Running Head: LIVE OAK SCHOOL LIBRARY: PART ONE
Developing a Strategic Plan for Live Oak School Library:
Part One:
Mission, Vision and Value Statements, Environmental Scan, and SWOT Analysis
[Group names redacted]
Whitni Watkins
San José State University - School of Library and Information Science
[Instructor name redacted]
LIBR 204-16
March 23, 2012
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Abstract
This paper, part one of two, begins with a literature review of the environmental scan. The main
subject of this paper is the Live Oak School (http://liveoaksf.org/) Library, a private K-8 school
located in Potrero Hill, a neighborhood of San Francisco. An environmental scan of the
organization including a SWOT analysis (strengths, weaknesses, opportunities and threats)
follows. The library’s different strengths and weaknesses, threats and opportunities are outlined,
and suggestions are made to enable the library to be more successful. One of the main strengths
is the collaboration enjoyed by the librarian with the teachers and parent volunteers. One of the
most pressing weaknesses is the lack of space in the library, for the collection, for studying, and
for meeting.
Keywords: mission, vision and values, environmental scan, SWOT analysis
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Developing a Strategic Plan for Live Oak School Library:
Part One:
Environmental Scan and SWOT Analysis, Mission, Vision and Value Statements
This paper will begin with a literature review of an environmental scan. Research of
interest will be discussed, and the goals, principles, considerations and barriers of environmental
scanning will be outlined. The subject of this paper is the Live Oak School Library
(http://liveoaksf.org/), Live Oak is a private K-8 school in the Potrero neighborhood of San
Francisco. An environmental scan that includes SWOT analysis is essential to strategic planning.
In the environmental scan of Live Oak’s library, different strengths and weaknesses are
determined and suggestions are made to enable the library to be more successful. While the
library has a mission statement, it does not have a vision or values statement. A stronger mission
statement, and a vision and values statement are proposed that are aligned with the strengths and
weaknesses discovered in the environmental scan and SWOT analysis.
Literature Review
One of the most important factors in creating a strategic plan for an organization is the
environmental scan. To effectively strategize an organization must be aware of strengths and
weaknesses and have a sense of both opportunities and risks. This information enables the
organization to plan and respond to environmental changes. The environmental scan collects the
information from external and internal factors to give a better idea of the impacts the
organization may face in the future, both beneficial and disastrous. This literature review focuses
on the basic principles of an environmental scan: how to integrate an environmental scan into a
strategic plan and barriers that may impact the success of the environmental scan. This review
includes information on the goals, principles, considerations of and impediments to an
environmental scan.
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General Overview of Environmental Scanning
“Aguilar (1967) defines environmental scanning as acquiring information about events
and relationships in a company’s outside environment, the knowledge of which would assist
senior management in the task of charting the company’s future course of action”(Zhang, Majid,
and Foo, 2010, p. 720). Environmental scanning is vital in today’s library profession as rapid
technological changes and economic shifts dramatically impact information organizations. As
Pashiardis (1996) states, “For modern educational institutions, it is necessary to establish a
systematic method of collecting information regarding external influences” (p. 5).
Conducting an environmental scan is vital to the success and survival of an organization,
but it is both difficult and time consuming to effectively gather and process the necessary
information (Buchanan & Cousins, 2012). Pashiardis (1996) goes on to quote Popovics (1990)
that, “Definitions of environmental scanning differ, but they all agree that environmental
scanning is an efficient, organized means for an institution to collect relevant information
regarding the external environment” (p. 5). Environmental scanning is a part of strategic
planning in which the central planning objective is to keep the organization’s strategic objectives
flexible to the changes of the environment; as the environment changes so should the
organization’s objectives (Evans and Ward, 2007).
Goal of Environmental Scanning
All organizations face challenges, but not all organizations use those challenges to their
advantage. If the appropriate plans have been made the integrity of well prepared organizations
may be upheld, or even bolstered, when tested (Albright, 2004). These plans are arrived at after
conducting a thorough environmental scan. Scans should be conducted by all organizations –
including small, large, for-profit, and non-profit – that value their longevity. The main goal of a
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scan is to identify “emerging issues, situations, and potential pitfalls that may affect an
organization’s future” (Albright, 2004, p. 40). The results of a scan are provided to the
appropriate people, and decisions about the organization’s future are based on the findings.
Essentially, the ultimate goal of an environmental scan is to produce plans and decisions that
allow an organization to be proactive rather than reactive.
Environmental Scan Environment Considerations
Industrial: When executing a scan, a number of environmental influences must be
considered. The most important factors are the industry’s customers, suppliers, competitors, and
the complex relationships that bind them together (Choo, 2001). In the information industry,
libraries and other services specializing in information face competition from one another as well
as from other services (Evans &Ward, 2007).
Technological: Another area of importance is technology. Because of rapid changes in this
area, an organization’s infrastructures, including energy, transportation, and communication,
could be seriously affected (Albright, 2004).
Regulatory: Changes in laws and guidelines constitute another area of concern; “regulatory
information on employment practices, intellectual property, and those that are industry-specific
are important to consider” (Albright, 2004, p. 41).
Economic: Unemployment rates, inflation, and other issues concerning local, regional,
national, and even international economies can affect an organization’s performance (Albright,
2004). Factors affecting information organizations specifically include the amount of money
budgeted for spending and the purchases made with that money (Evans & Ward, 2007).
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Social: Demographic shifts in population could increase or decrease the demand for an
organization’s product and/or service. Other demographic factors that need monitoring include
the “size and distribution of population, age, education, and income” (Albright, 2004, p. 42).
Political: Local, national, and international politics, specifically changes resulting from
elections or changes in law could directly or indirectly affect an organization (Albright, 2004).
Basic Principles of Environmental Scanning (ES)
As stated in Management Basics for Information Professionals (Evans & Ward, 2007),
environmental scanning is a “process for gathering information about activities, trends,
relationships, competitors, potential dangers and other factors in the environment that can
potentially impact the organization” (p. 45). A successful environmental scan is an ongoing
process that library management uses to recognize patterns of change in the external
environment, allowing them to forecast events. Castiglione (2008) states that, “High impact ES
is not a ‘one-shot’ process. Effective ES is conducted continuously in an effort to identify
emerging changes and trends that may have a significant impact on library operations” (p. 530).
An environmental scan must be ongoing because external factors are constantly evolving
The foundation of an environmental scan is an organizational process that effectively
manages information collected and produces a performance-based business strategy. A six-step
environmental scanning process (Figure 1) outlined by Zhang, Majid and Foo (2010) delineates
the steps to successfully gather and process information The goal of an environmental scan is to
gain competitive advantage and ensure the organization survival through awareness of potential
influences caused by external factors. Castiglione (2008) believes the following external-factors
to be highly considered when completing an environmental scan targeting the library profession:


The service delivery implications of new technology;
Changes in the law of intellectual property and copyright
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




Changes in the amount of tax-payer financing available for library operations;
The entry of new competitors;
The availability of trained library personnel;
Regulatory changes that impact employment practices; and
The general health of the local and global economy (pp. 529-530).
Castiglione (2008) continues on to say that if library administrators continuously observe,
evaluate and analyze the following factors that it may be possible to “accurately determine and
implement a highly adaptive and strategic organizational response” (p. 530).
Implementing an Environmental Scan
As stated earlier, environmental scans are not one-time examinations; scans “should be
constant and ongoing in order to maintain a preparative stance as environmental influences arise”
(Albright, 2004, p. 40). An effective environmental scan can transform problems into
advantages. A formal scan follows five steps:
1. Identify the particular environmental scanning needs of the organization. The amount of
information that could possibly be obtained about an organization’s environment is much too
large to work with effectively. A good scan focuses on aspects of an organization’s environment
of particular interest to the management.
