Metro Strategic Plan 2009

Metropolitan New York Library Council (METRO)

STRATEGIC PLAN 2009-2014

2 TABLE OF CONTENTS Page 3

Introduction Mission, Vision and Core Values

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Strategic Goals

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I.

Be a Recognized Leader in the Library and Knowledge-Management World Undertake continuous environmental scanning Establish METRO as a hub for dialogue and collaboration on critical issues Strengthen strategic planning among our members

II.

Provide Our Members with Outstanding and Innovative Services Develop the highest quality services and support for our members Provide outstanding professional development resources for librarians and others with knowledge-management responsibilities Strengthen our advocacy on behalf of libraries and the library profession as a whole

III. Expand and Enrich Our Membership Diversify our membership Improve the systematic assessment of member needs IV. Strengthen Our Organizational and Management Capabilities Strengthen our executive and program team Enhance our governance Maximize the use of technology to achieve our goals V.

Ensure Our Long-Term Financial Health Diversify and supplement our funding streams Strengthen our case for the continuation of substantial operating support by New York State Design and implement a long-term financial plan

Measures of Success

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Conclusion

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Appendices I. METRO’s Programs and Services II. METRO’s Strategic Planning Process III. Overview of the Changing Library World

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3 INTRODUCTION For more than 40 years, the Metropolitan New York Library Council (METRO) has served as a unique resource to libraries in the five boroughs of New York City and Westchester County. Chartered in 1964 by the New York Board of Regents to “promote and facilitate utilization of existing resources and to develop additional library services in the New York metropolitan area,” METRO has played a valuable role in strengthening the regional library network, providing a forum for its member libraries to share resources and best practices, promoting professional development and advocating for government funding for libraries and library systems. Today, METRO is the largest of New York State’s nine reference and research library resource systems (3Rs) and the state’s oldest continuously operating library council. Based in Manhattan, METRO is located in the heart of the country’s most vibrant and diverse center of arts and culture, media, education and civic life. METRO serves a diverse network of more than 250 members and brings together public and school library systems as well as academic, hospital and special libraries. Our member organizations collectively represent more than 1,200 individual libraries, some of which are among the nation’s largest and most prestigious. METRO provides a broad range of programs and services to its members, including professional development programs, resource-sharing services and grants, as summarized in Appendix I. This Strategic Plan was developed through a broadly consultative and inclusive process with a goal of defining METRO’s identity and vision consistent with the needs of its members; the demands of a rapidly changing library/information world; and the beliefs of the METRO Board of Trustees, staff and members about what course the organization should take. Appendix II describes the planning process and provides important insights on METRO’s strengths and challenges in advancing the Strategic Plan. The context for METRO’s strategic planning process is discussed in Appendix III, which summarizes some of the complex and dramatic changes currently underway in the library and knowledge-management world. The final draft of the 2009–2014 Strategic Plan was adopted in principle by METRO’s Board of Trustees upon the unanimous recommendation of the METRO Strategic Planning Committee at the Board of Trustees meeting on December 2, 2008. The development of this strategic plan was supported, in part, by a generous grant from the Andrew W. Mellon Foundation.

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4 MISSION, VISION AND CORE VALUES Mission METRO advances library and knowledge-management services in New York City, Westchester County and beyond through active collaboration, resource and knowledge sharing, strategic planning and thinking, professional development and advocacy among our members and other organizations with similar interests. In this manner, we improve the public’s access to and understanding of timely, highquality information and strengthen the role of libraries as important partners for solving individual problems, making sense of complex issues in the larger world and accessing cultural and recreational resources. Vision METRO will serve as a dynamic resource to assist our members in meeting the increasingly complex information needs of their constituencies and society at large. To fulfill this role effectively, we will: •

Strengthen our ability and that of our members to anticipate and collaboratively meet the challenges of the contemporary library and the larger knowledgemanagement world.

•

Be future-oriented and wide-ranging in our orientation by looking beyond the library world to identify emerging trends, tools and public policies that affect the library and knowledge-management arena.

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Attract a highly diverse and collegial membership that includes libraries as well as new organizations and individuals who provide and shape information.

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Advance the standing of libraries and other providers of knowledge management in the eyes of the general public.

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Provide outstanding professional development, strategic planning and other services to our members to encourage their continuous learning.

Core Values Everything we do is based on the following core values: •

Service to Members – METRO’s members are our raison d’être. Our members’ needs and interests will always be the core focus of our mission.

•

Service to the Metropolitan Region and the Larger Society – By serving our members well, we also address the increasingly complex information needs of our region and society, improving the ability of individuals and groups to access, share, understand and disseminate high-quality information.

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5 •

Excellence – We will provide our members with services of the highest quality and will pursue only those initiatives in which we are able to meet this standard.

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Collaboration – We believe that problem-solving is enhanced by eliciting diverse points of view and through actions undertaken by many parties working together toward a common goal.

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Innovation – We serve as a catalyst for innovation by leveraging the creative thinking of our members and by building bridges among our members and other organizations.

•

Accountability – We evaluate our level of success or failure based upon our members’ judgments of how well we return value for their fees and dues.

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6 STRATEGIC GOALS To move assertively towards achieving our vision over the next five years, we will: I.

Be a Recognized Leader in the Library and Knowledge-Management World

II.

Provide Our Members with Outstanding and Innovative Services

III. Expand and Enrich Our Membership IV. Strengthen Our Organizational and Management Capabilities V.

Ensure Our Long-Term Financial Health

The following sections describe each of these goals. For each goal, we outline the strategies METRO will follow and illustrate these strategies with potential implementation ideas and initiatives. As the Strategic Plan evolves through a rigorous implementation plan, METRO will draw inspiration from these and other ideas that may emerge through continuing dialogue with our members and other stakeholders. GOAL I: Be a Recognized Leader in the Library and Knowledge-Management World To identify and help our members respond to current and future library and knowledgemanagement opportunities and challenges, we will: Undertake continuous environmental scanning •

Establish the internal capacity to identify emerging trends, technologies, services and policies with the potential to affect the library/information world, and then share this information with members in a variety of forums.

