WebJunction - Technology Planning

"When I think about technology planning, I feel as if I am planning to write a science fiction novel, which I will be responsible to make come true." - Susan Milo, Rockbridge Regional Library, Lexington Virginia.

This month's WebJunction focus on technology planning includes a variety of new content that we hope will help to make library technology planning feel a little less otherworldly. Among the exciting new things we have for you this month is an inspirational look at a library in Oklahoma that used creativity and teamwork to tackle the challenge of technology planning, and some words of wisdom from WebJunction's resident sage for those of you struggling with the strange world of E-rate funding. In addition, we've extracted portions of the Technology Planning for Public Libraries session at this year's Internet Librarian conference for those of you who were unable to attend.

In order to guide you along on this strange new journey, the rest of this article will help you to answer some key questions about library technology planning:

Why Plan?
What's The Big Picture?
Where Do I Begin?

Why Plan?
One of the biggest obstacles to effective library technology planning is often the lack of "buy in" from directors, administrators, and other stakeholders at the management level and above. Because technology planning involves a considerable amount of work, some important players in your library may ask "Why bother?" If you're not convinced that technology planning is necessary for your library, or if you need some "talking points" to convince others of the value of planning, take a look at WebJunction's Why Create a Library Technology Plan? article. TechSoup has a similar article written for a broader non-profit audience that may also help you to answer the "why" of technology planning.

A Mission-Driven Technology Plan
Before diving into the planning process, it's important to understand that a library technology plan should not exist in a vacuum. It is critical that your library technology plan be derived from your larger patron service mission:

''In order to be truly effective, technology planning needs to take its place as part of an overall strategic plan toward a vision for the community. Technology needs to take its place as a means to an end rather than an end in itself.'' - Suzanne Reymer, Statewide Technology Librarian, Montana State Library.

If your library does not already have a written mission statement, creating one is the best place to start, even before you begin the technology planning process itself. If you need help creating a mission statement for your library, take a look at WebJunction's Sample Policies from Connecticut Public Libraries article for a couple of example library mission statements that you can use for inspiration.

What's The Big Picture?
As you create or review your library's technology plan, it can be helpful to keep the forest in view as you plant the individual trees (a technology plan seems to require a lot of trees!). Some excellent overviews of the library technology planning process have been prepared by the South Carolina State Library and the New Mexico State Library.

Where Do I Begin?
Once you've answered the "why" of technology planning, and reviewed your library's mission statement, the next logical question is how to get started on a technology plan. As our holiday gift to you, WebJunction's Technology Planning Team has assembled a collection of resources that should help you answer that question. The rest of this article will help you to navigate to the items that are most relevant to your own situation. If you're looking for a quick overview (aka "the short version"), take a look at our Practical Steps for Creating a Library Technology Plan article. If you need more detailed information on planning, read on...

The Nitty Gritty Details
If you're struggling to figure out what needs to be included in your library technology plan, the good news is that the five primary components of a comprehensive technology plan have been fairly well standardized. The same five components are also required of any technology plan that will be included in an application for funding from the federal government's Universal Service (E-rate) Program. If your library will be applying for E-rate funding, make sure to review the Universal Service Administrative Company (USAC) Technology Planning page.

Following this well-recognized five part model of library technology planning, WebJunction has assembled resources in each of the key areas listed below. Follow the links to the individual articles for detailed information on what we've found for you. And good luck with your technology planning process!