Strategic Planning Process

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Strategic Planning Process

• Strategic planning is a disciplined effort to
  produce fundamental decisions and actions that
  shape and guide
• what an organization is,
• what it does,
• and why it does it,
• all with a focus on the future.
• (Adapted from Bryson's Strategic Planning in
  Public and Nonprofit Organizations)

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Think of the Library as a three-legged stool. It
takes

• Resources - books, magazines, electronic
  databases, media.
• Staff - to provide direct services, keep
  buildings and equipment operating, provide
  training and secure funding.
• Infrastructure - buildings, heating cooling,
  lighting, computer networks infrastructure,
  parking areas, lawns and walkways.
• Maintaining the right balance is reflected in
  what people think of the Library and how it is
  used.

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What the Public Says

• 84.3 of Mahoning County residents rate our
  Public Library as excellent or good.
• Only 3 of Mahoning County residents rate our
  Library as poor.
• 83 rate Library staff as good or excellent.
• 89 rate convenience of libraries as good or
  excellent.

Source Telephone survey of registered voters,
June 2000
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What the Public Says

• Public rates the Library 3.98, on a scale of 1
  (poor) to 5 (excellent),
• compared to
• Parks 3.96
• Schools 3.43
• Roads 2.77
• 75.8 of users and 58.7 of non-users say the
  library is essential to the quality of life.
• Primary reason for choice of library used
• Convenient location 70.6
• Better selection of materials 13.1

Source Mail survey June 2003
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What the Public Says it Wants

• Collections - The highest priority is improving
  the depth and quality of collections.
• Hours
• Saturday and runner-up Sunday are the clear
  one-two winners in the publics preference for
  when libraries most need to be open. The strong
  desire for weekend hours closely follows retail
  market trends.
• Evening hours are the next preference, followed
  by afternoon and finally morning hours
• Longer hours preferred over more attractive
  buildings.
• Larger libraries preferred over smaller.
• Longer hours with self-service preferred over
  shorter hours with personal service.

Source Telephone survey June 2000, Mail survey,
June 2003
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What the Public Wants

• Expand access to materials and collections that
  enhance leisure and recreation.
• Library has established music CD collections.
• Library has established DVD collections.
• Expand efforts to reach teens and work with
  schools and teachers at high school level.
• Library has formed teen advisory group,
  created teen programs, established liaisons in
  every school and launched a teen website
  www.TeenXTremeonline.org.
• Strengthen electronic information and technology
  skills of staff and public.
• Created a lasting technology infrastructure -
  all buildings are wired.
• Created a web-based network.
• Initiated public and staff training.
• Provided computer access in all buildings.

Source Public and staff surveys and focus
groups for 1999-2003 long-range strategic plan
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The Result What the Public Does

• Use of collections continues to grow, despite
  a declining population.
• The library is being used now more than ever.

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The Result What the Public Does In 1989
there were 21 libraries. The public borrowed
1,423,959 items. 90 of all use came from 13
libraries (62).
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The Result What the Public Does Impact of
New Libraries

• 1991 - Boardman 73 increase in use
• 1996 - Youngstown (Main Library) 114 increase
  in use
• 2001 - Poland 180 increase in use
• 2002 - Austintown 93 increase in use

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The Result What the Public Does In 2003
there are 19 libraries. The public will borrow
over 2 million items - a 40 increase in 13
years. 90 of all use comes from 10 libraries
(53).
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The Result What the Public Does Impact of
New Libraries

• Major building projects of the past 13 years have
  been in those libraries with the highest levels
  of use.
• Boardman Youngstown
• Poland Austintown
• The public is attracted to and uses the new or
  expanded libraries.
• These libraries are now used even more.

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The Result What the Public Does

• The public uses the new electronic resources.
• Numbers of times people have accessed the
  Librarys web-site has gone from nothing in 1997
  (it didnt exist) to 350,000 in 2002

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The Business Behind the Service Librarys
Finances - Income Trends

• Actual 1995 Actual 2001
  Actual 2002 Projected 2003
• LLGSF 82.9 6,749,224 10,810,458
  9,959,298 9,828,825 84.2
• Levy 13.1 1,070,631
  1,220,660 1,174, 975 1,185,230
  10.2
• Other 4.0 325,696
  446,709 511,332 660,559
  5.6
• 8,145,551 12,477,767 11,645,605
  11,674,614

Increasingly reliant on state funding. This
minimizes the demand made on local taxpayers, but
makes Library operations increasingly reliant on
the vagaries of the state legislation. Funding
from the local levy is stagnant. (The 0.6 mill
levy has been in place since 1976. The age of
the levy and rollbacks have resulted in an
effective rate on many homeowners of 0.247 to
0.35 mills, or 8.64 to 12.25 per year on a home
valued at 100,000.) Library-generated income
(Other) has increased 50 since 1995. New
income sources, such as debit card printing and
income from Chapters Café, support the salary of
nearly 3 1/2 full-time staff members.
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The Business Behind the ServiceLibrarys
Finances - Spending Trends