2. Gather the information. Before collecting begins, it must be decided where to collect
information, the means by which information will be collected, and when to stop collecting
(Zhang et al., 2010). Useful information may come from within an organization and from
external sources. Examples of internal sources include personal contacts, internal reports,
conference papers, internal memos, committees/meetings, sales staff, employees, managers, and
databases. External sources include personal contacts, journals/magazines, books, newspapers,
professional conferences/meetings, radio, television, Internet, professional colleagues,
customers, and databases (Albright, 2004, p. 43).
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3. Analyze the information. The amount of information collected during a scan could be
massive; “collected or created information should be organized and stored systematically in
order to facilitate future information retrieval and sharing” (Zhang et al., 2010, p. 724). After
logically storing the data, the most critical part of the scan takes place: the analysis and
extraction of meaning. The results of an environmental scan are more than just results;
“forward-looking companies take the view that information is a strategic asset of the enterprise
in much the same way as a company’s financial resources, capital equipment and real estate”
(Zhang et al., 2010, p. 721).
4. Communicate the results. This step seems simple, but “the real issue is getting the right
information to the right person at the right time and in a usable form” (Zhang et al., 2010, p.
725).
5. Make informed decisions. Based on the results, the management will make decisions for the
organization’s future that avoid the pitfalls unearthed during the scanning process.
Barriers to Effective Scanning
As beneficial and essential environmental scanning is to the survival of an organization,
managing the information for change is an arduous task. A common impediment to effective
scanning is management barriers. Post and Altman (1994) listed four barriers to environmental
change: attitudes of personnel; top management; quality of communication; and administrative
heritage (past practice) (p. 68). Often change does not take place because management personnel
does not see the importance of implementing the change and puts a roadblock in its path. This
barrier to progress can be overcome by providing awards and effectively communicating the
importance of making the change as well as creating committees and developing a strategic focus
(Post & Altman, 1994).
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Other barriers Post and Altman (1994) examine are industry barriers. Resources, especially
funding, are often scarce or unavailable, depriving library organizations of the ability to collect
the necessary amount of information needed for effective evaluation and analysis. Discovering
the needed information may be difficult. As Castiglione (2008) states, “Typically, library
personnel do not have the time to monitor the emerging technological environment” (p. 533).
Because an environmental scan is an ongoing process of intensive information gathering,
evaluating and implementing, participants must dedicate a significant amount of time without
compromising their other duties.
In conclusion, the literature found on an environmental scan and implementing it into an
organization’s strategic plan expresses that the importance of the scan is equal to the amount of
work needed to conduct the scan. While there are slight differences among the steps
recommended there be agreement that the process is a form of gathering, analyzing and
evaluating the information collected from internal and external sources. There is also agreement
on the definition of an environmental scan as a management process to handle external
environmental information to help predict the impact of a changing environment on the
organization. The environmental scan is an indispensible part of an organization’s strategic plan.
Environmental Scan
History of the Neighborhood of Potrero Hill
Live Oak School is located in a small San Francisco neighborhood called Potrero Hill.
The neighborhood is in the Southeastern corner of the city and is made up of homes, apartments,
small to mid-sized businesses, the San Francisco Design Center and a growing educational
community, which includes the UCSF Mission Bay Campus, as well as, California College of
the Arts and the California Culinary Academy. Potrero is roughly bounded by: 16th Street (on
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the north); Cesar Chavez Street (on the South); Potrero Avenue (on the west); and Third Street
(on the East) (Taylar, 2012). Two major highways, 101 and 280, provide quick access to and
from the south and aid access from the north and west. One of only two Caltrain stops is in
Potrero, making it a popular residential area for those who commute south to Silicon Valley
(Caltrain, 2012, Wikipedia, 2012). While just minutes from downtown San Francisco, Potrero is
a self-contained neighborhood with its own look and feel. It is referred to as the banana-belt of
San Francisco and is known for its sunny micro-climate (City-Data.com, 2010).
At one time, the neighborhood was used as land to graze cattle, hence its name, which
comes from the Spanish word for pasture. Starting in the late 1800s gold rush squatters
inhabited the area (SFGate, 2012). Immigrants added to the settlement: first the Scots in the
1860s, followed by the Irish, the Chinese, the Russians, and then the Mexicans. In the 1940’s,
the nearby shipyards were building battleships and heavy industries such as steel, iron and sugar
refining moved in. African-American Southerners migrated to the industrial jobs (SFGate, 2012).
Deindustrialization and the Internet boom caused a rapid shift in the neighborhood in the 1990s,
as factories were replaces by startups and condos. (SFGate, 2012). An influx of white-collar
workers has diluted the former blue-collar character of the neighborhood and trendy restaurants
and shops proliferate. (Wikipedia, 2012). 1941 a 1,200 person public housing complex was built
on the South side of the hill. Cut off from the neighborhood and poorly served by public
transportation only 6% of residents are employed full-time. While the improved economics of
the neighborhood have not yet touched the projects a phased teardown and rebuild is planned for
2013 (De Brito, 2010).
In 2010 Potrero Hill’s population was 12,110, up 1,320 from 2000. More than half of the
people living in Potrero Hill are single and 43% are married. The median age is 37 years.
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Nineteen percent of homes have children. Household income is $98,182, higher than both San
Francisco’s and the national average (Wikipedia, 2012, Zillow, 2012). Over sixty percent of the
population is white, with Asian, Latino, African American and Other each around 10 percent
(Wikipedia, 2012).
Live Oak School
Live Oak School (LOS) was founded in 1971 as a K-5 school by a group of parents and
teachers from the Presidio school. “Parent involvement was a key component of their
philosophy” (J. Andrus, personal communication, March 11, 2012). The school has a nondiscrimination policy that includes race, color, gender, nationality, ethnic origin and sexual
orientation. Children of a wide range of abilities are admitted. The school is distinguished by a
focus on differentiated instruction. In 1992, grades 6-8 were added. The school moved from a
rented location in the Castro to its own building in Potrero in 2002. A new head took leadership
and the school added a second section of middle school. The dot-com.bust and overly optimistic
enrollment and cost projections resulted in an economic crisis. Some staff were let go and the
librarian, who relocated, was not replaced. Remaining staff accepted a pay and benefits freeze
and tuition was raised 22% in 2003 and 15% in 2004 (S. Mitchel-Board President, personal
communication, March 22, 2012). While tuition increases trended downwards, ten years saw
tuition rise from the high $7,000s to $20,000 (M. McAvoy, personal communication, March 11,
2012, Administration focused on strengthening the program and with lots of parent involvement
strengthened both admissions and the brand.
In 2009 the school embarked on a capital campaign to raise 3.5 million dollars. Facilities
improvements, including a middle school learning center, will consume 1.2 million and 2.3
million will establish the school’s first endowment. The Board’s financial goals have been met:
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operating reserves are at target, teacher pay is at median and tuition increases are down to 3%.
The school is fully enrolled with waiting lists for every grade. Two admissions events of
unprecedented yield resulted in a double kindergarten classes in 2007 and triple section of sixth
grade in 2010 (M. McAvoy, personal communication, March 20, 2012). In 2011, there were
161 students enrolled in the Lower school (K-5) and 111 students enrolled in the Middle school
(grades 6-8). Of the 272 students registered, 53% were males and 47% were females. There are
29% students of color and 10% LGBT. (J. Andrus, personal communication, March 11, 2012).