•

Create a database of best practices, policy and research reports from leading organizations, leaders in the library/information field and other sources of useful models so that METRO members can benefit from this information.

Establish METRO as a hub for dialogue and collaboration on critical issues •

Establish institutional and individual collaborations by linking the deep knowledge bases of some members (in particular, public libraries, hospitals and academic libraries) with the widely distributed “information portal” role that libraries play in society.

•

Reach out to cutting-edge, trans-disciplinary technology programs and researchers to establish collaborations that bring researchers’ talents to bear on problems in the library and knowledge-management worlds and keep METRO members abreast of newly emerging technologies.

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7 •

Promote and expand METRO’s Special Interest Groups (SIGs) and ensure that their work is well documented and available to all METRO members. Identify promising ideas arising from the SIGs and support the application of these ideas within the library and information world.

•

Expand METRO’s Issues Forums and convene roundtables of METRO and the leadership of other associations that serve the research, records and information needs of business, government, not-for-profit organizations and the general public. Publish the proceedings of these Issues Forums and roundtables in a variety of formats.

•

Commission and publish research on topics of importance to the library and information-management world and share significant research undertaken by other organizations with our members.

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Encourage volunteerism among individual and institutional members, urging them to devote some of their (and their staffs’) time to working with METRO or other members on projects that will benefit all members.

•

Encourage member collaborations on funding proposals and solicit funding for grants that require multiple participants.

Strengthen strategic planning among our members •

Facilitate an open network of planning efforts by METRO members by creating a protected Web site where members can post their strategic plans, planning proposals and works-in-progress; access those of other members; pose questions; and interactively and collectively discuss important strategic issues.

•

Develop planning guides and tools and make these materials available to METRO members and nonmembers at differentiated price points, run workshops and provide a baseline level of assistance in strategic planning, paying particular attention to the differing needs of various types of member libraries, including academic libraries, medical/health libraries, archives and specialized libraries.

•

Develop METRO’s capability to provide its members with direct assistance in strategic planning (or outsource this function while ensuring quality control and project coordination), ranging from diagnostic analyses to full-scale efforts. Syndicate the results of such projects (with permission of the member organization being served) to other METRO members.

GOAL II: Provide Our Members with Outstanding and Innovative Services Serving as the go-to provider of library and knowledge-management services, METRO will be a valuable source of tools and information that will save its members time and money. To formulate creative responses to the new and emerging strategic challenges they face, libraries and knowledge-management organizations require access to cutting-

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8 edge tools of high quality. To meet this growing need, METRO will build on its reputation as a provider of first-rate, practical services in the following ways: Develop the highest quality services and support for our members •

•

•

1

Based on systematic member needs assessments, identify services that are highly valued by members and that METRO can offer in an effective, cost efficient manner that leverages economies of scale. Characteristics of services that would be appropriate for METRO to provide include those that: 

Would be too time consuming and/or costly for members to pursue on their own.



Are not core or “mission-critical” activities for members, but would add value to their services or meet currently unmet needs.



Are sufficiently valuable that members might pay a fee to METRO (above and beyond membership dues) to receive them.

Expand existing METRO services, such as: 

Vendor discounts including vetting of vendors to ensure service quality and a good value for our members.



Professional development, training and classes – including linking members with such needs to other members who offer training and classes internally and have room for additional enrollment.

Create new services that meet the abovementioned criteria, such as: 

A “peer consulting service” (including a database listing member expertise and skills) that matches a given member’s needs for problem-solving support with specific areas of expertise or capability within METRO’s broader membership.



Career development that provides guidance and mentorship to individual METRO members on shaping their future careers – a level of service that goes beyond the online job- and resume-posting services already offered through the METRO Job Magnet.



Assisting member institutions that experience difficulties in attracting interns from library schools with identifying and placing appropriate students in their internship programs.1

In addition to charging its members a small fee for this service, METRO might also charge fees to participating library schools, which would benefit from providing their students with access to a wider selection of library internships than they are likely to identify on their own.

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9 •

Collect and analyze feedback from METRO members about their experiences with various services (e.g., most reliable vendors, most suitable professional development classes, most successful internships) and disseminate this information to the broader membership.

Provide outstanding professional development resources for librarians and others with knowledge-management responsibilities •

Establish an ongoing process for identifying the professional development needs of members, including new and emerging areas of interest.

•

Expand leadership development programs and provide support for succession planning to help build the next generation of library leaders.

•

Identify heavy users of professional development offerings, and design coursework packages using formats and timeframes that are most convenient for such users.

•

Expand the types of formats and forums in which professional development is offered to members, including increased Web 2.0 and other distributed-learning formats, and programs offered on-site at our members’ facilities.

•

Partner with other e-learning providers around the country to offer METRO members a greater array of professional development courses and materials.

•

Work with library and information science schools to strengthen the connection between research and practices in the field; identify and bridge the gaps between library-school training and skills required in the field; and collaboratively pursue professional development grants.

Strengthen our advocacy on behalf of libraries and the library profession as a whole •

Secure funding to conduct a study on the economic and social impact of METRO’s member libraries on their individual communities and the region as a whole, and then work with our members to disseminate the study’s findings to government leaders, philanthropic organizations and the general public.

•

Work with METRO members and outside experts in marketing and public relations to develop key messages about the value of libraries and librarianship in 21st century America that will form the basis of a public awareness campaign; ensure that this campaign is broad enough to convey the diversity of library types and the breadth of their contributions.

•

Work with members to identify the mechanisms they use to communicate with their patrons (such as e-newsletters, school posters, university library orientations for new students, etc.). Consider how these communications tools might be used

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10 to promote the value of libraries and librarianship in terms that will resonate with patrons. •

Continue METRO’s energetic collaboration with other library associations and related organizations on advocacy efforts and leverage these relationships to cultivate ongoing partnerships with the New York State Legislature and other government supporters at the state and federal levels.

