Planning for Technology-Based Library Services



Elizabeth Breedlove writes at http://www2.njstatelib.org/njlib/technology/techowpl.htm about developing a technology plan. Does your library have one? Breedlove writes: "Developing a technology plan allows a library to specify what technology-based library services it would like to provide and to relate these services to its overall service program. A plan provides a clear statement of both short and long term objectives. It assists a library in determining what your library should do, what your library shouldn't do and how your library should allocate its resources. Many libraries try to do too many things and end up doing many things inadequately instead of doing a few things well."

Yes! Are you doing too many things?

I got to thinking about this because yesterday I assisted Julie Hill, our head of AV services, write an evaluation of adding circulatiing MP3 players to the collection. In a perfect world of endless money and endless staff time it would work, as would any new service, but we must look at the big picture. I jumped on Google and found this document, hosted in New Jersey.

I gotta quote this too because it rocks my world: (I'm commenting in black)

The following factors are critical to effective library technology planning:

Involvement of library staff in the planning process: No planning effort will succeed without the full support and commitment of all library staff and management. Include library staff in the planning process. The level of involvement will differ with some being part of the decision making team while others may be included only in informational meetings.

Yes, pull in the staff! Focus groups work well... we are doing one next week for our Intranet redesign.

Direct involvement of other parties in the planning process: The development of a technology plan should be undertaken not by library staff alone but with the active participation by the library's trustees and involvement of other parties such as the local schools, the municipal/county technology department and the library consortium.

Emphasis must be on service-based technology goals and initiatives: Technology is not an end in itself but a means to an end. Technology must be viewed as a vehicle to offer more efficient and effective delivery of current services and to add new services to help carry out the mission of the library.

I kid you not. Technology is a vehicle. Technology provides tools for us to better serve or users...to make better Web sites... to locate info... to train staff..... Technology for the sake or technology accomplishes little. I'm all about the coolness factor. I'm all about a gee whiz once in awhile. I love new stuff. But I'm not all about slowing down a library's Web site with "Flash this" and "Plug In that" so the site crashes 70% of computers that visit it! Who are we serving? Our users. Is it the most effective means of serving them?

Staff development and training: Without a firm commitment to initial and continued staff training and development the benefits of technology will not be fully realized.

Here here. If you've read this blog or seen me speak, you know I'm all about this. Nuff said.

Identification of funding and development of a budget: Any technology plan must address the need for funds to implement the plan. Funds must be budgeted annually to maintain existing technology, to update or replace obsolete technology on a regularly scheduled basis and to provide necessary staff support.


Check out the link above to see the rest of Breedlove's thoughts...

Posted: Thu - October 9, 2003 at 10:18 AM      

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