Strategic Plan

ALASKA LIBRARY NETWORK (ALN) FY 2022-2027

Mission

The Alaska Library Network strengthens and connects Alaska’s libraries through effective collaboration to better serve their communities.

Core Network Principles

  • Delivering Responsive Service & Support
  • Seeking Mutual Benefit for All
  • Fostering Partnerships, Collaboration & Community
  • Advocating for Alaskan Librarians & Libraries

Catch Phrase

Strengthening Libraries through Effective Collaboration.

_____________________________________________________________________

 

A. DEVELOP PROGRAMS & SERVICES

  • Leverage resources and technologies for group or statewide adoption and use
  • Support librarians in delivering and promoting digital products and services

 

Action Steps

Alaska Digital Archives (VILDA)

  • Support the Governing Members’ policies 

 

Alaska Music Archives

  • Support the creation and growth of music archives

 

Alaska Digital Library 

  • Help member libraries launch, promote, and be successful with the service, including coordinating the creation of Advantage and Advantage Plus accounts
  • Work to allow all residents of Alaska to have access to Alaska Digital Library
  • Create and implement a sustainable, exciting, and member-supported collection by encouraging staff and patrons to use the Recommend-to-Library (RTL) feature
  • Design and implement a long-term sustainable collection and administrative budget (including new sources of grant funding and practical procedures)
  • Review and renegotiate the OverDrive contract 
  • Oversee and coordinate the evaluation and implementation of new features and subscriptions
  • Encourage member libraries to use the resources and support available through the Overdrive MarketPlace
  • Decrease holds ratio and strive to achieve a ratio similar to physical materials (10:1) to enhance patron satisfaction 

 

Alaska Library Catalog

  • Help reduce holds queue and improve hold selection matrix
  • Help libraries promote the catalog through useful PR and training
  • Support ALC Member Council policies
  • Assist coordination of courier services between ALC libraries

 

Fiscal Agency

  • Strengthen and promote ALN’s role as a fiscal agent
  • Review legal and procedural issues in offering services
  • Establish clear policies, procedures, and reporting options

 

OCLC GSA

  • Negotiate a new contract with OCLC and/or with alternative vendors

 

SLED

  • Help libraries promote the use of SLED through an effective PR program
  • Supporting the SLED Advisory Group policies
  • Optimize the discovery service
  • Coordinate Vendor Consideration with SLED Advisory Group
  • Collect usage statistics

 

B. EXPAND EXTERNAL COMMUNICATIONS & OUTREACH

Success benchmarks

  • Build a positive statewide reputation
  • Information freely flows between library-related organizations

 

Action Steps

  • Continuously strive to develop different methods of communicating ALN programs, projects, and services to member libraries
  • Maintain cooperative communication through mailing lists
  • Continuously improve and maintain a well-designed and functional aklib.net webpage 
  • Maintain a social media presence
  • Collect information from libraries through surveys, statistical resources, and email to determine timely issues and needs
  • Work with vendors to produce adequate and useful reports
  • Maintain Ex-Officio relationships with the Alaska Library Association (AkLA) 
  • Maintain role as a member of the Alaska State Library-Library Development team 

 

C. IMPROVE NETWORK ADMINISTRATION

Success Benchmarks

  • Actively plan for the growth and future direction of the network
  • Projects of ALN are always completed “in cooperation with” another agency

 

Action Steps

  • Work to maintain a single, unified billing cycle
  • Institute an annual face-to-face planning meeting for the ALN Board
  • Work with ALN Board of Directors to investigate, plan and provide high-value services, programs and products to Alaskan libraries and network members
  • Review ALN By-Laws annually with Board
  • Monitor and reassess member dues and administrative services pricing as needed
  • Seek sources of grant funding to initiate program/projects of statewide or group need
  • Document all administrative policies, procedures, and processes to ensure transparency and efficiency
  • Establish fiscal procedures and technology to reduce labor, provide quick reports, and withstand vigorous audit research
  • Partner with the Alaska State Library (ASL), and the Alaska Library Association (AkLA) on projects of statewide importance

Latest revision and Board Approval: 5/11/2022

 

 

Strategic Plan

ALASKA LIBRARY NETWORK (ALN) FY 2018 – 2020

Mission
The Alaska Library Network strengthens and connects Alaska’s libraries through effective collaboration to better serve their communities.