GOAL III: Expand and Enrich Our Membership To enhance the depth of member collaboration and increase interdisciplinary interaction between METRO members and other innovative knowledge-management organizations and individuals outside the library world, we will: Diversify our membership •

Develop a new-member recruitment effort focused on individuals and groups from outside of the library world as conventionally conceived, including, for example, individuals and businesses involved in technology development, communications/media, information technology, advertising, marketing, and other fields.

•

Expand efforts, through myMETRO, to promote the value of individual METRO membership to librarians, library support staff, archivists, information professionals, students and others as a means to connect to an extensive network of peers and colleagues.

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Increase the direct involvement of library executive leaders in METRO activities and initiatives by polling them to identify topics of greatest interest and through events such as small roundtables for selected leaders or “limited audience” conversations with high-profile thinkers in the knowledge-management world.

•

Seek more members from under-represented types of libraries and knowledgemanagement providers and from among their staff, including non-librarians.

Improve the systematic assessment of member needs •

Strengthen METRO’s capacity for systematic data collection on the usage of METRO’s programs and services by member type, size and function. Continue the current practice of gathering data on program satisfaction and effectiveness.

•

Continue and enhance the periodic assessment of members’ interests and priorities regarding METRO services through an annual survey, Professional Advisory Council discussions and the formal and informal feedback mechanisms in each service area that are already in place at METRO.

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11 •

Coordinate focused conversations with the other 3Rs, leading state and national library consortia, the New York State Library and national library membership organizations about emerging member needs and innovative service solutions.

GOAL IV: Strengthen Our Organizational and Management Capabilities While we have made remarkable progress over the past several years in building our Board of Trustees and developing a strong financial foundation, we do not yet have the management and governance infrastructure required to move forward in realizing the vision articulated in this Strategic Plan. To address these issues, we will: Strengthen our executive and program team •

Create a senior management team that ensures coordination and collaboration across all program and administrative areas and provides adequate staff and administrative support for senior managers.

•

Increase the visibility of our executive leadership in the information-management and library communities regionally (and beyond) by actively pursuing opportunities to publicize METRO’s positions on key issues.

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Build internal staff capacity in such areas as media and communications, digitization, emerging technologies, development and financial modeling.

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Develop succession planning for all senior and middle management positions, including crafting individualized career development plans for staff members who are most ready to take on additional responsibilities.

Enhance our governance •

Strengthen METRO’s Board of Trustees by selectively adding new members with expertise in the evolving world of libraries and knowledge management as well as various areas of organizational stewardship (e.g., financial, legal, technology, public relations and planning).

•

Over time, elect new Board members who can provide substantial assistance in private fundraising through their personal means or connections to individual donors and philanthropies.

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Increase METRO’s visibility by pursuing opportunities for the leaders of our Board of Trustees to speak with the media, participate in meetings with public officials and act as ambassadors for METRO with corporations, foundations and other organizations.

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Structure Board meetings to include substantive discussions of important trends and issues in society and the library and knowledge-management field.

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12 •

Create a Board Advisory Group on New Ventures to explore and take advantage of entrepreneurial ideas and emerging opportunities.

Maximize the use of technology to achieve our goals •

Implement a system for consistently capturing service-user data and managing member relationships; a data-gathering mechanism is critical for communicating our value to decision-makers and for carrying out effective program evaluation and program planning.

•

Review METRO’s technology needs in terms of member communication, staff training, administration and public relations/marketing.

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Continue to explore ways to streamline the delivery of current services via technology (for example, enhancing digital delivery services, new formats for professional development courses, etc.).

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Support members in exploring and implementing new and emerging information technologies that can strengthen library services.

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Use Web 2.0 tools and other technology-based strategies to provide (and model) new forms of member collaboration, input and dialogue.

GOAL V: Ensure Our Long-Term Financial Health We are significantly advantaged by the strong financial support of New York State. However, likely cuts in future State budgets emphasize the need to fundamentally alter our approach to fundraising. We must diversify our revenue streams and achieve a state of long-term financial strength. We seek to address these issues by taking the following actions: Diversify and supplement our funding streams •

Assess the revenue-generating potential of each of METRO’s current service and “product” lines to identify opportunities to generate greater fees for service or increase membership dues by making METRO’s value proposition more explicit to our members.

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Develop new revenue-generating programs (e.g., expanded professional development, consulting services, etc.) that build on METRO’s core strengths.

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Substantially increase private funding from corporate entities and not-for-profit organizations that enjoy relatively high levels of access to capital by:

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Developing strong, long-term relationships with foundations to learn about their funding interests and increase their understanding of the role of library associations generally and of METRO in particular.



Leveraging our position in the library and knowledge-management world to more aggressively pursue corporate sponsorship opportunities.

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Explore additional funding opportunities at the federal level.

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Build an in-house fundraising capacity to work closely with METRO’s Board and executive leadership in raising new operating funds.

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Develop a Board culture that emphasizes the Board’s leadership role in securing METRO’s long-term financial health, including the articulation of clearly defined fundraising-related expectations for new members elected to the Board.

Strengthen our case for the continuation of substantial operating support by New York State •

Ensure that New York State continues to recognize our position as a vital resource for its libraries and, by extension, the public, through an active program of communications, outreach and advocacy.

•

Explore other opportunities among New York State agencies for support of special initiatives that will strengthen the capacities and service delivery of our members.

Design and implement a long-term financial plan •

Develop a long-range financial plan by setting fiscal targets and identifying projects to ensure a state of financial stability characterized by sufficient and dependable resources to support a strong organizational infrastructure, program innovation and experimentation, and service expansion.

•

Explore the financial implications of a range of scenarios that take account of such possibilities as a merger with a compatible/complementary organization, strategic alliance or a for-profit subsidiary.

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14 MEASURES OF SUCCESS A sound strategic plan must provide for accountability. The METRO Strategic Plan will be subject to regular monitoring of its progress and evaluation of the results and outcomes of its implementation. •

METRO staff will develop annual implementation plans that set specific goals, identify responsible parties and delineate outcomes.

