View Project

G2S Project Code: 2015-NC-74802
State: North Carolina
Fiscal Year: 2015
Grantee
FONTANA REGIONAL LIBRARY

Project Director
Director Name: Karen Wallace
Director Phone: 828-524-3600
Director Email: kwallace@fontanalib.org
General Information
Title: EZ Planning - Long-Range Plan
State Project Code: NC-15-36
Start Date: 07/01/2015
End Date: 09/30/2016
Abstract: Fontana Regional Library developed a Long Range Plan for the period from 7/1/2016 to 6/30/2021. Library staff worked with a consultant, using techniques learned from other successful library planning initiatives. We turned our focus outward to determine the aspirations and needs of the communities we serve. This highly inclusive process included meeting with representatives from other community organizations to provide input from a broader spectrum of the population. We engaged with staff, library boards, and users of the library to ascertain their priorities. We surveyed people in the community who don’t currently use the public library. Our Long Range Plan aligns library services with the needs and priorities we identified. 
State Goal: 2. Continuing Education
Budget Information
LSTA
MATCH-State
MATCH-Other
Total
$22,849.94
$0.00
$0.00
$22,849.94
Intent(s)
Improve users’ ability to participate in their community.
Community Concerns
Library Infrastructure & Capacity
Activities
Activity Details
Title: Long-Range Planning
Narrative:

We identified lessons learned from our prior planning process and met with regional leadership to capture these ideas as “advice” to ourselves for moving forward. We hosted meetings for staff and the Board, and asked them to “turn outward” and answer the question “What are your aspirations for your community over a five-year time horizon?” We surveyed our patrons and the public to determine the needs and aspirations of individuals who do and don’t currently use the library. To pull it all together, we consolidated our feedback into “focus areas” then met with community leaders and organizations to determine how we could most effectively contribute to their efforts. We built goals and objectives from what we learned. We reported out to staff and Boards, finalized the plan, and presented it to the regional Board for approval. 


Intent: Improve users’ ability to participate in their community.

Activity: Planning & Evaluation
Mode: Prospective
Format: Third party


Quantity
Number of evaluations and/or plans funded: 1
Number of funded evaluation and/or plans completed: 1


Partner Information
Organization Type of Partner Organization(s):
Libraries: No
Historical Societies or Organizations: No
Museums: No
Archives: No
Cultural Heritage Organization Multi-type: No
Preschools: No
Schools: No
Adult Education: No
Human Service Organizations: No
Other: No


Legal Type of Partner Organization(s):
Federal Government: No
State Government: No
Local Government (excluding school districts): No
School District: No
Non-Profit: No
Private Sector: No
Tribe/Native Hawaiian Organization: No


Beneficiaries
Is the activity directed at the library workforce: No
For a targeted group or for the general population: General


Locale
Is the activity state-wide: No
Specific Locations: No
Library Types
Public Libraries: 1
Academic Libraries: 0
SLAA: 0
Consortia: 0
Special Libraries: 0
School Libraries: 0
Other: 0
Project Outcomes
Project Outcomes
List any important outcomes or findings not previously reported:
We used the theme of turning outward to generate thinking about what our communities need. We contacted community organizations to broaden our view of how to support them, which in turn educated them about the breadth of the services the library offers. We aligned our library activities with our plan goals and objectives. We created strategies for our plan and devised ways for individual libraries to select among them, allowing for relevant and meaningful participation at the local level.
Please briefly describe the importance of these outcomes and findings for future program planning:
The importance of our theme was to broaden the perspective about the library’s role in our community. We want to be strong community partners and to be thought of as such when our communities have needs or problems to solve. The importance of engaging our staff and Boards was to create more ownership of our collective success. The importance of allowing local libraries in our system to customize strategies for themselves was to promote engagement and enthusiasm for the plan.
Explain one or two of the most significant lessons learned for others wanting to adopt any facets of this project:
We are responsible for making our communities aware of what we offer. An effective pathway to accomplishing that is to be informed of our communities’ needs, to offer assistance and to support the organizations that are driving the efforts to provide for the well-being of its members. Devising creative ways to make our plan’s goals, objectives, and strategies meaningful at the local level serves to acknowledge and appreciate the uniqueness of each local library, its staff and community.
Do you anticipate continuing this project after the current reporting period ends:
Yes
Do you anticipate any change in level of effort in managing this project:
Yes
Explain:
Implementation of our Long Range Plan over the next 5 years.
Do you anticipate changing the types of activities and objectives addressed by the project:
No
Explain:

Was an evaluation conducted for this project:
No
Was a final written evaluation report produced:
No
Can the final written evaluation report be shared publicly on the IMLS website:
No
Was the evaluation conducted by project staff (either SLAA or local library) or by a third-party evaluator:
Third-Party
What data collection tools were used for any report outcomes and outputs:
Did you collect any media for the data:
What types of methods were used to analyze collected data:
Other:
How were participants (or items) selected:
What type of research design did you use to compare the value for any reported output or outcome:
Exemplary: No
Exemplary Narrative
Project Tags: long range plan, strategic planning