A new head, Virginia Paik, is finishing her first full year of leadership. The prior head
died from cancer and Virginia, who had been the Assistant Head, was selected after a nationwide
search. The Board is currently completing its second strategic framework since moving to the
Potrero location. Two potential paths have been proposed: reduce enrollment to 234 for optimal
class size or plan for and initiate facility growth and enrollment growth to 393 (S. Mitchel,
personal communication, March 17, 2012).
Social and Demographic Information
Though the school suffered a drop in enrollment interest immediately after the move, the
decision to locate the school in Potrero Hill has proved successful. Between 2000 and 2010 the
number of school age children in San Francisco dropped 1.4% from 81,169 to 72,321 (Bay Area
Census, 2012). In contrast the percentage of households in Potrero with children increased 2%
(Wikipedia, 2012, Zillow, 2012). While many families of the students at LOS come from Potrero
and nearby Noe Valley the school draws from all over San Francisco (J. Andrus, personal
communication, March 11, 2012). The majority of the city’s private schools are located in the
north section of the city. Of the dozen schools Live Oak competes most directly with, eight are
located in the North. Four competitive schools are located in the South. Of these four, the one
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Live Oak competes most directly with, and the one that is closest, is the only school of the
twelve to have grown substantially in the last ten years (M. McAvoy, personal communication
March, 20, 2012, Private School Review, 2012).
Most applicants’ families hear about LOS through word of mouth. (M. McAvoy, personal
communication, March 11, 2012). In the 2010-2011admissions season 26% of applicants were
offered admissions and the yield was 69%. In a report to the Board the admissions director
explained the yield, which is lower than other benchmarked schools, is the result of a policy of
offering admission to qualified candidates regardless of the perceived likelihood of their
acceptance (M. McAvoy, personal communication, March 11, 2012).
Live Oak School is a non-profit school and receives no financial support from the
government or any religious organization for operations. It has received some grants from
private foundations for capital projects, for example, the move to the current location. Like all
private schools, tuition does not cover the cost of the education. Development fundraising and
gifts contribute to over 10% of the total budget. The parents are expected to contribute to the
annual fund and the capital campaign and participate in a fund-raising auction that raises money
for tuition assistance. (J. Andrus, personal communication, March 11, 2012).
Thirty percent of the students receive financial assistance. Assistance is capped at 75% of
tuition and this is a drawback for those parents who are looking for schools that will provide
more financial support. A few children are effectively on full scholarship, as they receive grants
from outside sources (J. Andrus, personal communication, March 11, 2012).
The graduates of LOS are well prepared for and highly sought after by high schools. The
school has a reputation for producing graduates who are quite capable academically. As well,
recent feedback from the school’s survey of destination high school says “kids have extra piece
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of kindness, charisma, [and are] able to ask thoughtful questions” (M. McAvoy, personal
communication, March 11, 2012), The vast majority (83%) was accepted to two or more schools
of their choice in 2011 (M. McAvoy, personal communication, March 11, 2012).
Live Oak School Library
Previous to 2002, the library was simply a rolling cart. When LOS relocated to its
present location, the library (as a room on its own) was added, as well as a librarian. During the
economically straitened years of 2003-2005 parents, and eventually a part-time librarian, kept the
library staffed (M. McAvoy, personal communication, March 11, 2012). Physically, the library is
the largest room in the building and is quite lovely. It has a very inviting space with big
windows and great views of the city. There are few options in the school for meeting spaces for
mid to large size groups so the library is in high demand for meetings. Some of the other uses of
the library are as a meeting place for school tours and trustee and parent committees; a space for
after school care; as a classroom when teachers need it; and quiet place for tutoring. Currently,
there is a projector and screen that is used occasionally for presentations. There is a separate
small room in the library for nonfiction, biographies, reference and graphic novels. This room is
not visible from most of the rest of the library, so is limited to five students at a time. It is a
popular room that requires monitoring (J. Andrus, personal communication, March 11, 2012).
The library is definitely not a spot in the school that is ignored. To the contrary, it is so
well used that “many days there are definitely more students than space” (J. Andrus, personal
communication, March 11, 2012). As well, there is not enough space on the shelves for all the
collection. It is the librarian’s assessment that the budget meets the needs of the library. The
main librarian, Jenny Andrus, reports directly to the head of the school. Jenny does all of the
purchasing for the library, acquiring books from Amazon, Baker and Taylor, and from the
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Northern California Association of Children’s Librarians book sales. The collection is
supplemented by fundraising efforts. The birthday book program allows family members to
donate a book in honor of a student’s birthday. The book fair raises money by receiving a
percentage of sales during the event and allows parents to buy pre-selected books for the library
Teachers request individual books that Jenny purchases for the library. Teachers, using their
classroom budget, directly purchase the books they wish to have in their classroom collections.
(J. Andrus, personal communication, March 17). An interesting twist to the LOS library
collection is the use of the public library for supplemental books for curriculum driven research
projects. “For example, sixth graders are working on reports on Ancient Rome and I gave the
teacher about 10 books from our library and another 15 books checked out from the public
library” (J. Andrus, personal communication, March 17, 2012).
Currently, the library program is focused primarily on the lower school. The main
librarian works four days a week and is able to see each class from K-5 once a week for about 50
minutes. The middle school librarian, Hayley Beale, a 2011 SJSU graduate, was hired to work
one day a week this past school year, Her main goal is to build the middle school program. Her
job also includes doing most of the cataloging and book processing tasks, as well as other library
“back room” tasks. Some of the middle school students help out with various tasks, as do the
parent volunteers (J. Andrus, personal communication, March 11, 2012).
Political changes and trends
California’s budget crisis has impacted the public schools leading to cuts in service and
amenities (New York Times, 2012, California Budget Project, 2011). The economic downturn
may impact the number of parents willing to pay expensive tuition and contribute generously to
fundraising efforts. A slow labor market means it may take librarians two years to find a full time
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job (Hayley Beale, personal communication March 10, 2012). This likely increases the pool of
qualified applicants willing to work part time and the pool of students interested in unpaid
interships.
Industry: customers and competitors
When examining the competitors for the LOS Library, it seems that most of the competition
comes from within the school. The library provides for the needs of the students and it falls
short when it comes to space and service to the middle school. Information literacy is a pillar for
the school and as such, the library needs to be able to fully support it. There appears to be great
collaboration in the school between the teachers and the parents, so this does not appear to be an
issue that needs to be overcome, it merely needs to be enhanced.
Technology
The rise of e-books and the addition of them is something the library needs to consider. The
school is contemplating phasing out the tech lab and providing students with laptops or tablet
devices. This may affect the way students read and research. Subscription databases have
recently been added to the library website for student research purposes. They are an expensive
addition, but high school research is primarily conducted via subscription databases, so students
need to be familiar with this resource (J. Andrus, personal communication, March 18, 2012).
Legislative and Regulatory Development
Live Oak School is an accredited member of the California Association of Independence
Schools (CAIS). The organization creates academic, ethical and professional standards for
independent schools. (California Association of Independent Schools, 2012). California has a
large population of non-English speaking students from many different ethnic backgrounds. This
population creates a large demand for diversity in educational institutions and school districts.
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Mehlman Petrzela (2010) summarizes that it was the 1968 federal Bilingual Education Act that
pushed the platform of diversity within the educational systems. He alleges that California has
been at the forefront of diversity, such as, innovative programs of integration of bilingual
programs in schools. The school offers an advanced Spanish track for native speakers and those
transferring from public school immersion programs.