•

The Strategic Planning Committee will oversee the implementation of the Strategic Plan and receive from staff, on behalf of the full Board, an overall summary of progress in implementing the Strategic Plan at least semi-annually, as well as regular updates on evolving trends and issues of importance in the library and knowledgemanagement fields.

No single performance measure can fully capture METRO’s level of achievement in executing the strategic objectives presented in this Strategic Plan. We will therefore develop a series of measures to routinely assess our performance, using such indicators as: •

The quality of METRO’s service delivery, as evidenced by ratings on self-assessment measures, measurable outcomes for service recipients, participant satisfaction and funder acknowledgement;

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Growth in METRO’s membership, with particular attention to attracting and retaining private sector firms with significant knowledge-management needs;

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METRO’s visibility and reputation as a leader in recognizing and addressing emerging library needs and as a potent force on behalf of increasing public awareness of the importance of libraries and knowledge-management professionals;

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Increased collaboration with other organizations that result in improved services for our members, as well as new partnerships that strengthen outcomes for librarians, knowledge-management professionals and the general public in our service area and beyond; and

•

Increases in METRO’s level of private discretionary funding; capacity for investment in innovation, pilot projects and infrastructure improvement at METRO; and progress on other key steps to achieving METRO’s long-term financial health.

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15 CONCLUSION Building upon our longstanding history of achievement, METRO will become a leader for libraries, librarians and knowledge-management professionals within our service area and beyond. We will help these stakeholders to anticipate emerging trends and issues; serve the public by making library resources widely available; help society understand the importance of librarianship and knowledge management during a time of information overload; and support New York State in its efforts to serve the public effectively. Through the careful and thoughtful execution of the goals and objectives outlined in this Strategic Plan, we will advance steadily toward the realization of our vision in the decade to come.

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Appendix I METRO’S PROGRAMS AND SERVICES METRO provides a broad range of programs and services to its members, including: • Professional Development: This includes traditional classroom training, online tutorials and webinars in areas essential to the success of our members, including technology, collection and archive maintenance, library management, information science and staff development. Attended by over 1,500 participants annually, courses are led by experienced library science professionals from across the country. •

Special Interest Groups (SIGs): METRO’s SIGs provide opportunities for leadership, networking, information exchange and professional development within the New York library community, including shared-learning programs (involving discussion groups and speaker programs) on a wide array of library topics, an annual Library Assistants’ Day (a development opportunity for library support staff) and other initiatives.

•

Digitization: This area of service includes Digital METRO New York (a Web site of digitized collections that reflect the cultural heritage of New York City and Westchester County); symposia on various aspects of digitization of library collections; digitization vendor showcases; and surveys to assess the progress of digitization projects and plans in the METRO region.

•

Expanded Access Services: This service element includes an interlibrary loan/delivery system, referral card system and consortium purchasing program, which enable our members to share resources more effectively and buy a wide range of electronic resources and databases at significant discounts. Through this service, METRO members can also gain access to NOVEL, a collection of databases purchased by the New York State Library and made available to libraries in New York State.

•

Documentary Heritage Program (DHP): This program supports archival documentation projects for under-documented groups, including training courses for archivists and librarians on archival technology.

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Hospital Library Services Program (HLSP): This program supports the work of 65 hospital and medical center libraries through subscriptions to STAT!Ref, an electronic medical library containing the text of 35 core medical reference books; collection development and technology grants; and the Medical Information Service Program, which subsidizes medical-related library loans.

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17 •

Grants: METRO provides its members with financial assistance for digitization, collection development and special projects, including the Documentary Heritage Program, Retrospective Conversion Regional Bibliographic Database, and Coordinated Collection Development Aid for Academic Libraries, among others.

•

Individual Memberships (“myMETRO”): METRO’s individual membership program connects librarians, archivists, information professionals, students and retirees to an array of networking opportunities, learning resources and other benefits.

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Information Resources: METRO produces a variety of information resources, including its recently updated website (www.metro.org), the METRO Membership Directory, METRO_L (member listserv), @METRO (e-newsletter), special publications, research bibliographies, event archives, digitization reports and the like, which offer important tools for networking, resource sharing and communications to and among our members.

•

Career Services and Human Resource Support: Includes the METRO Job Magnet, which offers services for both employers and job seekers.

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Networking Events and Opportunities: Includes METRO’s annual meeting, Membership Directory, issues forums and Special Interest Groups.

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Advocacy: METRO works closely with government leaders at the New York State and at the federal level to advocate for appropriate levels of funding for libraries and library systems.

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Appendix II

METRO’s STRATEGIC PLANNING PROCESS Initiated in the fall of 2007, METRO’s strategic planning process was guided by a Strategic Planning Committee chaired by Heike Kordish (then-President of the METRO Board), and composed of six additional Board members and two staff members. Members of this committee are listed in the Exhibit I. The Strategic Planning Committee met eight times during the second half of 2007 and throughout 2008 to review findings, discuss analyses of various issues, define key strategic issues and oversee the preparation of multiple drafts of the Strategic Plan. In 2008, the Board of Trustees reviewed the progress made on the Strategic Plan during two of its regular board meetings. In addition, the METRO Professional Planning Group, comprised of METRO members and library/information professionals, worked closely with the Strategic Planning Committee and met three times to provide input on the findings, hypotheses and ideas generated regarding METRO’s strategic goals. Along with the Strategic Planning Committee and Professional Planning Group meetings, a series of supplementary meetings for Board members and staff were held to provide additional opportunities for these stakeholders to share their expertise and provide recommendations on key subject areas related to the strategic planning process. The Strategic Planning Committee also undertook an extensive telephone survey of METRO’s members to solicit their views about current and prospective services, METRO’s role and related topics. A final draft of the Strategic Plan was reviewed and approved in principle by the METRO Board of Trustees upon the unanimous recommendation of the METRO Strategic Planning Committee at its meeting of December 2, 2008. The Committee was assisted in its work by Anthony Knerr & Associates (AKA), strategic advisors to leading nonprofit organizations in the United States and in Europe. •

AKA conducted 42 confidential interviews, facilitated two focus groups with METRO members and a meeting of the Professional Advisory Council, reviewed and analyzed extensive written and electronic materials about METRO (including financial analysis and analysis of the lines of business), similar organizations and the field as a whole. Exhibit II lists the individuals interviewed, focus groups participants and Professional Advisory Council members.

