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LIBR 204-12_Mansolf_Strategic Plan_Spring 2005
Running Head: STRATEGIC MANAGEMENT PLAN FOR RCS LIBRARY
Strategic Management Plan for Ramona Community School Library
Kristi Mansolf
May 3, 2005
Information Organizations and Management
LIBR 204-12 – Spring 2005 – Costantino
School of Library and Information Science
San Jose State University
Table of Contents
4. Abstract
5. Introduction – History of RCS Library
7. Management Team and Stakeholders
8. Strategic focus
8. Vision
8. Mission statement
9. Values
10. Needs Assessment and Results
13. Organizational resources
13. Key initiatives
13. Moving the library
13. Transition to a permanent part-time librarian
13. Integrating technology into new library
13. Budget
14. Expected revenues
14. Operating budget
14. Capital improvement budget
14. Goals and Objectives
15. Operating goals and objectives
16 Specific goals and objectives
18. Areas of responsibility
18. Priorities and action plans
19. Short term priorities
19. Long term priorities
19. Environmental analysis
21. Critical success factors
22. Evaluating effectiveness of initiatives
22. Identifying issues
22. Identifying potential impacts
22. Measurement and monitoring
22. Identifying key performance indicators
22. Monitoring progress
23. Measuring results
23. Leadership issues
24. Conclusion
25. Public version, announcement
27. References
28. Outline
Abstract
Ramona Community School has the opportunity to build a new library. The current
library has grown since its inception in 1989, but the direction was determined by the
teachers and principal. None of the parties involved had any previous library experience.
Therefore, although there was a library on the campus, it has not been utilized to its full
potential. The principal wants to develop and employ a strategic management plan to
determine the direction of the new library. Through discussions with other principals,
she has realized the library can become a dynamic environment. This paper proposes a
strategic management plan to guide the planning for the new library.
Introduction – History of Ramona Community School Library
Ramona Community School (RCS) has two educational programs and is an
alternative, public school. The Montessori program is available for children in
kindergarten through eighth grade. The Mountain Valley Academy (MVA), home study
program, is available for children in kindergarten through twelfth grade. The school
operates according to a traditional school calendar year. Between the two programs, 350
children attend the school. The school is one of twelve schools in the Ramona Unified
School District (RUSD).
The RCS Library has undergone many changes since it first came into being in
1989. The library started in a one-half size classroom. All of the books were organized in
tall shelves along one wall. The other half of the room was a computer lab. At this time,
computers were not available in the classrooms. Children used the computer lab and the
library during the same scheduled time. An instructional aide planned computer lab
activities for each week, using a fairly limited collection of software, after which, the
children were invited to look through the books and a card catalog for the remainder of
the time. The students could check out one book at each visit.
The library moved to an office in 1993, as a classroom needed to use the space.
All computers went to salvage, and new computers were bought so that each classroom
had five computers. The library did not have space for computers, and the tall shelves
lined the walls. The instructional aide went into a classroom, and four hours per week
were allocated for one of the Montessori instructional aides to work in the library.
Teachers who wanted their students to use the library had to solicit a parent volunteer or
give up their instructional aide for scheduled library time. This created a hardship for the
teachers, and some decided not to use the library. The library was still manual, and one
of the duties of the instructional aide was to train the teachers, parent volunteers and other
instructional aides in library protocol. Other duties included shelving books and
maintaining all records.
The library moved again in 2001 when a new building was added to the school
site. The new room was three times bigger, at 120 square feet. The first year, the
principal bought two computers for the library. The automated Winnebago library
system was purchased with California Public School Library funds, and installed on one
computer, which would be used exclusively for library operations. The other computer
was connected to the internet and was available for student research. New shelves were
purchased so that the books could be spread out on the shelves. The original card catalog
file was discarded and a large, attractive, oak card catalog was awarded to the school
through a grant. Consideration was given to purchasing an automated Winnebago card
catalog program, but due to the high cost, a decision was made to not buy it at that time.
Although the principal purchased the automated library computer program to save time,
the principal realized the need to add more library staffing time in 2002. A MVA
instructional aide began to work four hours per week in the library in addition to the
Montessori instructional aide (library aide). Due to the nature of the program, the MVA
students have different needs, and were allowed to check out as many books as required
to support classroom work.
The library had 5,000 books in 2000. In 2005, the library has 10,000 materials,
most of which are books. The library is scheduled to move into a new building in fall,
2006. Because the library has not had careful consideration in the past when planning
facilities, the teachers and principal want to be sure that this time the job is done right,
and the library will be adequate to serve the needs of the school community into the
future. The principal determined that a three-year strategic management plan would be
developed for the library.
The three high school teachers maintain collections in their rooms and, initially,
did not wish to participate in planning the new library. When the high school began at
the school in 1999, one of the negative issues that was identified was that materials for
high school students were not necessarily appropriate for the younger children to browse.
All teachers and PTA members expressed concern over high school materials being in the
school library. The resolution previously was that high school library materials would be
kept in the high school classrooms. Additionally, as the high school students were the
only ones interested in college preparatory materials, these would also be available only
in the high school classrooms. However, due to the anticipated move to the new library,
the high school teachers wanted to explore the possibility of having a library space of
their own for books and materials, that could also be used as a collaborative working area
for students.