Core Network Principles

  • Delivering Responsive Service & Support
  • Seeking Mutual Benefit for All
  • Fostering Partnerships, Collaboration & Community
  • Advocating for Alaskan Librarians & Libraries

Catch Phrase

Strengthening Libraries through Effective Collaboration.

_____________________________________________________________________

 

A.  DEVELOP PROGRAMS & SERVICES

Success Benchmarks

  • Leverage resources and technologies for group or statewide adoption and use
  • Support librarians in delivering and promoting digital products and services

Action Steps

Alaska Digital Archives (VILDA)

  • Support the Governing Members’ policies
  • Support the creation and growth of music archives
  • Coordinate the migrating of the Digital Archives to the new OCLC platform

 

Alaska Digital Library Program

  • Help member libraries launch, promote, and be successful with the service
  • Coordinate the creation of a member Advisory Council as an additional way to provide opportunities for member libraries to provide feedback and be involved in the program
  • Work to allow all residents of Alaska to have access to Alaska Digital Library
  • Create and implement a sustainable, exciting, and member-supported collection by encouraging staff and patrons to use the Recommend-to-Library (RTL) feature
  • Design and implement a long-term sustainable collection and administrative budget (including
    new sources of grant funding and practical procedures)
  • Review and renegotiate the OverDrive contract with the Advisory Council
  • Oversee and coordinate the evaluation and implementation of new features
  • Encourage member libraries to use the resources and support available through the Overdrive MarketPlace
  • Decrease holds ratio and strive to achieve a ratio similar to physical materials to enhance patron satisfaction

 

Alaska Library Catalog

  • Reduce holds queue and improve hold selection matrix
  • Help libraries promote the catalog through useful PR and training
  • Support ALC Member Council policies

 

Fiscal Agency

  • Strengthen and promote ALN’s role as a fiscal agent
  • Review legal and procedural issues in offering services
  • Establish clear policies, procedures, and reporting options

 

OCLC GSA

  • Review contract and potential liabilities of libraries leaving the program
  • Develop task force to assess statewide Interlibrary Loan and Bibliographic Utility needs
  • Negotiate a new contract with OCLC and/or with alternative vendors

 

SLED

  • Help libraries promote the use of SLED through an effective PR program
  • Supporting the SLED Advisory Group policies
  • Optimize promote the discovery service
  • Coordinate Vendor Consideration with SLED Advisory Group

 

 

B. EXPAND EXTERNAL COMMUNICATIONS & OUTREACH

Success benchmarks

  • Build a positive statewide reputation
  • Information freely flows between library-related organizations

Action Steps

  • Design a communication strategy to provide regular and needed content to libraries
  • Experiment with various communication formats on themes of interest to Alaska libraries (e.g., partnerships, promising technologies, best practices, etc.)
    Maintain cooperative communication through mailing lists
  • Coordinate useful training content of ALN programs/services for delivery over the OWL network or web
  • Research and acquire tools necessary for meeting communication goals
  • Collect information from libraries through surveys, statistical resources, and email to determine timely issues and needs
  • Work with vendors to produce adequate and useful reports
  • Look into training sites such as Niche Academy and Lynda.Com
  • Develop Ex-Officio relationships with the Alaska Library Association (AkLA) and the Alaska Association of School Librarians (AkASL)
  • Coordinate communication between all ALN Programs for maximum efficiency and benefit

 

C. IMPROVE NETWORK ADMINISTRATION

Success Benchmarks

  • Actively plan for the growth and future direction of the network
  • Projects of ALN are always completed “in cooperation with” another agency

Action Steps

  • Work to establish a single, unified billing cycle
  • Institute an annual face-to-face planning meeting for the ALN Board
  • Work with ALN Board of Directors to investigate, plan and provide high-value services, programs and products to Alaskan libraries and network members
  • Review ALN By-Laws annually with Board
  • Monitor and reassess member dues and administrative services pricing as needed
  • Seek sources of grant funding to initiate program/projects of statewide or group need
  • Document all administrative policies, procedures, and processes to ensure transparency and efficiency
  • Establish fiscal procedures and technology to reduce labor, provide quick reports, and withstand vigorous audit research
  • Partner with the Alaska State Library (ASL), the Alaska Library Association (AkLA), and the Alaska Association of School Librarians (AkASL) on projects of statewide importance