•

AKA prepared various documents for review and discussion by the Strategic Planning Committee and the Board and developed multiple drafts of the Strategic Plan.

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19

•

AKA also coordinated the extensive work (and provided analysis and implications of the survey results) of the public opinion research firm, Kane, Parsons & Associates, which conducted the METRO Member Survey (152 respondents) in the summer of 2008.

METRO has engaged in the strategic planning process from a position of considerable strength. •

We enjoy a strong reputation among our members for the quality of our services and activities (particularly with respect to grants, delivery services and professional development), setting a standard for professionalism in New York State and nationwide.

•

The breadth of our membership gives METRO considerable strength and prestige. We can legitimately describe ourselves as highly representative of a wide crosssection of the library world, and we benefit from the prominent reputations of our many high-profile members.

•

We have recently undertaken several innovative initiatives to meet our members’ evolving needs. For example, we have helped our members tackle digitization projects through grants and courses, and have launched a successful individual membership program (“myMETRO”) that connects librarians, archivists, information professionals, students and retirees to an array of unique networking opportunities, dynamic learning resources and other benefits.

•

Our leadership generally gets high marks from informed observers. We have recently changed the composition of our Board of Trustees from entirely professional librarians to a group representing more diverse occupations and expertise.

•

We are on a strong financial footing. Our budget is consistently balanced; we enjoy a healthy investment return; and we have accumulated sufficient working capital to help meet any financial shortfalls that may arise in the future.

At the same time, we face multiple challenges: •

Our identity is not clear to the larger library and information-management world. We lack visibility outside the library world, which may hinder our ability to attract new types of members and funders.

•

Though respected and valued by members, we have not clearly “branded” ourselves in the eyes of the most senior library leaders. As a result, some of the decisionmakers within our member organizations feel disconnected from METRO and are unaware of our value and benefits.

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20 •

Our members continue to face major questions regarding how best to adapt to the impact of technology and changing user interests and needs. These challenges raise fundamental questions about our members’ missions, purposes, viability and funding. METRO is now at a juncture where it is critically important for us to maintain our strong tradition of providing outstanding services to our members while also stepping up to the plate to provide the robust leadership our constituency requires.

•

The diversity of METRO’s membership poses challenges in terms of communicating the value of METRO’s services to different membership segments. That we do not yet have a consistent mechanism for gathering data on the usage patterns of our programs and services compounds this challenge.

•

While METRO has reached capacity in certain membership categories (academic libraries, public libraries, school libraries and hospital and medical libraries), we have few members outside of the traditional library world, especially in the for-profit sector. Expanding membership in this area is critical to cultivating the kind of intellectual capital we will need to be an influential leader and a dynamic hub of information and resources in the library and knowledge-management world.

•

Our revenue streams are not sufficiently diverse. We receive about 80% of our operating budget from New York State, with earned revenue (membership dues and program fees) and private funding covering only a small portion of the cost of delivering services. New York State’s worsening budget situation presents significant challenges to our public funding; in any case, the structure of METRO’s current resource base represents an area of vulnerability. As part of our overall diversification efforts, we are reexamining our pricing structure (including dues, program fees, member services, etc.) to capitalize on appropriate opportunities to generate additional revenue.

•

While we have been able to run a lean operation providing quality services to our members, taking METRO to the next level and positioning us as a leader and innovator in the library and information-management world will require significant capacity enhancements (including sophisticated leadership, expertise in information technology, assessment and evaluation capacity, communications and PR capacity, senior management capacity) and a more entrepreneurial mindset.

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21 Exhibit I METRO Strategic Planning Committee Board Heike Kordish, President; Chair, Strategic Planning Committee Neil Robert Grabois Hal F. Higginbotham, Treasurer Milan Hughston Norman J. Jacknis, Vice President Jeffery Olson, Secretary Patricia C. Skarulis Staff Dottie Hiebing, Executive Director Robert Schmidt, Special Projects Manager METRO Professional Planning Group David Badertscher, Principal Law Librarian, New York State Supreme Court, Criminal Law Library Ellen H. Belcher, Assistant Professor/Special Collections Librarian, John Jay College of Criminal Justice, CUNY Carrie Bickner-Zeldman, Director of Education Outreach, The Research Libraries, The New York Public Library Karen Brewer, Director & Curator, New York University School of Medicine, Frederick L. Ehrman Medical Library Jan Combopiano, Vice President & Chief Knowledge Officer, Catalyst Phyllis DiBianco, Library Media Specialist, Scarsdale High School Library Pamela Gillespie, Assistant Dean and Chief Librarian, The City College of New York William W. Jones, ILS Librarian, New York University Library Terry Kirchner, Director, Access Services, Columbia University Joseph M. Komljenovich, Archivist, Federal Reserve Bank of New York Deirdre Lawrence, Principal Librarian, Brooklyn Museum Libraries & Archives Teresa L. McManus, Chief Librarian, Bronx Community College, CUNY Diane Neary, Head Librarian, The Nightingale-Bamford School Kathryn Shaughnessy, Assistant Professor, Instructional Services Librarian, St. John’s University Library Carol L. Sheffer, Deputy Director of Planning & Development, Queens Borough Public Library Sarah Warner, Cofounder & Vice President of Staffing & Business Development, Wontawk

