Category Archives: meetings

Library Advisory Committee Meetings

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I had the pleasure of meeting with the Senate Committee on the Library (April 2) and the University Librarian’s Student Advisory Committee (April 17) to present the Library’s Strategic Planning Process and review the plans represented in the What’s Next? posting in detail.

Both groups were enthusiastic about the Strategic Planning work and the way that the University Library is aligning its plan with the campus strategic plan. The University Librarian’s Student Advisory Committee also provided specific suggestions for how to engage students in the process.

I will meet again with both groups in the fall in order to provide an update on the process as well as gather their feedback on the draft Framework for Strategic Action that we will have prepared by then.

Lisa Hinchliffe, Coordinator for Strategic Planning

Strategic Planning Steering Team Retreat Preparations (1/7/15)

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The Strategic Planning Steering Team met on January 7 to finalize preparations for the Library Retreat. In addition to reviewing the agenda and logistics for the retreat, members of the Steering Team gave feedback on the penultimate draft of the discussion prompts for the retreat. We reviewed the organizational characteristics card sorting activity and finalized the form for gathering ideas for future topics. We also discussed the retreat evaluation/feedback form and the kinds of information that would be helpful to gather in preparation for strategic planning activities in the spring semester. With under 48 hours to go until the retreat, the meeting was filled with anticipation!

Conversation with the Associate University Librarians (12/22/14)

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On Monday, December 22, I met with the Associate University Librarians to discuss strategic planning and, in particular, the topics for the Library Retreat. We discussed the advantages and disadvantages of using provocative statements, scenarios, and other types of discussion starters. Among the topics brainstormed were library space/facilities, user behavior and changes therein, workforce changes, the evolving scholarly record, partnerships, and liaison models. Our exploratory discussions were thought-provoking and served as a basis for drafting discussion prompts for the retreat.

Conversation with Central Public Services Division (12/17/14)

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Susan Avery, Central Public Services (CPS) Division Coordinator, invited me to make some general remarks at the division meeting about strategic planning and the retreat. We had a good discussion about inclusiveness, process, and communication.

CPS will also take responsibility for ensuring that there is at least one person staffing the Information Desk when the Library is closed on January 9 since the Main Library building will be unlocked.Thanks CPS!

In addition, CPS members made a number of useful suggestions for how we might engage campus stakeholders as well as library employees in the process. I have already requested to meet with the University Librarian’s Student Advisory Committee and the Senate Committee on the Library early in the spring semester. If there are other groups that we might engage, I would welcome hearing from you.

All the best,
Lisa Hinchliffe
Coordinator, Strategic Planning

Meeting with LSSC (12/11/14)

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The Library Staff Steering Committee invited me to meet with them to discuss the strategic planning process and upcoming retreat. Below is an excerpt from their minutes summarizing our discussion. I enjoyed the conversation and appreciated their advice. Please be in touch with me if your Library group or unit would like me to come to a meeting.

All the best,
Lisa Hinchliffe
Coordinator, Strategic Planning

From the LSSC 12/11/14 Minutes:

Visit from Lisa Hinchliffe: As Coordinator for Strategic Planning, Lisa Hinchliffe visited our meeting to discuss the All-Library retreat, which will be held on Jan. 9th at the Alice Campbell Alumni Center.  All University Library locations will be closed that morning to allow faculty and staff to attend the retreat.  Everyone who works at the Library is strongly encouraged to participate!  Both breakfast and lunch will be served.  The purpose of the retreat is to discuss the Library Strategic Plan for the next three to five years.  This session will give all employees the opportunity to discuss the principles behind the Strategic Plan, to generate ideas for the plan, and to give suggestions for criteria for how to decide which ideas to implement.  University Librarian John Wilkin has requested for this process to be as inclusive as possible, and the goal is to consider all ideas based on their feasibility and on how well they fit into the Library’s mission.  The Strategic Planning Steering Team is looking into technology to help analyze and prioritize the criteria and ideas that are generated, such as the possibility of using ideascale.com as a means for managing the data collected at the retreat.  Lisa plans to update Library employees while the process of analyzing this data is underway, so that there is clear communication about how ideas from the retreat are being prioritized even before the final results are reported.  Please feel free to contact Lisa Hinchliffe (ljanicke@illinois.edu, Library 434) and/or your LSSC liaison/s with any questions or concerns you may have about the retreat and the Strategic Planning process.

Meeting with Executive Committee (11/3/14)

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On November 3, I met with the Executive Committee to discuss the strategic planning process and gather advice on how to frame and shape the process. Below is an excerpt from the minutes and the draft document that I distributed for discussion.

All the best,
Lisa Hinchliffe
Coordinator, Strategic Planning

 

Excerpt from Executive Committee Minutes 11/3/14:

John invited Lisa to share with EC the process she has worked with Dean Wilkin and the Cabinet to outline for strategic planning. Lisa would like to see the next Library retreat help inform the process. The focus will be on generating a strategic framework for action, with the intention to create something more flexible than the traditional strategic plan.

EC would like Lisa’s group to take information from the unretreat and several of the surveys that have been done to help inform the process. Other documents Lisa feels they will use are the current strategic plan, annual budget document and other documents.

John feels we can glean from the other reports to determine what some of the larger frameworks are. The new SP will guide us through 2016 and then for some time to come. The SP will guide our goals and objectives on an annual basis. This is an opportunity for us to formulate what is important to us and what is important to the University. It will help us to know if we are accomplishing what we want to.

 

DRAFT for Executive Committee Discussion

Deliverable: Framework for Strategic Action

Components:

  • Mission, Vision and Values
  • Strategic Priorities and Pathways
  • Possibly: DMI Metrics

Roles:

  • Leadership: University Librarian and Cabinet
  • Advisory: Executive Committee, Administrative Council, Library Staff Steering Committee
  • Coordinator: Lisa Hinchliffe
  • Process Work Group: To Be Named (Soliciting Input)
  • Participation: Library and Campus Stakeholders

Principles:

  • Mission Focused
  • Action Oriented
  • Aligned with Institutional Priorities and Goals
  • Data-Driven/Evidence-Based
  • Broadly Inclusive Process – Library, Campus and Community Stakeholders
  • Administrative Leadership and Faculty Shared Governance

Resources:

  • Participation (Time and Attention)
  • Expenses for Meetings, etc.
  • Tentative: Expenses for Transcription and Text Analysis
  • Coordinator

Process and Timeline – Aspects of Mission, Alignment, and Real-Time Planning Models:

  • October-November 2014 – Process Development, Planning, and Approval
  • December 2014 – Preparations for Retreat including Broad Input
  • January 9, 2015 – Library Retreat
  • January-March 2015 – Retreat Ideas Incorporated into Library Budget Request
  • February-April 2015 – Focused Discussions and Explorations
  • May-June 2015 – Develop Framework
  • July-August 2015 – Solicit Feedback and Discussion on Framework
  • September 2015 – Revise Framework and Develop Metrics
  • October 2015 – Solicit Feedback and Discussion on Revised Framework and Metrics
  • November 2015 – Finalize Framework and Metrics
  • December 2015 – Publish Framework

Some Considerations:

  • What time horizon in planning discussions?
  • New campus leader for strategic planning?
  • Anticipating campus requirements but maintaining flexibility?
  • Platform for input and prioritization (Ideascale, Loomio)?