Strategic Planning for Results

by Sandra Nelson

"Strategic Planning for Results" is the fully revised version of "Planning for Results", the foundational book in this groundbreaking series."The PLA Results Series" has long served to help public librarians envision, evaluate, and respond to community needs with distinctive programs and services. Building from this proven model, "Strategic Planning for Results" is the fully revised version of "Planning for Results", the foundational book in this groundbreaking series.Sandra Nelson, senior editor of the "Results Series", focuses on the essential steps to draft a results-driven, strategic planning process that libraries can complete over the course of four months, regardless of organizational structure or size. Reflecting on the current planning environment for public libraries, Nelson makes the case for strategic rather than long-term planning and includes a wealth of information about understanding and managing the change process to help staff.It helps readers assess the change-readiness of the library and preparing staff to implement forthcoming changes; simplify data collection and decision-making processes through the use of 14 reproducible workforms; identify service priority options and reach agreement as a group; and, successfully present and communicate within their library. Included in the newly revised and adopted Public Library Service Responses are case studies, workforms, and tool kits. "Strategic Planning for Results" offers librarians a wealth of ideas to effectively meet changing community needs.

Genres: Nonfiction

291 pages, Paperback

First published January 30, 2008

Reviews

[Lesley]

It's a great process, but the book is very hard to get through with a LOT of text and explanation. It would be nicer if it was condensed to the most important information.

[Rachel Sides]

Sandra Nelson is the authority in long range planning for public libraries. I've used her Planning for Results which I followed closely because the concept of long range planning was new to me at the time. I even attended a workshop on the book which is where I probably developed my hatred for power point presentations which are read verbatim. I read the New Planning for Results which contained few changes beyond service responses. I bought Strategic Planning for Results specifically to get the new service responses and discovered a streamlined approach which I streamlined even more because I was under time constraints. What I hadn't anticipated was that the book stopped before the earlier works. When I was looking for the descriptions and worksheets for the action steps, I discovered that there is now a second book to cover that phase of the process. If a librarian just wants to create a long range plan because it is required to meet a funding obligation, then I suppose that Strategic Planning for Results is enough; however if a librarian wants to use the plan to get from here to there, then he or she needs to also read Implementing for Results.

[Evelyn]

all public library managers should read this book

[Jonelle]

Some fun(?) work-related reading...As always, Sandra Nelson is thorough in her discussion of strategic planning, if a little tedious.

[Lisa]

Very useful book for planning a library strategic plan which I have just begun doing. Outlines the entire process and provides workforms to use.