METROPOLITAN NEW YORK LIBRARY COUNCIL

22 METRO Professional Advisory Council JoAnne Sparks, Chair; Director of Library Services, Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center Jan Combopiano, Director, Information Center, Catalyst Constantia Constantinou, Library Director, SUNY Maritime College Julie Cunningham, Chief Librarian, Mina Rees Librarian, Graduate Center, CUNY Patricia Cutright, Director of Libraries, Pratt Institute Diana Delgado, Information Services Librarian, Weill Cornell Medical Library Phyllis DiBianco, Library Media Specialist, Scarsdale High School Library Edward M. Falcone, Deputy Director, Yonkers Public Library Stephen Francoeur, Assistant Professor/Information Services Librarian, Baruch College Luis J. Gonzalez, Deputy Chief Librarian, Hunter College Libraries Mary Graham, Interim Deputy Director for Public Service, Brooklyn Public Library Mel Isaacson, Associate University Librarian for New York City, Pace University Terry Kirchner, Director, Access Services, Columbia University Libraries Rita Maier, Library Director, New York Hospital Medical Center of Queens Robert McBrien, Associate Director for Collections and Services, The New York Public Library John P. Monahan, Director, Putnam/Northern Westchester BOCES School Library System Steven Pisani, Head, Cataloging & Interlibrary Loan Services, Westchester Library System Lorna Rudder-Kilkenny, Director of Central Library, Queens Library Linda Seckelson, Head, Reader’s Services, The Metropolitan Museum of Art Ronald Sexton, Librarian/Online Researcher, Carnegie Corporation of New York Kimberly Burke Sweetman, Head, Access Services, New York University Libraries Stephanie Walker, Associate Librarian for Information Services, Brooklyn College Library

METROPOLITAN NEW YORK LIBRARY COUNCIL

23 Exhibit II Individuals Interviewed and Focus Group Participants Interviews (42) Board Members (5) Patricia L. Francy Hal F. Higginbotham, Treasurer Norman J. Jacknis, Vice President (by phone) Heike Kordish, President; Chair, Strategic Planning Committee Jeffrey Olson, Secretary Staff (2) Dottie Hiebing, Executive Director Robert Schmidt, Special Projects Manager Others (35) Liz Bishoff, President, The Bishoff Group Linda Braun, President, LEO: Librarians & Educators Online Karen Brewer, Director & Curator, New York University Medical Center Patrick Callahan, Library Director, SUNY at Purchase Nancy Carmichael, Vice President, Washburn Partners, Inc. Scott Corwin, Vice President, Booz Allen Hamilton Michael Crandall, Chair, Masters of Science in Information Management Program, University of Washington Linda Crowe, Executive Director, Golden Gateway Library Network (CALIFA) Denise Davis, Researcher, American Library Association Keith Fiels, Executive Director, American Library Association Joshua Greenberg, Director of Digital Strategy and Scholarship, The New York Public Library Leigh Gusts, Director of Library & Research Services, Council on Foreign Relations Barbra Higginbotham, Chief Librarian; Executive Director of Academic Information Technologies, Brooklyn College, CUNY Alexander Howe, Principal, Shepley Bulfinch Richardson & Abbott Curtis Kendrick, University Librarian, The City University of New York, CUNY Jason Kramer, Executive Director, New York State Higher Education Initiative (NYSHEI) Frederick Lane, Professor of Public Administration, Baruch College, CUNY Sarah Long, Executive Director, North Suburban Library System Clifford A. Lynch, Executive Director, Coalition for Networked Information Myron Menewitch, Former East Regional Research Manager, Ernst & Young; Former Manager of Information Services, Pepsi-Cola Kathleen M. Miller, Executive Director, Rochester Regional Library Council James Neal, Vice President for Information Services & University Librarian, Columbia University

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24 George M. Needham, Vice President, Member Services, Online Computer Library Center (OCLC) Kate Nevins, Executive Director, Solinet Martin Nisenholtz, Senior Vice President, Digital Operations, The New York Times Company David Penniman, Executive Director, NYLINK Carol Sheffer, Deputy Director, Planning & Development, Queens Borough Public Library Kenneth Soehner, President, Art Libraries Society of North America; Watson Library Director, Metropolitan Museum of Art Marcia L. Sprules, Deputy Director, Library and Research Services, Council on Foreign Relations Sheila Sterling, East Coast Research and Information Resources Manager, Orrick, Herrington & Sutcliffe LLP Barbara Taranto, Director, Digital Library Program, The New York Public Library Roy Tennant, Senior Program Manager, RLG Programs, Online Computer Library Center (OCLC) Michael Washburn, President, Washburn Partners, Inc. Janet Welch, Assistant Commissioner, New York State Library Peter Wosh, Director, Archives and Public History Program, New York University Focus Group Participants (22) Lou Acierno, Metropolitan College of New York Marie Ascher, New York Medical College Eva Babalis, Plaza College David Badertscher, New York State Supreme Court Law Library Francine Costello, Southern Westchester BOCES School Library System Carol A. Feltes, The Rockefeller University Kaura Gale, Beth Israel Medical Center Michael W. Handis, CUNY Graduate Center Jean Hines, Pratt Institute Robert Kayton, ASA Institute Terry Kirchner, Columbia University Alan Krissof, Mount Sinai School of Medicine Judy Lee, Emisphere Technologies, Inc. Ellen Mehling, Queens Public Library Marilyn K. Morgan, Mount Sinai School of Medicine Ana Noriega, Laboratory Institute of Merchandising Fenjei Ouyang, MLS Student Sandra Sajoras, Brooklyn Public Library Mary Saramak, Sound Shore Medical Center of Westchester Helen Tannenbaum, The HealthCare Chaplaincy Gregory M. Wilkening, Columbia University Libraries, MLS Student Chen Xu, MLS PhD Student

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25

Appendix III

OVERVIEW OF THE CHANGING LIBRARY WORLD METRO has engaged in this strategic planning process during a time of profound change in the library and knowledge-management world. As technology alters the ways in which information is created, retrieved, managed and shared, a major metamorphosis is underway in terms of the roles that libraries play, the manner in which libraries are perceived by various sectors of our society, and the ways in which information management functions and is viewed. These extraordinary changes bring great uncertainty for libraries and library organizations, including METRO. Several issues appear to dominate the library world’s agenda at this point in time: •

Although the library continues to play an important role in connecting patrons with quality content, the library is being increasingly disintermediated from this process. The perception of the value libraries provide to patrons – library “brand” – is decreasing, leaving libraries with the challenge to offer new value-added and technologically sophisticated services to meet the new needs of its users.