Recently, the California state legislation has enacted the Safe Place to Learn Act, and
Student and Violence Prevention Act of 2000. Knotts (2009) explains, “both [laws] demand that
gender identity and sexual orientation be added to the lexicon of anti-harassment protection in
public education.” Although, these laws specifically state “ public” education, safety standards
may carry over to the private sectors of education. Live Oak includes sexual orientation in its
diversity pledge (Live Oak School, 2012). California state law requires that no school
discriminate on the basis of physical disability (State Regulation of Private Schools, 2000, The
United States Department of Justice, 2011).
SWOT Analysis
Strengths
Live Oak School Library’s strengths encourage and support parental involvement, staff
and teacher collaboration, and educational support. Strengths are characteristics that are inward
looking (Evans & Ward, 2007, p. 153): in other words, qualities that are a product of the
library’s past and present decision making. These decisions resulted in the library being a
functioning asset to the school’s community. The library alone is available to and used by
parents, students and staff. This shared use promotes a sense of community within the school.
Parents from all grades are encouraged and welcomed to be involved with their child’s
education. The strengths of the library are founded in its capacity to be the nucleus of
community life within the school.
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LOS, like many private schools, expects participation from students’ families. The
school and library pride themselves on the amount of parent participation. The school requires 60
volunteer hours each year from lower school families and 30 volunteer hours from middle school
families. For single parent families the requirements are halved. (Live Oak School, 2012). The
library benefits from this requirement as parents often offer their services there. (M. McAvoy,
personal communication, March 6, 2012). The library currently utilizes 38 parent volunteers.
Parents provide assistance during classroom visits by completing essential tasks such as
checking in/checking out, shelving, labeling, covering and repairing books. Parents often help
with more intimate librarian responsibilities, (e.g., offering reference services to students,
helping during research tasks, helping students find suitable books). Some parents prefer
working on special projects such as the book fair or birthday books program (M. McAvoy,
personal communication, March 6, 2012).
Live Oak School’s book fair is a week of education, literature, fund-raising, and parent
involvement. Book fair week is a successful avenue to promote education and literature. The
success can be attributed to staff and parent volunteers who both help educate and acquire more
library books and funding. On the designated Drop Everything and Read Day (D.E.A.R.),
students and staff are encouraged to attend school in their pajamas to help promote a fun and
relaxing atmosphere. Everyone brings a book to school and at several points during the day
everyone is able stop what they are doing and read; around 100-150 books and $4,000 are
generally raised (M. McAvoy, personal communication March 6, 2012). Book fair week is
concluded with author lectures, one for middle school and the other for lower school.
Additionally, a breakfast is held in the library for parents, librarians make recommendations for
best children’s’ books of the year, and a guest speaker concludes the eventful week (M.
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McAvoy, personal communication, March 6, 2012). In addition to working with parent
volunteers, the library does a great job of collaborating with fellow staff and teachers.
LOS Library closely collaborates on educational curriculum with the lower-school
teachers. In 2013, the library will have the services of a reading specialist that Jenny Andrus,
head LOS librarian, is looking forward to working with, “ I look forward to learning more about
how to find books that advance our students as readers. She says she looks forward to working
with me to learn more about the latest and best in children’s literature” (J. Andrus, personal
communication, March 11, 2012). According to Andrus, the collaboration between the library
and teachers has provided unique learning opportunities for the students, while promoting library
materials as well. Specific recent collaborative projects with teachers and classes have included:
“immigration in third grade, Fort Ross animal research in fourth grade, Civil War study in fifth
grade, as well as, friendship, nutrition and post office in first grade, and a Patricia Polacco study
in second grade” (J. Andrus, personal communication, March 11, 2012). The information
provided in these scenarios is a great example of how educational support is a library strong suit.
Live Oak Library provides excellent educational support for information resources,
information literacy education and the enjoyment of reading. The library is focused primarily on
the lower school, where each K-5 grade attends the library once a week for 50 minutes. Middle
school uses the library after school, for study hall and research, as well as during the school day
for an elective reading group class. A limited number of passes are available which allow middle
school students to spend their after-lunch recess in the library. In addition, the library supports a
group of student helpers, grades 5-8 that are trained to check in/out and shelve books (M.
McAvoy, personal communication, March 6, 2012). The student helper program builds
information and library awareness among students
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LIVE OAK SCHOOL LIBRARY: STRATEGIC PLAN
LOS Library has a great collection of literature; the librarians stay up to date by reading
reviews, writing professional reviews, and reading children’s literature on a continuous basis.
According to Andrus (2012), “the kids sometimes say that we get the newest books before their
local bookstore or library” (personal communication, March 11, 2012). In addition the librarian
works closely with teachers to provide unique educational contributions to the school and ensure
the professional development collection remains up to date.
Weaknesses
The library’s lack of physical space is its primary weakness (J. Andrus, personal
communication, March 11, 2012). Like strengths, weaknesses are characteristics that are inward
looking and may hinder the accomplishment of the strategy or plan. (Evans & Ward, 2007, p.
153). LOS Library struggles to provide sufficient space for teaching, group work and after
school actives. This issue has affected the amount of available space for the literary collection,
resulting in overcrowded bookshelves. The library is understaffed and this has resulted in the
incapacity to cater to the middle school; restricted resources have resulted in a nearly absent
middle school program.
Lack of physical space for teaching, group work and book shelving is evident within the
library. According to librarian Jenny Andrus, “the library is in a space that is simply too small
for the usage it receives” (J. Andrus, personal communication, March 11, 2012). As far as
teaching and group work, the physical space of the library is inadequate. Andrus explains that
there is no teaching and presenting space for the librarian/teacher. “When I need to teach a
lesson, I laminate large sheets of easel pad paper and that is my white board, but even then there
is no place to put things up, so I can really only show the kids one thing at a time” (Andrus,
personal communication, March 11, 2012). When a full class is working in the library (e.g.,
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LIVE OAK SCHOOL LIBRARY: STRATEGIC PLAN
using laptops and doing research) there is no extra available space. Every seat is taken, kids are
crammed on tables with no elbow room or space on the table to put things; some kids are forced
to work on the floor or steps using clipboards (J. Andrus, personal communication, March 11,
2012). Space and furniture needs to be flexible for large and small group work areas, meetings,
informal teaching spaces, and break out areas. Two or more functions should be able to happen
simultaneously. In addition, a full classroom of students or those participating in a meeting
should be able to work comfortably at the library tables, use laptops, or listen/watch/participate
in a presentation (J. Andrus, personal communication, March 11, 2012).
After the school day, the library is used for LOStopia, an extended care program for
grades 5-8. “A majority of the time there are more students than space available for the
program” (J. Andrus, personal communication, March 11, 2012). Much of the work at LOStopia
is a collaborative nature, with kids working on problems in partner or small groups. Classes,
LOStopia, meetings (e.g., trustee committees, community events, etc.) are all affected by this
weakness. The lack of physical space limits quality group interaction and production.
There is also a lack of adequate book shelving (Andrus, personal communication, March
11, 2012). Books are currently crammed into the shelves, even with ongoing weeding. There is
a small room that is part of the library, where non-fiction, biography, reference, and graphic
novels are jammed onto shelves. It is a very popular space that is not visible from most vantage
spots within the larger library. “What that means is that I have to limit the number of kids that
can be there at one time (5 is ideal) and it needs to be monitored, which at time draws me away
from helping other kids” (J. Andrus, personal communication, March 11, 2012). Continued
growth is anticipated in recreational reading, graphic novels, middle school fiction, and nonfiction. The library is also expecting growth in professional and Spanish sections (J. Andrus,
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LIVE OAK SCHOOL LIBRARY: STRATEGIC PLAN
personal communication, March 11, 2012). The library’s physical space is unable to handle
collections growth, just as the staff is finding it hard to handle a full k-8 program.