• Actual 1995
  Actual 2001 Actual 2002 Projected 2003
• Staff 57.8 4,692,774
  6,186,460 6,917,920 7,262,462 61
• Collections 14.6 1,184,180
  1,633,293 1,492,856 1,749,000 14.7
• Infrastructure 14.5 1,172,935
  1,837,986 1,825,409 2,192,720 18.4
• Capital Imp. 13.1 1,071,000
  2,726,525 934,005 700,000
  5.9
• 8,120,889
  12,384,264 11,170,190 11,904,182
• Excellent record of financial responsibility
• Consistently clean audits
• Debt free
• Funds are professionally managed

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The Business Behind the Service Publishing
Industry Trends

• Publishers of high-priced reference material and
  electronic databases are consolidating and
  increasing prices.
• School assignments are more sophisticated,
  leading to a greater demand for more depth and
  breadth in library collections.
• DVD players were in nearly half of all U.S.
  homes resulting in a growing demand for DVDs at
  all locations.
• About 70 computers need to be purchased each
  year to sustain public access to technology.
• More formats - Books, Magazines, Videos, CDs,
  DVDs, E-Books.
• More titles - Number of new books published
  annually in the U.S. increased 300 between 1975
  and 2000. Prices have risen. Average cost of a
  new work of fiction in 1975 was 8.31. In 2000,
  cost was 25.75.

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• The Business Behind the ServiceLocal Population
  Trends
• Population changes in Mahoning County have
  been dramatic over the past 30 to 40 years

• Population countywide has declined.
• Population concentrations within the county have
  shifted.

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• The Business Behind the ServicePhysical
  Infrastructure
• The majority of libraries were built in a
  period when the population was growing.

• East 1930 Struthers - 1957
• North 1965 Sebring - 1965
• Campbell 1966 North Lima - 1967
• Brownlee Woods 1968 Canfield 1969
• Lowellville 1969
• West 1928, remodeled 1972
• South 1929, remodeled 1972
• The typical interval for renovation or
  replacement of a library is 20 years.
• Over half of the libraries in Mahoning County
  have had no major renovation/repair in 40 years.

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• The Business Behind the ServicePhysical
  Infrastructure
• The majority of libraries were built in a
  period when the population was growing.

• East 1930 Struthers - 1957
• North 1965 Sebring - 1965
• Campbell 1966 North Lima - 1967
• Brownlee Woods 1968 Canfield 1969
• Lowellville 1969 West 1928, remodeled 1972
• South 1929, remodeled 1972
• In some cases, population has move away from
  current libraries. The result is low use and a
  poor return on the public investment.
• In some cases, populations have grown, but
  libraries have not. The result is inadequate
  resources to meet public demand.
• Cost of building repair and construction
  continues to escalate, whether economic times
  are good or bad. The longer decisions are put
  off, the more expensive they become.

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The Business Behind the ServiceElectronic
Infrastructure

• Electronic network is well-designed for future
  growth.
• New automation system (Innovative Interfaces
  Millennium system) is top-rated in customer
  satisfaction. (Computers in Libraries, January
  2003)
• System has functionality not yet being used which
  can help the Library save costs and streamline
  operations.
• A technology fund is available to help the
  Library sustain the electronic infrastructure and
  take advantage of new applications.

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Doing What the Public Wants A Vicious Cycle

• Larger collections
• require more space to house collections
• feed an appetite for being open more hours
• More space and more hours drive costs higher -
  more staff, more books, higher utilities, etc.
• The general mood regarding increased local
  taxation to support higher costs is negative,
  while the mood toward increased taxes for Library
  purposes is, at best, mixed.

Source Mail survey June 2003
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Doing What the Public Wants A Vicious Cycle

• Willingness to support a tax levy
• Users Non
• Users
• Yes 38.7 21.0
• No 28.6 37.0
• Depends 30.0 34.8

Source Mail survey June 2003
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How Does the Library Respond?