•

Libraries now face competition from commercial (usually Internet-based) institutions. Of course, librarianship has not disappeared; it is now needed in institutions that are not libraries in the traditional sense of the term, which provides METRO with an opportunity to attract new members and customers.

•

There is significant pressure for libraries to become more businesslike in their operations, communicate their value and ROI to their stakeholders, become much more customer-oriented through regular analysis of user needs and align their internal structures with this user-centric mentality.

•

The role of the librarian is changing. As a result, the professional development interests and needs of current librarians are likely to grow significantly, not only in the areas of information technology and digitization, but also in the fields of executive and management skills; marketing, communications and outreach capabilities; planning; and financial analysis.

•

It is likely that different types of libraries will evolve in different ways. Public and community libraries may become quite robust, with a multitude of services aimed at meeting the needs of their communities. Research and academic libraries may become smaller with respect to physical holdings and staff, while assuming a more vital role in defining and supporting research agendas.

•

Questions of digitization, preservation and storage of physical and digital materials, facilities and the use of space, as well as questions of funding will remain relevant and benefit from collective solutions. Moreover, a growing METROPOLITAN NEW YORK LIBRARY COUNCIL

26 proportion of most libraries’ holdings is now electronic, creating a set of additional challenges. It is neither possible nor appropriate to predict a certain set of future roles based on the current activities of libraries, librarians, information specialists and knowledgemanagement professionals. Understanding the professional trends, societal issues and technological advances on the horizon is critical in order for METRO to remain relevant and stake out a leadership position. We must be forward thinking and innovative, providing our members with useful guidance as they re-invent themselves, reframe their identities and communicate the value of their work to constituents, supporters and the general public. Out of the different efforts of many institutions will surely come a more informed understanding of the challenges and possibilities the future is likely to bring. METRO has a remarkable opportunity to serve as a centralized resource in the development of this approach by managing complex interactions on a systemic level, bringing the right players to the table, providing a set of tools and strategies for collaboration, setting standards and protocols for interaction among the key players in the informationmanagement world and facilitating the creation of services that enrich and advance libraries and library systems. In the years to come, it seems abundantly clear that libraries of all types will increasingly reside in the digital arena. Although libraries will share this common environment, there is likely to be an increasing divergence in the roles, functions, areas of focus and degrees of vigor among different library types as a result of ongoing technological advances. •

2

Public libraries/public library systems and community libraries will remain important gateways for large numbers of immigrants and lower-income individuals and families, particularly in New York City and Westchester County. 

For a large proportion of the metropolitan area’s population,2 public libraries offer the only point of access to the digital world, placing such libraries in an extremely important position, given the ever-increasing level of usage and demand for such services.



Public libraries meet a broad spectrum of needs among people of different age groups and demographic backgrounds – providing job-search services for individuals seeking employment opportunities; helping children learn to read and navigate the Internet; serving as safe havens for teenagers; providing social and community gathering places for seniors; and providing English as a Second Language classes and Internet training to immigrant communities.

One-fifth of New York City’s population currently lives at or below the Federal poverty level and the city’s population is expected to increase by more than a million in the coming decade. Recent immigrants and/or lower income individuals will represent a sizable proportion of this growing population.

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27 

•

•

3

Public libraries are perhaps even more vital now than when Andrew Carnegie established them in New York City over a century ago. Their physical presence is highly important; however, many are not particularly well located, and resource constraints often prevent them from being open when they would be most heavily utilized – especially in the evenings and on weekends.

University and college academic/research libraries are faced with rapidly increasing demand for electronic access to library resources. 

Even as these libraries confront a difficult transition from a physical presence to a more electronic one, some users will continue to want access to their unique holdings (some of which may never be digitized), raising important questions about storage of, and access to, collections.



As a result, university and college libraries may need to: (a) improve their methods of data storage, preservation and retrieval; (b) determine how to define and support research agendas for a new generation of researchers (younger, more tech savvy, more demanding of convenience and highly sophisticated services, etc.); and (c) find ways to more proactively reach out to their communities and demonstrate their value in an increasingly Web-driven society.



Because they cater to undergraduate, graduate and professional students with diverse interests and needs, campus libraries are increasingly becoming important gathering places for collaborative study, group project work and socializing.



These libraries are functioning in a transitional manner, serving as the bridge between the “traditional library” containing physical collections and the “virtual library” containing digital collections. They almost always now include a “Learning Commons” of open space that can be easily reconfigured for different uses and they almost always provide (at minimum) easy access to the Internet, email, etc.



There is a growing instructional component to the modern undergraduate library – teaching students how to use the collections and available multimedia equipment and teaching faculty how to use educational technologies and incorporate library materials in developing curricula.3

Funding for school libraries is increasingly uncertain, though the need for them is growing as sources of information proliferate and more complex skills are required to navigate among these sources.

For example, following construction of the new library at Brooklyn College, the role of library staff has expanded to include training faculty in the use of the library’s new equipment and resources.

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28

•

•

•

4



There is an urgent need to educate younger children on how to apply technology to a wide variety of library-related questions (e.g., access, evaluation of quality of information, data sharing, proper use of physical materials, etc.). This is the contemporary version of the orientations on how to use the library that earlier generations of school children received.



Although the importance of this kind of training is irrefutable, it is questionable that, given limited resources, the NYC Department of Education will be able to provide this instruction.



School library resources are more vulnerable to financial cuts than teaching resources. As school library services are reduced, municipal and state leaders may call more on academic and public libraries to partner with schools in providing library services.