Management Team and Stakeholders
At a weekly meeting of both programs, the principal, teachers, and Montessori
library aide began planning the move to the new facilities. The meeting was also
attended by interested members of the Parent Teacher Association (PTA). The principal
asked everyone present whether or not they would like to help plan the new library. The
objective was to have two teachers from each program and two from the PTA work with
the library aide as the management team. The principal determined that the library aide
would be the project manager. After discussion, the management team members were
identified as follows: there would be two second-grade teachers, one from each program,
a fifth grade Montessori teacher, a ninth grade MVA teacher, and two PTA members.
The entire group present identified potential internal and external stakeholders.
Internal stakeholders
The remaining eight teachers at the school were to be internal stakeholders, as
well as members of the PTA.
External stakeholders
External stakeholders would include a member of the RUSD School Board, the
RUSD Superintendent, the RUSD textbook clerk, a San Diego County Office of
Education (SDCOE) Library Services representative, a Friends of Library representative,
and a Ramona Branch Library representative. The manager would contact each,
individually, to determine interest. As there was a short time frame and much to be done,
the manager would notify all internal stakeholders by email as soon as everyone had
responded.
Strategic focus
The management team met on April 12, 2005, and identified a vision, mission
statement and values for the library.
Vision
To build and maintain a library collection that will stimulate and foster inquiry in
all library users.
Mission statement
To ensure the highest quality of interesting and appropriate materials are available
to students, now and in the future, and to provide a comfortable and welcoming library
environment.
Values
The following six values were identified:
1. Analyze teacher and student needs and strive to meet them.
2. To keep abreast of innovations in the library field. To purchase
appropriate materials when possible to keep the library current
with advances in technology.
3. To make quality the norm in all operations and when planning for the
future.
4. To treat everyone who enters the library with fairness and respect.
5. To communicate effectively with all patrons and stakeholders.
6. To encourage participation of all campus students, parents, teachers, staff,
and stakeholders, in all aspects of library planning and implementation.
Needs Assessment and Results
On April 16, a needs assessment instrument was developed by the management
team. The following survey was administered to teachers at the school, as they are the
ones who determine the opportunity for student usage.
1. Do you regularly schedule library time for your students each year?
o Yes
o No
2. If you answered no, why do you not regularly schedule library time
for your students? Please check all that apply.
o Too many grade levels in the class make it difficult to take
time away from essential lessons.
o No one is available to take the students to the library.
o I do not feel the children will behave well in the library.
o There are enough books available in my classroom for students
to chose from, both for fiction and non-fiction.
3. What services would you like available for your students? Please check
all that apply.
o Informal instruction of library usage.
o Reference assistance.
o Find resources outside of the school library.
o Provide interlibrary loans.
o Provide internet access.
o Provide electronic databases.
4. What services would you like available for yourself? Please check all that
apply.
o Reference assistance.
o Find resources outside of the school library.
o Provide interlibrary loans.
o Provide electronic databases.
o Order materials from SDCOE for classroom support.
5. Would you like the school library to take an active role in supporting the
teaching curriculum?
o Yes
o No
6. Would you like the school librarian to help keep you aware of new
materials and products that become available?
o Yes
o No
7. What technologies would you like to have available in the library? Please
check all that apply.
o Internet access for students.
o Interactive videodiscs.
o Video collection.
8. What would you like to see available in a library program? Please
check all that apply.
o Reading to children materials to support curriculum.
o Reading to children books chosen by the librarian.
o A librarian to take the children to the library.
o Instruction on how to use the card catalog.
o Instruction on how to use the library.
o Working with children to help them learn how to do research.
o Sharing with students of exceptional library materials.
All of the 12 teachers surveyed responded promptly. Seventy-five percent, or nine
teachers,were using their scheduled library time. Of the 25 percent that were not using
the library, two, or about 16.6 percent, did not use the library because they had three
grade levels and couldn’t easily fit the library into their schedules. They also did not
have anyone available to take their students to the library. One teacher, or 8.4 percent,
had no one available to take students to the library.
None of the teachers wanted electronic databases available for their students, but
wanted all other services cited available for their students in the library. All teachers
wanted all services cited available for themselves.
One hundred percent of the teachers wanted the school library to take an active
role in supporting the teaching curriculum.
One hundred percent of the teachers wanted the school librarian to help keep them
aware of new materials and products that become available.
One hundred percent of the teachers wanted all technologies cited available in the
library.
One hundred percent of the teachers wanted all library program components
available in the school library.
Other needs that were identified included physical needs, such as more shelves for
the new library. Currently, when the shelves get too full in the library, books are being
placed into boxes, in anticipation for the move. The desks, cabinets, and card catalog file
are all in good shape and will be moved. The library will be acquiring a new built-in
cabinet to house the four televisions and video cassette recorder (VCR) combinations,
and the three televisions and digital video disc player (DVD) combinations. The
collection had many dated books that were no longer of educational value and had not
been checked out for more than one year. Many books of exceptional educational value
were hidden on the shelves.
Organizational Resources
Organizational resources were evaluated. First, key initiatives were identified by
the manager (McClamroch, Byrd, & Sowell, 2001).
Key Initiatives
Moving the library
Transitioning to a permanent part-time librarian
Integrating technology into new library
Budget
Expected revenues
Funding for the librarian position will come from the district personnel fund. This
position will need to be entered into the budget. As RCS is the only school in the district
without a librarian, the Superintendent of Schools of RUSD has long anticipated this