Northland Public Library Strategic Plan: CONNECTING OUR COMMUNITIES 2016-2020 FINAL

APPENDIX I
Strategic Planning Process
The Strategic Planning Committee included members of the Northland Public Library Policy and Planning
Committee and representatives from the Northland Public Library Foundation. The Strategic Planning
Committee began its work in March 2015 by reviewing the existing Strategic Plan which was developed for
2009-2015. The mission, vision, strategic priorities, values, and objectives were reviewed to determine what has
been accomplished and what should be retained or changed. The Strategic Planning Committee then moved into
conducting an environmental scan of facts and trends likely to have an impact on the library’s function and
operation. These include demographics, social and cultural trends and local issues, the economy and funding
environment, legislation and regulation, competition, best practices and emerging models and technology.
Committee members reviewed and discussed relevant documents including:
Himmel and Wilson Consultant’s Analysis of Facility Needs report (May 10, 2010)
American Library Association publications
Aspen Institute: Rising to the Challenge: Re-envisioning Libraries
Carnegie Library of Pittsburgh Strategic Plan
ACLA Strategic Plan
Library Service in the 21 st Century (ACLA County-City Library Service Panel)
Municipal comprehensive plans
In May 2015, the Strategic Planning Committee identified a list of stakeholder groups and defined a specific
approach to engage each group of stakeholders in the planning process. A portion of staff development day on
May 15, 2015, was used to integrate staff in developing the survey and focus group questions. Following a
general overview of the strategic plan and work on the vision, the staff was grouped within their departments
and discussions were facilitated by the library director, members of the Northland Public Library Authority
Board and members of the Northland Public Library Foundation. The groups discussed challenges which the
library will face and the opportunities for the library, designed to lead to the development of questions for the
designated stakeholder focus groups. The Strategic Planning Committee then integrated the work of the staff
groups and finalized the survey and focus group questions.
Members of the Strategic Planning Committee conducted focus groups during May and June 2015 with the
municipal officials in each of the 5 supporting municipalities. The Strategic Planning Committee felt that it was
important to gain input from both library patrons and residents who do not use the library through use of both a
paper and online survey. Notification of survey availability was accomplished through posting on the Northland
Public Library website, through the supporting municipalities’ established means of communications with
residents, and local publications such as the North Journal. Input was received from the North Allegheny and
North Hills School Districts both of which are within Northland’s service area, through one-on-one meetings
and written input. Strategic Planning Committee members also contacted the librarians in both school districts
and reached out to local organizations including North Hills Community Outreach, UPMC Passavant
Foundation and the Chamber of Commerce, private schools, and home school groups within Northland’s
service area.
Following the collection and collating of the online survey results, the Strategic Planning Committee met to
review and discuss the results and identify major trends. Numerical results were tabulated for the survey
questions and survey comments were organized into broad department/service categories. Over 1100 surveys
were received.
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