by Dr. Travis and subject to review and revision by the Strategic Planning Committee over time to ensure originality and fit in the final document.
It was agreed that Dr. Travis would provide one hardcopy of the Strategic Plan and one disc for use by the Strategic Planning Committee. Dr. Travis recommended that the Strategic Planning Committee keep his copy by and large intact for subsequent use as they meet over time. The goal is for the Committee to have a historical record of its work as it seeks to implement and revise the Strategic Plan over time. The disc is to be used to amend, correct, revise, the Strategic Plan so different copies can be made for the various audiences that need access to the planning process and the ECPL Strategic Plan. The thinking is that some audiences will not need to have all of the instructional related narrative that was provided to facilitate some of the exercises the Committee went through to arrive at its decisions. Also, access to the disc allows the Strategic Planning Committee to ensure that all narrative is an original work and in the way it wants to express it.
The Erie County Public Library
Strategic Planning Committee
Erie County Council Joe Giles, Chairman
*Dave Mitchell, Personnel Committee
Doug
Smith,
County Administration Ann Bloxdorf, Director of Administration
*Sue Ellen Pasquale, Manager of Accounting
Library Margaret
Stewart, Director
*Mary
Rennie, Main Library Coordinator
Friends of the Library Robert Gallivan, President
*Marion
Gallivan, Member
Library Foundation Jim Spiegel, Chair
*Bob
Angelucci, Member
Library Advisory Board Helene Grande, President
*Barbara
Wingerter, Member
Consultant &
Facilitator Dr. Dennis M.
Travis, Ph.D., D. M. Travis & Associates
* Indicates Alternates
Summary of Existing Conditions and Environmental Scan
This section summarizes the outcomes of several workshop meetings with the Strategic Planning Committee. The purpose of these workshop meetings, and related discussions, was to identify the existing conditions in, and an environmental scan of, Erie County. The goal was to identify factors influencing the future Erie County Public Library services in Erie County. Additional and detailed information on the following factors can be found in other reports. For the purposes of our strategic planning, it was sufficient to ensure that that the factors were identified and discussed by the members of the Strategic Planning Committee before crafting the actual individual sections of the ECPL Strategic Plan. Brief observations and citations are made below to highlight specific important issues in each identified factor that impacts on future library service. Much of the data noted below is extracted from the reports cited in Appendix A and several Internet web sites.
Population and
projections
The 2000 federal census for Erie County showed a population of 280,843 people. This represented a growth of 5,271 (1.9 %) as compared to the 1990 census. Municipal population growth areas include: Fairview Township; Harborcreek Township; Millcreek Township; and Summit Township. Also in that ten-year span, Edinboro Borough lost 10.2% and the City of Corry lost 5.3%.
Population
characteristics: Age; Education; Income
All of Erie County’s community populations are aging, as is all of Pennsylvania. The median age in the County rose to 36.3 in the year 2000 from 32.9 in 1990. Adults (ages 35-64) make up 37.3% (105,000) of all Erie County Residents in the 2000 census. In the 1990 census, adults (ages 35-64) made up 34.7% (90,000) of all Erie County residents. Young adults (ages 20-34) make up 19.8 % (56,000) of all Erie County residents in the 2000 census.
Education is considered the avenue to prosperity. Approximately 85 % of Erie County residents 25 years and older have a high school diploma or its equivalent. Even though the County has several colleges and universities, it lags behind the state and nation in the number of persons with post-secondary education. In 2002, 37,590 residents in Erie County had at least a bachelor’s degree, or 20.9 % of those persons over 25 years old. This represents 1.5 % less of the population with a college degree than the state as a whole, and 3.5 % less than the national proportion.
The median income in Erie County is more weighted toward the incomes that are less. There is a high unemployment rate that persists in Erie County.
Economic
Profile: Employment Characteristics;
Business and Industry Characteristics
In 1980, 36.1% of Erie County residents were employed in manufacturing. In 2000, it was much less, with 23.8% of the labor force in manufacturing. Nearly 8.5% of the local labor force is now in the arts, entertainment, recreation, accommodation, and food services. The higher-paying new economy industries of professional services and information were 36% of the local workforce in 2000.
