At FOPL’s Annual Business Meeting at OLA Super Conference in January we announced that the board had been working on a strategic plan review. At the FOPL Chair’s direction, we spent the November board meeting working with a professional facilitator to brainstorm and set direction(s) for FOPL’s activities to support and enhance public libraries in Ontario and deliver member benefits.
At the AGM we committed to post our minutes of this meeting and and seek member comments and advice. This is that posting!
You can comment in several ways:
- You can use the comments feature on this post.
- You can e-mail the FOPL executive director at sabram@fopl.ca
- You can e-mail the FOPL Chair, Margie Singleton at margie.singleton@vaughan.ca
- You can call Stephen Abram at 416-395-0746
We’d appreciate any ideas, comments and advice you can offer. FOPL Strategy Workshop Nov 27 2015 (1) (MS Word, 12 pages)
Synopsis of Strategic Directions:
There are more details and thinking in the attached document but here’s the draft direction(s) that we landed on.
The group concluded that the following strategic directions should guide FOPL over the next 5 years:
- Advocate to all of the Provincial Government, AMO and others – “driving the car” on government policy
– Position libraries as playing a leading role in helping systems adapt to 21st century changes – collective impact
– Position libraries as community hubs – serving government policy
- Equip local libraries to do consistent effective messaging to users and local municipalities
– Be an effective articulator of “the promise”
– Consensus-builder – the common ground
– Core common agenda
– Partnerships
– Mobilize the library community
– Provide research as an enabler
– Develop tools
– Make it easy to access – website
- Identify new and emerging issues – maintain a “watching brief”
- Represent every library system in Ontario
– FOPL consulted and recognized as a conduit to public libraries
– Use caucuses more fully
– “Adopt a library” to build membership
– Make it easy
– Show ROI
- Partner with other provincial organizations and national organizations on national issues – e.g. First Nations
- FOPL should not – other than in partnership…
– Intervene directly in local issues
– Intervene directly in national issues
Priority Strategic Objectives
At the end of the workshop each individual was given 3 stickies and asked to answer the question:
Given our current state and our potential long term vision, what 3 strategic objectives should guide our collective work over the next 5 years?
The priority strategic objectives are summarized below.
| Priority Strategic Objectives (Draft) |
| · Be a strong voice/influence through government relations/advocacy
· Equip local libraries with tools, information and training · Coordinate effective marketing and communications strategies · Build relationships with key partners/stakeholders · Develop plans for sustainability and succession · Grow and sustain the membership |
Next Steps
A draft report will be prepared for the membership for comment and discussion.
The committee structure should be reviewed to address the strategic priorities.
Help FOPL evolve:
- You can use the comments feature on this post.
- You can e-mail the FOPL executive director at sabram@fopl.ca
- You can e-mail the FOPL Chair, Margie Singleton at margie.singleton@vaughan.ca
- You can call Stephen Abram at 416-395-0746
We’d appreciate any ideas, comments and advice you can offer. FOPL Strategy Workshop Nov 27 2015 (1) (MS Word, 12 pages)