LOS Head Librarian Jenny Andrus focuses on the lower school in her Monday through
Thursday work schedule. The library’s current goal is for the secondary librarian, Hayley Beale,
who works Fridays, to build the middle school program; however, 90% of Beale’s time is spent
cataloging and processing, as well as running overdue reports and other library tasks (J. Andrus,
personal communication, March 11, 2012). Little time remains for her to structure and
implement a full middle school program. Andrus explains that the library is “currently too small
and (in my opinion) understaffed for a full K-8 program. If the school was to grow…the
problem would only be magnified” (J. Andrus, personal communication, March 11, 2012). The
absence of a middle school program is the product of the understaffing.
The library is working on collaboration with the middle school. While the students have
books available in their classrooms Jenny has noted that when she asks middle school students
about their favorite books they will often refer to something she knows they read in 5th grade.
With the addition of librarian Hayley Beale on Fridays, the library addressed some needs of the
middle school program. Research materials and webographies are now becoming more
prevalent, and one to two book talks per year are offered for each middle school grade. After a
recent middle school book talk 32 of 35 kids checked out books. This was only possible because
both Jenny and Hayley were present. Had she been alone Jenny feels she would have had to wait
until Monday to get many of the kids books and by then they would have lost interest (J. Andrus,
personal communication, March 21, 2012). The library also offers an elective middle school
book group, on Mondays, that is quite popular. Although the library is making steps to better
incorporate the middle school program, opportunities to improve and provide a better
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LIVE OAK SCHOOL LIBRARY: STRATEGIC PLAN
educational experience are evident; the library lacks the capability to provide support, reading
and research services to students (Andrus, personal communication, March 11, 2012).
Design and implementation of a middle school program is an opportunity for the library
to provide full information services to all grades. Andrus would like to “have more formal
opportunities to meet with and plan curriculum with middle school and lower school teachers. I
do feel that with more hours (beyond the current 8 hours) for a “middle school” librarian, we
could do a lot more to support middle school” (J. Andrus, personal communication, March 11,
2012). Many questions and concerns remain about incorporating a full-time middle school
program. As Andrus (2012) points out, “how is it possible with limited space and resources?
What would a middle school program look like at Live Oak?” (J Andrus, personal
communication, March 11). If staffing issues are not confronted, a full middle school program
will never transpire.
Opportunities
Opportunities for LOS Library are extensive. Not capitalizing on opportunities may
hinder the library’s realization of plans and goals (Evans & Ward, 2007, p. 153). Opportunities
include: continued cooperation and possible expansion with the public library to enhance
resources for students and teachers, greater utilization of technology and digital information
resources. The library also has an opportunity to enhance its image and raise its stature among
parents and administration.
To provide necessary information to students’ for projects and reports, LOS library works
in cooperation with the public library to bring in books. This helps to augment the LOS
collection and circumvents the space restriction that limits collection growth. (J. Andrus,
personal communication, March 17, 2012). The program is essential to providing students with
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LIVE OAK SCHOOL LIBRARY: STRATEGIC PLAN
resources to further their studies and sets the standard for expansion and more collaborative
opportunities in the future.
Digital information is ubiquitous in the present day and students need to be taught how to
access and assess information to be academically successful beyond eighth grade. Live Oak
Library is in a position to confront this opportunity to utilize and promote digital information by
integrating more digital information avenues. This opportunity to advance library technology
goes hand in hand with the library’s opportunity to better utilize its space.
As of March 2012 there is talk about phasing out the tech-lab and replacing desktop
computers with laptops. The tech lab is accessed by a large staircase that takes up a substantial
portion of the Library’s west wall, If the lab is converted to an administrative office the legal
requirement of two egress will no longer apply and the library stairs can be removed offering
more physical space for collections, teaching space or tables (McAvoy, personal communication,
March 6, 2012). Andrus says the library looks forward to phasing in e-books and other digital
technologies, “when every child has their own laptop, we will be in a better place to move
forward” (J. Andrus, personal communication, 3-11-12). Digital outlets for literature require
minimal space; the incorporation of tools such as e-books provides the library the opportunity for
collection growth while circumnavigating the lack of physical space.
To remain competitive Live Oak School should continue to market itself and promote
their student’s success to those families interested in private school. Those families discouraged
by the public school budget crisis may be attracted to Live Oak’s diverse and supportive
community. The institution has the opportunity to continue to strive for excellence in diversity.
Supporting diverse students of varying ability, including the advanced Spanish students, is
essential to maintaining a reputation for excellence in differentiated instruction.
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LIVE OAK SCHOOL LIBRARY: STRATEGIC PLAN
The Library should develop more intentional messaging about the important academic
function it serves. This message should be incorporated into the mission, vision and values
statements and used in advertising for the various events and activities the library promotes.
Parent volunteers could be trained to do some of the cataloging and processing tasks, freeing
Hayley Beale to spend more time with middle school kids and coordinating with middle school
teachers. The librarian should develop plans and goals that take into consideration the possible
growth or reduction of the student body and the removal of the tech lab stairs. If the school
shrinks, class size will be reduced, making the current space less crowded. If the school grows
the opportunity for library expansion and staff augmentation is greater. More families increase
both the number of volunteers available and the fundraising capacity.
Threats
The main challenges described by Jenny Andrus are the lack of physical space and
understaffing (personal communication, March 11, 20120). Defined by Evans and Ward (2007),
threats, like opportunities, are anything that would hinder the plan or goals of an institution
(2012, p. 153). Space and staffing are issues that must be confronted in order to provide the
library with enough adequate space for a robust collection, excellent group, meeting and teaching
space and the staff to support middle school information literacy and continued engagement in
pleasure reading.
If the school shrinks there may be fewer parent volunteers and less fundraising capacity.
Reduced enrollment will eliminate any possibility of library enlargement or additional staffing.
The elimination of the tech lab makes the lack of teaching space in the library even more
debilitating. Growing the school and engaging in substantial fundraising is risky. An economic
downturn or other events may place the school in a highly leveraged and precarious financial
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LIVE OAK SCHOOL LIBRARY: STRATEGIC PLAN
position. The two avenues for expansion: the East half of the building, or the auto parts service
building to the West both pose logistical service challenges. The library would lose its central
and convenient location and might suffer a loss of discretionary traffic. Andrus would like to see
“the library expand to the room next door which is currently a Humanities classroom but at one
time was the tech lab,” unfortunately, “ I don’t see this happening any time soon” (J. Andrus,
personal communication, March 11, 2012).
Summary
In summary, this paper, Part 1, reviewed literature for environmental scanning. Following
the review an environmental scan of the library and a SWOT analysis are outlined. Different
strengths and weaknesses are explored and suggestions are made to enable the library to be more
successful. A new mission statement and vision and values statement that incorporate issues
discovered in the scan and analysis ends the paper. Part 2 of the assignment will build on the
discoveries of Part 1. Strategic directions and goals will be explored and a relevant annotated
bibliography and analysis of best practices will be provided.
Live Oak School Library: Mission, Vision and Value Statements
Mission
The Live Oak School Library fosters a love of reading and teaches all students the skills to
recognize, acquire and assess needed information by providing materials and instruction that
support academic and personal growth, and prepare each child for future success. The library is
open to all students, faculty, staff and parents.
Vision
The Live Oak School Library broadens students’ prospects by ensuring all have access to
a range of high quality materials with the potential to inspire, engage and promote insight.
