The Journey of a Thousand Miles. . . begins with one step.

I am in Frisco, Texas this week, at the Association for Small and Rural Libraries Conference. Why is this important? Well, perhaps it is not. But if you are someone who is considering whether or you should listen to my advice and invest some time and grey matter into a plan for your library, it may weight in your decision if you know that what I write here and what I present when I talk about planning is all geared for the small, rural, sometimes isolated libraries that populate our country.  Did you know there are more public libraries than McD's in the US? 
Trivia aside, this practical, close to the vest type of planning resonates with folks.  It simply makes sense to think about where you want to go, consider how you are going to get there, and plan what you need to make the trip happen.  It works for taking a vacation, or building a house, figuring out what you need to do to retire.  Why would you not plan the future of an institution that provides vital services to many of the residents of your community? 
I encourage you, no, I challenge you, in fact I double dog dare you to spend time over the next few days thinking about where your library should be in 3 years.  Don't allow the current economic depression to limit you.  Go beyond the physical, think in global terms (at least the globe that is your community). what vital role does your future library play?  What services or resources does the community count on that you can provide?  Mull it over, dream about it, let it simmer on the back burner for a day or two.  Then do me a favor - and write it down.  Once you do - you have taken your first step toward a strategic plan for your library.  Congratulations.

The Bigger they are . . .

My great apologies for the large gap in my writing.  I could offer many excuses, but instead, please accept this new post, which is the basis for much of my philosophy for championing the need for every library to have their own strategic plan.

Strategic plans are often thought of as belonging to the large, urban, departmentalized libraries of the city. You may be saying "My library is me, my one part time assistant and 5 volunteers.  I have 4 board members, one of whom is my father-in-law.  My customers pay their fines in fresh eggs and loaves of bread.  Why would my library need a strategic plan? " I say, you need one the most.

A strategic plan allows you to put down on paper what you and your board may feel you know in your hearts - the answer to this question - "What does this community need its library to be, to do and to have?" 

And if you think if a strategic plan as something big, and overwhelming and needing a committee of 273 to write and inact, think again. The basics of a plan are a list of the priorities of that library, and the steps for how you are going to serve your community through those priorities.

But here is the kicker for small libraries - a plan will allow you to make those hard choices when money is tight (like now) and when you have to consolidate services, and choose what you will and will not do.  It will also keep you focused on the Best Ideas for your library, when all around us are really good ideas. 

No library, large or small, can do everything.  The smaller your library budget, the more difficult your choices, the more necessary your plan.  Being small does not excuse you from having a plan; conversly, it requires you to plan even more throughly than your larger library counterparts. 

It's all how you say it

One of my favorite speaking teams in the library world are George and Joan.  For those of you who have not heard them, George Needem and Joan Frye Williams are beyond forward thinking. If new thinking is "outside the box" these two are outside the box on the next planet. They have disciplined themselves to analyze each part of the library world and consider if it is ready for the future?  Does it welcome the public, does it really serve the library's mission?  They mix in humor and I, for one, am never disappointed with their message. 

As an example, one of their recent blog posts shows how to take even a simple thing and make it positive.  How many of us have put up signs asking folks to not eat in a certain area of the building? No Food please, please do not have food at the computer, etc. . . here is their recommendation. 
http://www.georgeandjoan.com/blog/?p=247

Characteristics of a Successful Entrepreneur - Part 6

6. Remember it's all about the customer.


Your home business is not about the products or services that you sell. Your home business is not about the prices that you charge for your goods and services. Your home business is not about your competition and how to beat them. Your business is all about your customers, or clients, period. After all, your customers are the people that will ultimately decide if your business goes boom or bust. Everything you do in business must be customer focused, including your policies, warranties, payment options, operating hours, presentations, advertising and promotional campaigns and website. In addition, you must know who your customers are inside out and upside down.

*taken from 25 Common Characteristics of Successful Entrepreneurs on entrepreneur.com http://www.entrepreneur.com/homebasedbiz/article200730.html

The Library is a customer service industry.  That is more than a sentence or a statement, it is a philosophy and an approach to operating your library that will influence nearly every aspect of your organization.  Let me say (write) it again.  The Library IS a customer service industry.  Agree or disagree, but ignore the wishes, desires, needs and wants of your customers at risk to you and your library. 

Today's library is not about books on the shelves or movies on display.  Today's library is not even about how many ebooks you can afford to buy.  It is about your customers.  Your library policies, rules, collection, staff training, building layout, hours of operation, furniture selections, shelf height, everything is about the people who walk through your front door. 

Every policy or rule you make that creates a "barrier to service" (now there's an old term), that makes life harder for your customers will discourage them from coming back.  And once they reach the tipping point, and choose to leave, you may have lost them for good.  Not good for any business, and possibly suicidal for libraries.

So remember that every decision you make regarding the operation of your library needs to be made in light of what is best, easiest and most convenient for your customer.    You are here for them, not the other way around. 

MIA

I apologize for being MIA for so long.  Truth is that I have been writing, quite a bit, as a matter of fact, just not in the blog.  I will share my writing project with you, after a fashion, once it is completed.  For now, enjoy the quiet.  I will lots to share here in a few weeks.

Words that Work

It's always heartwarming to attend a workshop or seminar and have something you believe right or have even shared be validated and expanded on.  I recently attended a workshop by presenter Valerie Gross, the CEO of the Howard County Library in Maryland.  Her workshop title was Transforming our Image: no explanation needed.  It was all about using words whose intrinsic value and message convey exactly what we want conveyed.  The words we use matter.  I would highly recommend attending her workshop if you get the opportunity. 
The words we use can work for us or make use work harder.  I have said in the past that you have to "Speak the Language". The two messages combine for a powerful one-two punch. 
Speak the Language - and "Use the best words to say what you want to say" or "use the right words to convey the right message."   Working to do that alone will keep us busy for some time to come. 

Characteristics of a Successful Entrepreneur - Part 5

5. Ask for the sale.

A home business entrepreneur must always remember that marketing, advertising, or promotional activities are completely worthless, regardless of how clever, expensive, or perfectly targeted they are, unless one simple thing is accomplished--ask for the sale. This is not to say that being a great salesperson, advertising copywriting whiz or a public relations specialist isn't a tremendous asset to your business. However, all of these skills will be for naught if you do not actively ask people to buy what you are selling.

*taken from 25 Common Characteristics of Successful Entrepreneurs on entrepreneur.com http://www.entrepreneur.com/homebasedbiz/article200730.html

But we're a library,we don't sell anything! 
Oh, really?  Are you sure about that? Let's take a second look.

Certainly, as a public library we are not in the business of selling products to our customers and taking money for them, but we do sell, and  they are not the only people we should "sell" to? 

To our customers we are selling an idea, the concept that a library is a resource to use and share and promote.  We are asking them to buy this thought and pay for it  with their support, their voice to advocate for us.  (and a nice donation now and again also helps)

And for our non-customers, we need to ask them for the sale them too.  They need to buy the same concept - that the community is a better place with a strong, thriving library.  That like a good school or community center, a good library adds to the quality of life for all in the community.  We are asking them to pay for this sale with their voice and their consent, to allow public funds to continue to flow or start to flow to the library.
 
We sell to our local and state officials.  We want them to "buy" that they need to support the library and to pay for their sale with the offical treasury, with their presence at events, with their voice, speaking well of the library and it's contributions to the community. 

So while we are not in the "retail sales business", there are a number of folks we need to ask for the sale.  Have you asked today?