Corporate libraries, including those within professional service firms, are largely disappearing in their traditional form. 

Many corporate libraries are being replaced by electronic information sources. Information specialists assist with complex searches and more specialized needs.



Many corporations now outsource their archives and records management.4



Most professional service firms now expect their staff to be tech savvy. In general, younger lawyers work on their own directly from electronic sources to find, analyze and interpret the information they need. Although an older generation of lawyers still depends upon the traditional law firm library, it is likely that even these libraries will disappear over the next decade or so.

There are serious questions about the extent to which health and medical libraries will continue to exist in their traditional form. 

Some smaller health science libraries are disappearing due to the widespread availability of digital information from other sources.



Hospital libraries are facing an increased emphasis on providing on-demand, “just in time” information. For example, in an effort to deliver services to users in a more convenient and proactive manner, some medical libraries are now delivering information to doctors on their PDAs.

Specialized and smaller nonprofit libraries face a highly uncertain future.

Similarly, ancestry.com has digitized and thereby eliminated the need for census archives.

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29 

Those that are better funded, have well-defined user populations, provide excellent service and (in some cases) have special collections are likely to be survive the current sea change unscathed.



Some of these libraries, however, may not survive if they: (1) lack the resources to keep pace with the ever-advancing technology; (2) are unable to provide relevant services to their users; and/or (3) lack the distinguishing characteristics (such as special collections, archival capabilities, etc.) to ensure that their services and resources are valued, utilized and supported.

Several other trends and issues are likely to have a significant impact on METRO and its members, regardless of library type. Digitization • While the rush to digitize will undoubtedly continue for some time and increasing amounts of new material will be produced in digital form, it is unlikely that everything will ultimately be digitized. In any case, digitized material is likely to be spread across multiple databases that do not “speak” to each other easily. Facilities and the Use of Space • The importance of physical materials for libraries other than corporate, professional services firms and, conceivably, medical and health libraries is not likely to diminish over the next 10 to 15 years. However, many of these libraries will increase the amount of space dedicated to “public uses” and opt more and more for off-site storage rather than providing additional shelf space for growing acquisitions. •

Many libraries are paring down their collections to create more space for collaborative work, computer terminals, multimedia work stations, and exhibitions and activities designed to attract visitors.

Access •

Even as the digital divide decreases and access to digital technology becomes more widespread, significant gaps will remain between those who possess the skills to navigate cyberspace and evaluate the quality of the information obtained there and those who lack these important skills. Public and community libraries have an important role to play in serving the less privileged side of the digital divide not only by providing access to technology, but by providing training and services in Web navigation, search skills, and the evaluation of a given site’s accuracy and trustworthiness

•

Libraries will no longer be “the portal to everything” or the primary “go-to source for information,” as the traditional library and librarian role of information “retriever” is replaced in response to demand for alternate approaches to accessing information, resources and knowledge. Such approaches range from

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30 the traditional (helping people find the things they are looking for) to the new (providing an understanding of the many approaches by which users can find the things they are looking for). •

Moreover, users will increasingly determine for themselves how, when and why to make use of library resources and capabilities. As this occurs, libraries will need to make a major cultural adjustment in how they relate to users.

The Archival Function • Growing digitization will make the archival function an increasingly significant role of many libraries (and, possibly, many kinds of libraries). This in turn may create a larger and more diverse “community” of archives, many of which are gaining in importance as the historical records of corporate and other organizations are turned over to them. Metrics and Evaluation • Many libraries have not established clear metrics with which to measure their usage and evaluate their effectiveness in meeting the traditional and evolving needs of their users. As their resources become more constrained, libraries will find it increasingly important to figure out who they serve (and why) and to determine what services to provide. Identifying meaningful metrics and understanding how to use them will be critical to this task. Funding • The level of individual and institutional philanthropic support for libraries is likely to remain stable, if not increase, over the next decade, particularly for those institutions that are clear about their missions, have robust objectives and are skilled at marketing and development. Libraries that make the case for their strategic and programmatic importance are likely to benefit significantly from private support. In all likelihood, these will be the larger, wealthier libraries with strong programs and the smaller, highly focused ones with specific niches. Role of the Librarian • In light of the many challenges described above, the role of the librarian is bound to change radically over the next decade or two. •

As a result, the professional development interests and needs of current librarians are likely to grow significantly. This will occur partly in the areas of information technology and digitization (a trend already quite evident) and more interestingly, with respect to executive and management skills; marketing, communications and outreach capabilities; and planning and financial analysis capacities. Furthermore, it is highly likely that librarians with multiple language skills will be in greater demand as more materials in multiple languages are published, readily available and of interest to users.

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31 •

The changing role of librarians will continue to have a significant impact on library schools, as can be seen in several emerging trends: 

Individuals with other (i.e., non-library-school) professional skills, interests and training are assuming positions in libraries and related organizations.



Some of the best graduates of library/information schools are now hired by for-profit companies, which can offer more cutting-edge job opportunities and higher salaries than most libraries are able to.



Increasingly, traditional libraries do not offer the most interesting positions for the best graduates of library/information schools. As libraries grapple with what skills and positions they require to meet the information needs of 21st century users, they will find it increasingly important to find ways to attract and retain the “best and the brightest” graduates to their institutions.



Some libraries are hiring young MLS graduates and expecting them to bring change to their libraries. However, without extensive experience in the library world, adequate leadership training, authority and/or understanding of the institution, these recent graduates are unlikely to bring about the desired changes by their mere presence. This dynamic can result in a level of job dissatisfaction and frustration that results in their departure from the field, depriving our sector of talent that, if properly trained and developed, could contribute to the library world in positive ways.



These factors, along with the anticipated retirement of a great many library directors and leaders over the next five years, make succession planning an issue of paramount importance to libraries seeking to survive and thrive in a rapidly changing environment. In this context, leadership development programs such as those currently offered by METRO, are perhaps more valuable and vital than ever before.

METROPOLITAN NEW YORK LIBRARY COUNCIL