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• Strategic Planning The issues that stand in the
  way of success

• Issue 1 Funding and Financial Stability
• Issue 2 Service Infrastructure
• Issue 3 Meeting Community Needs
• Issue 4 Staffing
• Issue 5 Civic Responsibility
• Issue 6 Partnerships

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• Strategic Planning The issues that stand in the
  way of success
• Issue 1 Funding and Financial Stability

• State revenues have declined significantly in
  recent years and will not increase for several
  years (if ever).
• Cost of doing business is increasing - health
  care, utilities, collections, etc.
• The general mood regarding increased local
  taxation is negative while the mood toward
  increased taxes for Library purposes is, at best,
  mixed.
• Over-reliance on one source of funding
  LLGSF.
• Strategic Goals
• Having dependable income stream(s) to fund
  core services.
• Having access to supplemental funding to
  support innovation, research and development and
  creation of new services.
• Having ability to make relatively accurate
  estimates of future funding needs by anticipating
  and controlling, to the extent possible, overhead
  costs.
• Being perceived and acknowledged as an
  exceptionally good steward of public funds

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• Strategic Planning The issues that stand in the
  way of success
• Issue 2 Service Infrastructure

• Large number of facilities in relation to
  population and many of these buildings are old.
• Technology base that requires continued
  investment to remain useful and relevant.
• Strategic Goals
• Operating efficient facilities that are safe,
  attractive, well equipped, well staffed and
  conveniently located.
• Sustaining the technology infrastructure.
• Attaining a high level of technology
  excellence.
• Using technology to improve business practices
  and reduce costs.

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Strategic Planning The issues that stand in the
way of success Issue 3 Meeting Community
Needs

• Customer expectations have increased
  significantly in recent years.
• Mahoning County is quite diverse. Demands and
  needs for library and information services vary
  significantly from area to area.
• The capacity for library facilities and
  services vary greatly from area to area.
• Strategic Goals
• People of the county will have access to
  service based on a good understanding of
  community needs.
• People will receive services from highly
  efficient facilities that are safe, attractive,
  well maintained, well staffed and conveniently
  located.
• Libraries will be staffed with an exemplary
  workforce that reflects the diversity of the
  county.
• People will understand and acknowledge that
  the distribution of facilities fairly balances
  convenience and fiscal responsibility while
  ensuring high quality of service.

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Strategic Planning The issues that stand in the
way of success Issue 4 Staffing

• Changes in funding, technology and level of
  customer expectations have placed increasing
  demands on library staff.
• Strategic Goals
• All facilities staffed with highly competent,
  friendly employees who are fairly compensated for
  the work they perform.
• All staff members receive the training they
  need to perform their assigned duties.
• Staffing levels will be adequate to carry out
  assigned duties and provide quality customer
  service.
• Technology and other tools needed to carry out
  duties will be available.
• Library will be able to offer specialized,
  expanded or extended services through the use of
  student interns.

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Strategic Planning The issues that stand in the
way of success Issue 5 Civic Responsibility

• The Public Library of Youngstown and Mahoning
  County is one of the organizations in the
  community best suited to being a catalyst for
  change.
• Strategic Goals
• Library will be perceived and acknowledged by
  the public as a major community institution.
• Library will be included as a participant in
  community and county planning initiatives related
  to community development and improving quality of
  life.
• People of the county will feel a sense of
  ownership in their libraries and perceive them to
  be fair and unbiased.
• Library will be perceived and used by the
  people of Mahoning County as a gathering place in
  their community.
• Library will consider the impact of its
  decisions on community life and routinely engage
  and involve the community and other institutions
  in the decision-making process.

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• Strategic Planning The issues that stand in the
  way of success
• Issue 6 Partnerships

• Partnerships, and associated demands, have
  grown significantly in recently years.
• Number of potential partnerships is growing.
• Demands on time and resources increase with
  each partnership endeavor.
• Opportunities (and associated demands) for
  partnering have increased significantly in recent
  years.
• Strategic Goals
• Develop a mechanism to evaluate potential
  partnerships. Focus on those that can help the
  Library achieve its strategic goals to serve the
  community.

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Strategic Plan Facilities

• Facilities Achieve the goals of libraries that
  are safe, attractive, well-maintained, well
  staffed, and conveniently located. Fairly balance
  convenience and fiscal responsibility while
  ensuring high quality service.
• Review Existing Facilities
• Condition
• Use
• Cost of Operation
• Demographic Changes
• Surrounding Community Development Issues
• Expandability
• Replacement Options

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Strategic Plan Facilities

• PLYMC has one facility for every 13,327 people.
• Chicago 1 building for 37,349 people
• Cincinnati 1 building for 19,867 people
• Toledo 1 building for 25,145 people
• Building branches to serve 30,000 people or more
  has proven practical and effective, e.g.
• Austintown - 36,923
• Boardman - 28,226

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Strategic Plan Facilities

• But 8 libraries in Mahoning County maybe not be
  practical
• Physical barriers such as highways and river
  valleys impact convenient access.
• Access to transportation varies.
• Population is spread over a large geographic
  area.

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• Strategic Plan Facilities Planning
• What is practical?

• Consider some closures
• What criteria should be applied?
• How should the public be approached?
• Consider some mergers
• What criteria should be applied?
• How should the public be approached?
• Consider some replacements and improvements
• Which branches come first?
• How should this be paid for?