Strategic Planning, Partnerships & Professional Developoment

Abstract

A strategic plan can act as a guide for determing priorities and supporting effective implementation of a library's overall goals. With the day-to-day work of librarianship, however, it can become difficult to be reflective practitioners and craft a meaningful strategic plan. Once written, the challenge also becomes maintaining it as a living document that all library staff embody and not something that simply gets filed away without being fully implemented. In fall 2018, the Priddy Library at The Universities at Shady Grove began the process of creating its first strategic plan. This presentation will share the approaches and experiences of Priddy Library staff in this endeavor. It will demonstrate how the planning process not only provides a means to incorporate systematic assessment and financial needs of the library, but also serves as a way to strengthen partnerships, develop staff skills and increase awareness about the value of the library.