2.+KTPL+Mission,+Goals+&+Objectives

This page is to collect info on mission/strategy including 1) what services are offered 2) to whom 3) by what means

Goals are at the organizational level, not projects/products.

What is the mission statement? [] KTPL has always had some form of simple mission statement and operating plans. In 2002, the library board decided to delve deeper into the strategic planning process and hired a planning consultant specializing in public libraries. The result was an official Strategic Plan for 2003 through 2005 incorporating a concise mission statement, vision, goals and objectives. This plan was formulated through focus meetings including users, staff and the board trustees where SWOT analysis methods where used to build the mission statement as well as consequent goals and objectives. In 2006, a Community Needs Assessment - again using focus group research methods - was performed by an external consultant. With this information at hand, the planning consultants were brought back in 2007 to work with the staff and board to review and refine the mission statement, goals and objectives to give KTPL an operating direction for 2008 through 2011. It was determined the mission and vision were still appropriate, but time to incorporate new goals, or revise some that had not come to fruition in the previous “Strat. Plan”. The 2008-2011 Strategic Plan is still in place and used to prioritize KTPL’s activities. Consequently, this edition of KTPL’s Strategic Plan will be used for this analysis. The current mission is stated as “The King Township Public Library Board is committed to providing an excellent centre of knowledge in a comfortable and welcoming environment” (KTPL, 2007, p. 1). This is followed by the vision statement that “The King Township Public Library seeks to connect residents to each other and their neighborhood, and to worlds of imagination and discovery” (KTPL, 2007, p. 2). The mission and vision were developed upon the recognition that a library is no longer just about books but the many media that information can exist in. It also recognizes that there is competition for users in both the commercial and virtual worlds and that by creating an environment that not only is about searching for material, but somewhere to enjoy doing so may attract and commit users. This welcoming culture and quest for excellence in providing information is also present in the library’s website. Finally, it recognizes the public’s stated need for a place to interact as a member of the community. Again, using the Community Needs Assessment as a guide, the following “goals” were published in the 2008-2011 Strategic Plan: (KTPL, 2007, p. 4). It is to be noted that the term “goals” for these statements is the correct usage: each of these statements describes desired achievements in general. Each goal has been broken into a set of objectives. For example, under the goal about communicating, one can find the objectives (measurable by completion dates) of: Each objective has also been specifically assigned to a manager within the system.
 * 1) Fostering attractive, accessible and functional library spaces throughout the community;
 * 2) Building collections and services to meet your many and diverse information needs;
 * 3) Communicating with you about our services and providing opportunities for learning about what the Library has to offer;
 * 4) Implementing a technology strategy that is responsive to your information needs.
 * 1) Development and distribution of library guide by January 2009
 * 2) Annual report published in 2009 with revised format and content
 * 3) Donation brochure developed and in circulation by January 2010
 * 4) Meeting room brochure developed and in circulation by June 2009
 * 5) Create a survey for parents and young families asking for their input about library services – survey to be conducted each fall starting in September 2008.

When was it last revised? With the assistance of a consultant, the latest revision of the strategic plan for KTPL was initiated in 2006 and completed in 2008. This intention of this plan was to focus activity over the period of 2008 through 2011. This revision was based on the detailed Strategic Plan developed in 2002 for the period of 2003 to 2005. []

What do you recommend after reviewing it? (Does the mission statement answer the questions asked)

Andreason and Kotler (2002) state that "an organization should strive for a mission that is feasible, motivating, and distinctive" (p. 67). In development of the mission and vision statements for KTPL, the Board and senior management team strove for a mission statement that is applicable to whatever evolution of information exchange and mediums occurs in the next decade. The mission statement states simply what the library is about (an excellent centre of knowledge) and how (in a comfortable and welcoming environment). The vision statement reinforces

who the library intends to serve (the residents) and with what services (worlds of imagination and discovery). Again, the vision statement is broad and timeless, enabling the library to continue this vision forward within the evolution of the community and what services may be best suited to deliver knowledge, information and entertainment.

Do the goals and objectives tie to the mission? Each of the four goals set for this strategic plan tie well into the mission of providing knowledge in a comfortable and welcoming environment. Attached to each goal are a number of objectives that have then been assigned to a manager or group of managers to accomplish. Many of the objectives were assigned target completion dates. However, it is notable that a number of the objectives have not been assigned measurable targets. Andreason and Kotler advise that goals "state the broad direction"; objectives "then operationalize that direction, numerically if possible" (p. 68). Koontz (2004) also impresses the need to assign measurable objectives to the goals, for the sake of being able to monitor and evaluate the performance of these objectives as well as to know when to adjust and correct: "marketing evaluation measures whether established objectives have been achieved" (p.8).

An example of the absence of metrics is the objective of "seize opportunities to increase public hours of operations" under the goal of. "Fostering attractive, accessible and functional library spaces throughout the community." (KTPL, 2007, p. 5). This objective does not set an target for how many hours, in which branch, or a percentage of time. For example, the measurement could be stated as "increase hours of operations at Schomberg to match those of the King City branch". It can be seen clearly how a SWOT analysis, as well environmental scanning could assist in developing measurable objectives. By performing these analysis in the formative stages of the strategic plan, the organization is in a better position to state firm targets to monitor and evaluate performance against the objective. Koontz, C. (2004) How to assess your marketing effectiveness. Marketing Library Services, vol. 18, Medford, NJ: Information Today Inc (May/June 2004)

Do these change on a consisten and timely basis based on changing and identified factors in the internal and external environments? As priorities for the library change based on internal and external pressures, so to do the goals and objectives, albeit informly. For example, the allocation of funds to commence the construction of an elevator at the King City branch precluded most other activity, as the strain of continuing operations during a major renovation that included the main entrance absorbed a disportionate amount of the library's resources.

Suggest at least 2 organizational goals, with 2-3 objectives for each of these goals - ultimately, you will want to identify if these are evaluated. - complete a marketing audit to determine the strengths and weaknesses that the organization brings to the the marketplace (p. 87 A&K) - environmental scanning

__**Resources**__
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