Planning Collaborative Spaces in Libraries:
An ACRL/CNI Preconference
ALA Annual Meeting ~ Toronto, Canada
Friday, June 20, 2003 ~ 9AM – Noon
PLANNING CHECKLIST
Preliminary Planning
Need/rationale
Project scope
Key champions – project sponsorship
Key administrators
Partners for implementation
Partners for operation
Project Kick-Off
Method (team, committee, departments)
Required team skills
Resources, commitments for planning
Assign roles
Team formed
Project Definition
Project tracking, outcomes
Accountability and reporting
Refine mission, goals
Confirm service philosophy with partners
Preliminary timeline
Preliminary budget
Basic ground rules
Space
Identify requirements
programmatic
physical
technical
strategic
New construction or remodeling?
Identify potential sites
Assess sites based on requirements, cost, etc.
Recommend site to champions
1
Research/Assessment
Conduct focus groups, interviews
Refine mission/goals
Consider ongoing evaluation/assessment plan
Personnel
Determine personnel needed
Identify available personnel from partners
Identify need for new personnel, HR requirements
Acknowledge/plan for cultural differences between partners
Training needs for current, new personnel
Address expertise needs
Address cultural needs
Budget – Building, Infrastructure
Seek “players” for building budget
Develop building, remodeling budget
Budget – Operations
One-time costs (hardward, software, training, launch)
Recurring costs (minimum 3 year period)
Personnel
Technology, software, equipment refresh
Marketing costs
Software, hardware refresh
Collaboration/Partnership Agreements
Identify need for agreements
Develop agreements – Memo of understanding (MOU)
Get sign-off from apprpriate partners, administrators
Determine name of facility
Problem resolution process
Integrate into partners’ strategic plans and planning process
Service Considerations
Hours of operation
Staffing requirements
Integration strategies with adjacent units, partners (i.e referral system, plan)
Security considerations
Access to facility
Marketing
Marketing plan
Outline methods of communicating service (web, email, brochures)
2
Integrate information about facility, service with partners, campus outlets
Develop launch plan (soft opening, opening event, etc.)
Determine key participants for opening
Consider dissemination of experience (presentations, publications)
3
Pre-Launch Analysis
Basic components in place
It works
Training completed
Staff from collaborating departments aware of new service
User support in place
Initial assessment plan
Launch
Invite staff first
Role of early adopters, key faculty
Demonstrations, examples of service
Timing of opening
Post Launch
Successes
Outstanding issues, problems
Strategies to resolve issues
Implementation of post launch strategies
Communications
Ongoing communication plan (reports, meetings)
Ongoing assessment of operation, goals, mission
4