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LIVE OAK SCHOOL LIBRARY: STRATEGIC PLAN
Throughout their years at the school, a student’s curiosity will be supported by purposeful
information literacy instruction and encouraged by a welcoming environment where every reader
is known.
Values
The LOS Library intends to realize its mission and vision by embodying the following
values:

Curiosity
The library staff and volunteers will encourage, respect and support student interests.

Diversity
The collection and staff should honor diversity, aware that patrons have a right to expect
an opportunity to increase self-knowledge as well as expand their knowledge of the
unknown.

Quality
All patrons deserve attentive service, a well-maintained, diverse and relevant collection
and information literacy instruction based on current best practice.

Intellectual Freedom and Academic Integrity
Both are essential to the free exchange of ideas in a pluralistic society. Students must be
taught the importance of respecting and practicing these tenets central to the successful
function of our democracy and economy.

Individuality
Books are experienced by individuals. What we read shapes us, and helps to determine
and to define our character. Books allow us to explore: unfettered by our peers and
family conventions and unconstrained by time, ethnicity, gender and even reality. These
literary experiences that shape our individuality make us more valuable to ourselves and
to society.

Community
Books connect us to a shared conversation. The library, with parent and staff support,
celebrates a vital community of lifelong learners connected by a love of, and respect for,
information.
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LIVE OAK SCHOOL LIBRARY: STRATEGIC PLAN
References
AASL advocacy brochures: School library programs improve student learning. Retrieved March
9, 2012 from http://www.ala.org/aasl/aaslissues/brochures/advocacybrochures
Add it up: Research and statistics to help advocates make the case for libraries at every stage of
youth development and education. Retrieved March 9, 2012 from
http://librariesmatter.ala.org/additup
Albright, K. (2004). Environmental scanning: Radar for success. The Information Management
Journal, 38, 38-44.
Bay Area Census. (2012). In San Francisco City and County. Retrieved March, 22, 1012, from
http://www.bayareacensus.ca.gov/counties/SanFranciscoCounty.htm.
Buchanan, S., & Cousins, F. (2012). Evaluating the strategic plans of public libraries: An
inspection-based approach. Library & Information Science Research (07408188), 34(2),
125-130. doi:10.1016/j.lisr.2011.11.004
California Association of Independent Schools. (2012). Retrieved March 16, 2012, from
http://www.caisca.org/page/2242_Home.asp
California Budget Project. (2011). In A Decade of Disinvestment: California Education Spending
Nears the Bottom. Retrieved March, 22, 2012, from http://www.cbp.org/.
Caltrain. (2012). In Stations. Retrieved March 22, 2012, from
http://www.caltrain.com/stations.html.
Castiglione, J. (2008). Environmental scanning: an essential took for twenty-first century
librarianship. Library Review, 57(7), 528-536.
Choo, C. W. (2001). Environmental scanning as information seeking and organizational learning.
Information Research, 7(1).
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City-Data.com. (2010). In eastbay to the city (micro climates). Retrieved March 21, 2012, from
http://www.city-data.com/forum/san-francisco/941046-east-bay-city-microclimates.html.
De Brito, D.. (2010). Mission Loc@l. In Isolated from Potrero Hill's Affluence, the TerraceAnnex Projects Wait for Renewal. Retrieved March 21, 2012, from
http://missionlocal.org/2010/05/potrero-hills-divide-starts-at-the-terrace-annex/.
Evans, G.E., & Ward, P.L. (2007). Management basics for information professionals (2nd ed.).
New York: Neal-Schumann Publishers, Inc.
Journal of Law & Education. (2011). Recent decisions-supreme court decisions. Journal of Law
& Education, 40(4), 659-665.
Knotts, G. (2009). Undergoing gender through legislation and schooling; the case of AB 537 and
AB 394 in California, USA. International Review of Education, 55, 597-614.
doi:10.1007/s11159-009-9138-z
Kretkowski, P.D. (2011). Special to SF Gate,
http://www.sfgate.com/neighborhoods/sf/potrerohill/
Lawyers.com. (2012). In Can Private Schools Discriminate against Students?. Retrieved March,
22, 1012, from http://education-law.lawyers.com/school-law/Can-Private-SchoolsDiscriminate-Against-Students.html.
Legal Match. (2011). In Discrimination in School. Retrieved March 22, 2012, from
http://www.legalmatch.com/law-library/article/discrimination-in-school-lawyers.html.
LOS. http://liveoaksf.org/
Live Oak School. (2012). In Fast Facts. Retrieved March, 12, 2012, from
http://www.liveoaksf.org/about/fastfacts.html.
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LIVE OAK SCHOOL LIBRARY: STRATEGIC PLAN
Live Oak School. (2012). In Welcome: from Head of School Virginia Paik. Retrieved March, 22,
1012, from http://www.liveoaksf.org/about/welcome.html.
Mehlman Petrzela, N. (2010). Before the federal bilingual education act: Legislation and lived
experience on California. Peabody Journal of Education, 85, 406-424.
doi:10.1080/0161956X.2010.518021
The New York Times. (Jan. 6, 2012). In California Budget Crisis. Retrieved March, 22, 2012,
from
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dget_crisis_2008_09/index.html.
Pashiardis, P. (1996). Environmental scanning in educational organizations: uses, approaches,
sources and methodologies. International Journal of Educational Management, 10(3), 5-9.
Post, J. E. & Altman, B. W. (1994). Managing the environmental change prcess: barriers and
opportunities. Journal of Organizational Change Management, 7(4), 64-81.
Private School Review. (2012). In Schools within 5 miles of 94107. Retrieved March 22, 2012,
from http://www.privateschoolreview.com/schools-bydistance/94107/5/None/None/0/None.
SFGate. (2012). In Potrero Hill-San Francisco Neighborhoods . Retrieved March 21, 2012, from
http://www.sfgate.com/neighborhoods/sf/potrerohill/.
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http://www2.ed.gov/pubs/RegPrivSchl/californ.html.
Taylar, I. (2012). Potrero Hill Guide.
http://sanfrancisco.about.com/od/neighborhoodprofiles/ig/sfmaps/Potrero-Hill.html
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The Unted States Department of Justice. (2011). In Large Network of Private Schools Pays
$215,000 to Settle Lawsuit Alleging Discrimination Against Children with Disabilities.
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Wikipedia. (2012). In Potero Hill, San Francisco. Retrieved March 21, 2012, from
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Potrero_Hill,_San_Francisco#Demographic.
Zhang, X., Majid, S., & Foo, S. (2010). Environmental scanning: An application of information
literacy skills at the workplace. Journal of Information Science, 36(6), 719-732.
Zillow. (2012). In Potero Hill Demographics. Retrieved March 21, 2012, from
http://www.zillow.com/local-info/CA-San-Francisco/Potrero-Hill-people/r_268414/.
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Appendix
Figure 1: The environmental scanning process developed by Xue Zhang, Shaheen Majid and
Schubert Foo (2010). The process begins with identifying and defining the scanning needs and
then gathering information from various sources and bringing it all together for a final evaluation
of usages in the organization strategy.
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LIVE OAK SCHOOL LIBRARY: STRATEGIC PLAN
Developing a Strategic Plan for Live Oak School Library:
Part Two:
Strategic Goals, Assessments and Annotated Bibliography
Jane Fry
Ashley Justice
Tisa Matheson
Melissa McAvoy
Seth Perkins
Whitni Watkins
San José State University - School of Library and Information Science
Professor Robert Boyd
LIBR 204-16
April 20, 2012
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LIVE OAK SCHOOL LIBRARY: STRATEGIC PLAN
Abstract
This paper is complementary to the earlier paper entitled “Developing a Strategic Plan for Live
Oak School Library: Part One: Mission, Vision and Value Statements, Environmental Scan, and
SWOT Analysis”. That paper detailed an environmental scan and a SWOT (strengths,
weaknesses, opportunities, threats) analysis of the Library at Live Oak School in San Francisco.