Cultural
Characteristics: Fine and Performing
Arts and Museums
Erie and the immediate area offer a wide array of cultural activities for its citizens, including: Directors Circle Theater; Erie Civic Music Association; Erie Philharmonic;
Erie Playhouse; Lake Erie Ballet; Mary D'Angelo Performing Arts Center; Riverside Inn Dinner Theater; Roadhouse Theater for Contemporary Art; Stage Right Community Theater; Station Dinner Theatre; Corry Area Historical Society; Erie Art Museum; Erie County Historical Society; Commonwealth of Pennsylvania Erie Maritime Museum and Brig Niagara; Experience Children's Museum; Firefighters Historical Museum; Goodell Gardens & Homestead; Hazel Kibler Memorial Museum; The Marx Toy Museum; and the Union City Museum & Historical Society.
Recreation and Sports
AA baseball, Ontario Hockey League hockey, college and high
school sports and more make up a tremendous sports scene in Erie. Erie is fewer than 120 miles from Cleveland, Buffalo, and
Pittsburgh if you have a taste for MLB, NHL, NFL, or NBA. Local recreation and
sports venues include: Erie Otters;
Erie Civic Center (home of the Otters); Erie Rugby Football
Club; Erie SeaWolves (at Jerry Uht Park); Family First
Sports Park; the Lake Erie Speedway; and the Tullio
Arena.
Post-Secondary
Education
From
colleges and universities to adult education, Erie County educators are
committed to first-rate and innovative educational opportunities. Erie has a
tradition of offering unique and nationally recognized programs,
including: CAMtech
(Center for the Advanced Manufacturing & Technology); Erie Business Center;
Edinboro University of Pennsylvania; Erie County Technical School; Erie
Institute of Technology; Erie Team PA CareerLink;
Gannon University; Great Leaks Institute of Technology; Lake Erie College of
Osteopathic Medicine; Mercyhurst College; Penn State
Erie, The Behrend College; Toni & Guy
Hairdressing; and Tri State Business Institute.
Erie County
School Districts
Erie County School districts include City of Erie School District; Corry Area School District; Fairview School District; Ft. LeBoeuf School District; General McLane School District; Harborcreek School District; Iroquois Area School District; Millcreek School District; North East School District; Northwestern School District; Union City Area School District; Wattsburg Area School District.
County
Government and Municipalities
County Government and
municipalities include Albion Borough;
Amity Township;
Concord Township;
Conneaut Township;
City of Corry;
Cranesville Borough;
Edinboro Borough;
Elgin Borough;
Elk Creek Township;
City of Erie; Fairview Township;
Franklin Township;
Girard Borough;
Girard Township;
Greene Township;
Greenfield
Township; Harborcreek Township;
Lake City Borough; Lawrence Park
Township; LeBoeuf Township;
McKean Township;
McKean Borough;
Millcreek Township;
Mill Village
Borough; North East Borough;
North East
Township; Platea Borough;
Springfield
Township; Summit Township;
Union City Borough;
Union Township;
Venango Township;
Washington
Township; Waterford Borough;
Waterford Township;
Wattsburg Borough;
Wayne Township;
Wesleyville Borough.
Erie County Public Libraries
The Erie County Public Library includes the Blasco Memorial Library; Millcreek Mall Branch Library; Iroquois Avenue Branch Library; Presque isle Branch Library; and Edinboro Branch Library.
Independent
Libraries
Erie County Independent Libraries include Albion Public Library; Corry Public Library; McCord Memorial Library; Rice Avenue Community Library; Union City Public Library; Waterford Public Library; and Erie County Law Library.
Emerging
Trends at Erie County Public Library
1. Technology
· Fiber optics
· Digital resources
· Customized electronic patron services
· Miniaturization
· Wireless network
2. Patrons
· Immigrant population continues to increase
· Increase in family users (particularly parents of pre-school and school-ge children)
3. Services
· Virtual reference
· Electronic gateway to technological services (e-mail, word processing, etc.)
· Outreach services (bookmobile, on-site programming in community)
· Local history, genealogy, and children’s materials
4. Programs
· Ongoing demand for programming for children and seniors
5. Infrastructure
· Rapidly aging and unreliable bookmobile
·
Presque Isle lease expires
· Deteriorating branch facilities (Presque Isle, Millcreek, Edinboro)
· Telecommunications and electrical issues at some branches (Presque Isle, Millcreek, Edinboro)
· Some newer County-owned facilities (Blasco Library & Iroquois Avenue branch)
6. Funding
· Alternative funding sources for operating expenses
· Taxpayer resistance
7. Management
· Clerical staffing issues (staffing complement at several branches and bookmobiles not adequate to serve needs of patrons)
· Lack of managers in branches, Blasco, and in library administration
· Need for ongoing continuing education pr