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Policy 3.1
Planning Policy
Adopted Date: February 2013
Reviewed Date: July 2023
Review Date: July 2027
Purpose of the Policy
The West Lincoln Public Library Board shall maintain an effective planning process for the library in order to fulfill its mandate under the Public Libraries Act, RSO 1990, chapter P.44, Section 20(a):“A board shall seek to provide, in co-operation with other boards, a comprehensive and efficient public library service that reflects the community’s unique needs.”
This planning process will help ensure that:
- The library needs of the community are met;
- the library is able to respond to changing needs and trends in the community;
- community input is solicited during the planning process;
- key decision makers in the community make a long term commitment to library services;
- continuity of services is maintained regardless of personnel changes in the Board or staff;
- library funds are responsibly expended in a deliberate and accountable manner;
- services available elsewhere in the community are not unnecessarily duplicated; and
- the library does a strategic plan every four years, aligned with terms of the Board/Council.
Process of Strategic Planning
To this end, the Board shall regularly review and assess:
- client needs in the community served by the Board;
- suggestions to be documented and acted upon in a timely manner;
- the services of the library in light of assessed client needs;
- the Board’s mission statement, goals and objectives;
- current Board strategic planning documents.
Each Board, in the second year of its four year term, shall create a new “Four Year Strategic Plan” to guide the policies, operations, services and programs of the Library.
To this end, the Board shall analyze all available data, including community surveys, suggestion boxes in each branch, verbal suggestions from patrons, staff observations etc.
The Strategic Plan will be formally documented at least every four years.