This paper outlines six strategic goals along with their objectives, contexts, action plan and
assessment. These goals include: enhancing the library’s physical space; integrating e-books;
conducting a user survey; increasing awareness of the Library’s critical role in student
achievement and information literacy; developing a partnership with the middle school learning
centre and reading specialist; and increasing outreach to the middle school students. These goals
are followed by an annotated bibliography that illustrates the thought processes followed by the
group in their research.
The strategic plan was developed with substantial input from the Live Oak Librarian,
Jenny Andrus. Without her time and insight our report would not have been possible. We would
like to acknowledge and thank the head of school, Virginia Paik for her gracious willingness to
let us engage in the planning process and to allow access to sensitive board documents and
discussion. Thanks also to Steve Mitchel, board president, for his comprehensive memory of
school history, which is the result of his long and dedicated service to the school. We would also
like to thank the many dedicated board members, volunteers and staff who have served the
school, and developed and husbanded its student-centered mission, vision, and values. Their
thoughtful dedication is an inspiration.
Keywords: strategic goals, objectives, contexts, action plan, assessment
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LIVE OAK SCHOOL LIBRARY: STRATEGIC PLAN
Developing a Strategic Plan for Live Oak School Library:
Part Two:
Strategic Goals, Assessments and Annotated Bibliography
The mission of the Live Oak School Library is to prepare each child for future success by
fostering a love of reading and teaching students to recognize, acquire and assess needed
information. To deliver on its mission the library must succeed in three key areas. It must
provide access to a collection of high quality materials. It must inspire, engage and promote
insight. It must supply purposeful information literacy instruction: equipping students with skills
critical for academic and personal growth.
The strategic plan addresses the constraints identified in the environmental scan and
SWOT analysis. The goals have been formulated to overcome or compensate for impediments
that prevent the Library and its staff from delivering fully on its Mission, Vision and Values.
The objectives, action plans and assessments have been informed by a review of relevant
literature and by extensive discussion with the administration and staff connected to the library.
The goals listed should be reviewed by the Librarian according to the dates listed in the
assessments, or sooner if necessary.
The school is at a crossroads in its history. The decisions the board and administration
will make regarding expansion or contraction will have dramatic effects on the library and its
program. It is essential that the library consider possible responses to two very different futures
so that Live Oak Library is in the strongest possible position. Students’ ability to succeed
academically and to nourish personal potential is linked to a robust library program (Lance,
Rodney and Hamilton-Pennel, 2005). While crucial for all students, fostering a love of reading
and equipping students with information literacy is especially critical in closing the achievement
gap for students with learning differences or disadvantages (Achterman, 2010; Francis, Lance
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LIVE OAK SCHOOL LIBRARY: STRATEGIC PLAN
and Lietzau, 2010). Realizing the Library’s Mission, Vision and Values is crucial to students’
success, the library’s success and, ultimately, the school’s success.
The Mission: To foster a love of reading and teach all students the skills to recognize, acquire
and assess needed information by providing materials and instruction that support academic and
personal growth, and prepare each child for future success.
Live Oak School Library: Strategic Plan 2012-2014
Goal 1: Develop a plan to enhance the library’s physical space, considering both expansion
and contraction models.
Objective 1.1 Develop a plan for proper teaching space.
Context: Space recurred as a key issue in the SWOT analysis. There is no structured teaching
space. The librarian must create makeshift accommodations.
Action Plan: The Librarian conducts classes daily and needs both whiteboard options and
screen options. This critical need exists whether she has fewer students or more. It is nearly
certain that the tech lab will be phased out and the stairs area will be available to repurpose as
a teaching space. Documenting need and making a case early will ensure the teaching space is
a budgeted part of the tech lab repurposing process.
There is talk of obtaining a smartboard for the library and installing it in the niche where
the two computers for catalog searching are currently located. This would result in the loss of
at least one monitor. Two monitors are preferable for catalog searching.
Assessment: In the short term, six months to one year, a smartboard, installed in place of the
catalog monitors, is preferable to no teaching space and laminated sheets propped against a
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LIVE OAK SCHOOL LIBRARY: STRATEGIC PLAN
bookcase. Within two to three years a designated teaching space where the stairs were and
restored monitors is the target.
Objective 1.2 Reduce crowding in the Library.
Context: The library is often overcrowded, during and outside of class time. In an enrollment
contraction scenario, class size would diminish. In an expansion scenario, class size would
grow, but section size would reduce. The library would undoubtedly gain square feet to
expand. In both cases, crowding during class would be improved. Removing the steps, which
intrude into the center of the room, will also improve crowding.
Action Plan: Strategize with teachers and administrators about finding other spaces for
tutoring and small group work to occur. The new Middle School learning center and small
meeting room, an estimated September 2012 finish date, should alleviate some pressure.
Planning for expansion should consider shelving needs, workspace, and line of sight for class
work and after school programs (LOStopia). Planning for contraction should consider new
tables with central supports that would allow flexible seating.
Assessment: In one year, the crowding situation in the library should be reassessed.
Improvement should be notable. Spaces should have been found elsewhere in the school for
auxiliary meetings and group work. The board will have decided to contract or expand and the
relevant plans should be implemented.
Objective 1.3 Improve monitoring of the non-fiction area.
Context: The non-fiction area is out of view and must be monitored; during class, lunch,
study hall and LOStopia. The non-fiction room requires constant attention, taking time away
from other services, work and student interaction.
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LIVE OAK SCHOOL LIBRARY: STRATEGIC PLAN
Action Plan: If the school grows, it may be possible to rethink the entire space. If enough
additional shelving space is acquired, the wall separating the librarian’s desk and the nonfiction room could become a half wall or a window could be installed. Another possibility,
with or without growth, is the installation of a camera that would enable the librarian or
LOStopia personnel to monitor the room without having to physically enter it. To justify the
need for either construction or a camera, the librarian and LOStopia staff should keep a log
counting the number of times they must monitor the non-fiction space and then estimate the
amount of time the monitoring consumes.
Assessment: At the end of one term, examine the amount of time needed to monitor the nonfiction room and write a report detailing the time taken and the tasks that were not able to be
completed while running back and forth to the room. Additionally, the report should contain
the cost of monitoring the room in a more efficient manner. At the end of the next term, assess
the situation. If a tool has been implemented to make monitoring the area easier, then the goal
has been achieved.
Objective 1.4 Provide for collection growth.
Context: Currently, there is no space for collections to grow. To have a high quality, relevant
and diverse collection, books and materials must continually be added. In a recent Illinois
study, collection currency is correlated with higher 5th grade writing scores and higher 8th
grade reading scores (Lance, Rodney & Hamilton-Pennell, 2005).
Action Plan: The first part of finding space for the collection to grow is to determine whether
or not there is a weeding policy in effect. If there is none, one should be established. During
the summer months, the Librarian should supervise a group of volunteers and aggressively
weed the collection, especially non-fiction. Another aspect of providing for collection growth
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LIVE OAK SCHOOL LIBRARY: STRATEGIC PLAN
involves the Librarian’s liaison with the public library. This should be strengthened, so that
lack of materials does not constrain classroom study. Utilizing the human resources at Live
Oaks School will help to provide growth for special parts of the library collection. For
example, the Spanish teachers should be charged with helping to develop a wish list of books.