Latest revision: 3/8/2018

 

 

ALASKA LIBRARY NETWORK (ALN) STRATEGIC PLAN

FY 2015 – 2017

Mission
The Alaska Library Network strengthens and connects Alaska’s libraries through effective collaboration to better serve their communities.
Core Network Principles

  • Delivering Responsive Service & Support
  • Seeking Mutual Benefit for All
  • Fostering Partnerships, Collaboration & Community
  • Advocating for Alaskan Librarians & Libraries

Catch Phrase

Strengthening Libraries through Communication, Collaboration, and Information.
______________________________________________________________________________

A. DEVELOP AND STRENGTHEN NETWORK PROGRAMS

Success Benchmarks

  • Leverage resources and technologies for group or statewide adoption and use
  • Support librarians in delivering and promoting digital library products and services

Action Steps
ListenAlaska Program

  • Help new member libraries launch, promote, and be successful with the service
  • Provide opportunities for member libraries to provide feedback and be involved in the ListenAlaska program
  • Work to allow all citizens of Alaska to have access to ListenAlaska
  • Work with the Collection team to create and implement a sustainable, exciting, and membersupported
    collection development process
  • Design and implement a long-term sustainable collection and administrative budget (including
    new sources of grant funding and practical procedures)
  • Negotiate a new OverDrive contract
  • Coordinate the evaluation and implementation of new features
  • Encourage member libraries to use the resources and support available through the OverdriveMarketPlace

OCLC GSA

  • Negotiate and administer the new OCLC GSA three-year group contract
  • Assist OCLC GSA libraries in transitioning to new Connection interface
  • Work with non-OCLC GSA libraries to assess the usefulness and affordability of joining
    depending on their actual needs and resources.

FISCAL AGENCY

  • Strengthen and promote ALN’s role as a fiscal agent
  • Review legal and procedural issues in offering services
  • Establish clear policies, procedures, and reporting options

 

B. EXPAND EXTERNAL COMMUNICATIONS & OUTREACH
Success benchmarks

  • Build a positive statewide reputation
  • Information freely flows between library-related organizations

Action Steps

  • Research, redesign, and launch new interactive ALN website/clearinghouse
  • Acquire skills in content management, design, crowdsourcing, and communication technology
  • Investigate branding/service opportunities for ALN
  • Identify and describe roles/relationships of all library-related organizations
  • Design a communication strategy to provide regular and needed content to libraries
  • Experiment with various communication formats on themes of interest to Alaska libraries (e.g., partnerships, promising technologies, best practices, etc.)
    Coordinate design of useful training content for delivery over the OWL network or web
  • Establish environment for and promote virtual team and micro-task participation
  • Research and acquire tools necessary for meeting communication goals
  • Collect information from libraries through surveys, statistical resources, and email to determine timely issues and needs

C. IMPROVE NETWORK ADMINISTRATION

Success Benchmarks

  • Actively plan for the growth and future direction of the network
  • Projects of ALN are always completed “in cooperation with” another agency

Action Steps

  • Institute an annual face-to-face planning meeting for the ALN Board
  • Develop a strategy for leveraging member dues and network income for targeted outcomes and goals
  • Work with ALN Board of Directors to investigate, plan and provide high-value services, programs and products to Alaskan libraries and network members
  • Review ALN By-Laws annually with Board
  • Monitor and reassess member dues and administrative services pricing as needed
  • Seek sources of grant funding to initiate program/projects of statewide or group need
  • Document all administrative procedures and processes to ensure transparency
  • Establish fiscal procedures and technology to reduce labor, provide quick reports, and withstand vigorous audit research
  • Seek partnerships and task-support opportunities with organizations/individuals
  • Partner with the Alaska State Library (ASL), the Alaska Library Association (AkLA), and the Alaska Association of School Librarians (AkASL) on projects of statewide importance

Latest revision and Board Approval: 1/5/2015