Spanish books from the library should be displayed in the Spanish room with an honor system
for check out, sequentially relieving library shelves to accommodate more titles.
Assessment: In six months, the existence of the Weeding Policy will be determined and a
time to weed will be scheduled for the summer. The Librarian’s liaison with the public
library will be assessed in six months to determine the areas that need supplement. In six
months the list of books recommended by the Spanish teachers will be ordered. In the
following six months, these books should be in the Spanish room with an established
checkout system. At the end of the second year, the Spanish room circulation program should
be examined to determine the effectiveness of this plan.
Goal 2: Develop a plan to integrate e-books.
Objective: Explore forming a consortium of K-8 private schools to form a communal e-book
library.
Context: One way to expand the collection is to add e-books to the Library. E-books would
also enable the Librarian to interact with middle school students by pushing book-talk emails
to 6th, 7th and 8th grade classes on a regular basis. Students would not need to visit the library
to check out books.
Action Plan: Reach out to peer schools to determine their thoughts and plans regarding ebooks. It is probable that they are also concerned about the expense versus the use. The
library should partner with Live Oak tech directors to explore the feasibility and cost of an
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LIVE OAK SCHOOL LIBRARY: STRATEGIC PLAN
online, shared e-book catalog. The next step is to write up a proposal that outlines the actions
of peer schools in this area, as well as detailing the costs and work involved in setting up this
consortium. It should be realized here that there is the possibility that a consortium has
already been set up by some of the peer schools, in that case the costs of joining should be
examined.
Assessment: In six months the opinions of peer schools regarding a communal e-book library
will be known. This will determine the next step in the action plan and the assessment. If a
consortium exists the cost benefit analysis of joining will be known. If other schools are not
interested in a partnership, LOS will subsequently bear all the cost and need to re-examine the
feasibility of adding e-books. If peer schools are willing to be part of a consortium, another
assessment will determine scope and time frame to implement.
Goal 3: Gain an understanding of student reading patterns and preferences from 3rd through
8th grade.
Objective: Survey students in 3rd through 8th grade to establish reading patterns and
preferences.
Context: The Librarian suspects reading for pleasure drops off precipitously after 5th grade,
when students no longer have regularly scheduled library time. Library usage and library
visits have been shown in multiple studies in twelve states to impact student test scores
(Lance, Rodney & Hamilton-Pennell, 2005). Middle school reading patterns will determine
whether the Administration needs to consider more Librarian time devoted to middle school.
Action Plan: Research other user surveys to determine appropriate questions for our user
survey. Develop the survey over the summer, perhaps in conjunction with other school
librarians. Survey questions can include: favorite books, fiction versus non-fiction, time spent
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LIVE OAK SCHOOL LIBRARY: STRATEGIC PLAN
reading each week, where students get their books (our library, public library, book store), ebooks use, and how they rate our Library collection. There should be baseline questions to
determine information literacy skill levels. There should also be open-ended questions so they
can list suggestions they have for Live Oak School Library. The survey should be offered
online, accompanied with substantial advertising in order to include as many student
participants as possible. Once the survey is administered, the results should be analyzed and a
report written up.
Assessment: In six months, the survey should be ready for distribution. Six months after the
results should be tabulated and the following month a report with recommendations should be
submitted to the assistant head and head of school.
Goal 4: Increase awareness of Library’s critical role in student achievement and information
literacy.
Context: While the Library is highly regarded, there seems to be little public perception of
the Librarian’s role as an educator and the Library’s connection to academic achievement.
The Library is briefly mentioned in admissions materials for K-5, but no mention is made of
any teaching function or information literacy. There is also no mention of the Library or of
information literacy in Middle School admissions. Absent teaching space in the Library
indicates a misunderstanding of the Librarian’s teaching role, in particular the information
literacy services the Library is capable of providing.
Objective 4.1 Publicize Library’s role in student achievement, and educate parents and faculty
about the Library’s information literacy curriculum.
Action Plan: There are four areas that need changes and/or additions to achieve this
objective. School News and Library mailings, including Birthday books and Book Fair, need
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LIVE OAK SCHOOL LIBRARY: STRATEGIC PLAN
to have pedagogic material added to them. The Live Oak News should feature an article
highlighting the Library’s new Mission, Vision and Values. Another feature would summarize
data that demonstrates the relationship of reading to academic achievement. The Library
webpage and Library section on the admission’s website should be updated in light of the new
Mission, Vision and Values. The report cards should add a brief paragraph that outlines the
information literacy skills taught to that grade during the semester. Lastly, there should be a
display of professional development books in the teachers’ lounge that coordinates with
Library displays.
Assessment: Within six months, there should have been changes made to the school news,
the library mailings, the school webpage, as well as the library webpage. The display should
also be set up in the teachers’ lounge. In one year, the report cards should have the added
paragraph about information literacy skills.
Objective 4.2 Address Middle School information literacy, especially in regard to database
searching skills and critical assessment of web pages.
Action Plan: Consult with the tech directors and the middle school learning specialist to
develop a team taught mini-course on research skills. This mini-course will include directions
for searching databases and a list of ways to determine whether or not a webpage is reputable
and can be used for gathering information. Consider inviting a LOS graduate back to talk
about high school research, they are likely to have a motivating effect.
Assessment: In six months, the team that will be teaching the mini-course should be
established and the outline drawn up. In one year, the mini-course should have been tested on
the 8th grade students and adjustments made to the mini-course so it will be a regular part of
the curriculum.
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LIVE OAK SCHOOL LIBRARY: STRATEGIC PLAN
Goal 5: Develop strategic partnership with middle school learning center.
Context: The new middle school learning center will draw a lot of attention as it has been
much discussed as a welcome addition to the middle school. The Librarian has a strong
working relationship with the teacher who will have the new role as middle school reading
specialist. This strong relationship is important as librarian and teacher cooperation has been
shown to have a powerful impact on student achievement (Lance, Rodney & HamiltonPennell, 2005). Live Oak likes to send groups to professional development, so that a team
comes back informed.
Objective: Meet weekly with middle school reading specialist to develop joint programs and to
support student achievement goals.
Action Plan: Schedule a weekly meeting for the first term. Determine achievement goals for
the different grades and for individual students. Write up a plan that will support the
previously determined student goals. Determine if additional materials need to be purchased
and from what budget. Contact peer schools to determine whether they have joint programs
in place and set up meeting times to discuss these programs with the schools. Start
developing the joint program. Write joint newsletter articles. Seek joint professional
development opportunities.
Assessment: In six months, there should have been a number of meetings. The peer schools
should have been contacted to determine if any of them already have such a program.
Professional development opportunities will have been identified and plans made for
attendance. In one year, the goals and means of achieving these goals for the middle school
students should be listed. There should have been a couple of short articles written for the
Live Oak News.
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LIVE OAK SCHOOL LIBRARY: STRATEGIC PLAN
Goal 6: Increase library outreach to middle school students.
Context: The second Librarian only works one day a week (Fridays) and spends much of her
time cataloging and book processing, leaving little time for middle school outreach. If LOS
decides to seek additional employees, San José State University (SJSU) Graduate School of
Library and Information Science (MLIS) is a rich resource for professionals seeking job
experience.
Objective 6.1 Increase strategic use of volunteers to free middle school Librarian’s time.
Action Plan: Design a training plan in the areas of cataloging and book processing. Design a
job description for the volunteers and train them accordingly.
Assessment: In six months, the training plan and job description should be completed. In
one year, there should be a number of volunteers who are helping out on a regular basis. At
the end of two years, the volunteer program should be assessed to ensure that it is fulfilling its
mandate.
Objective 6.2 Consider creating an internship for SJSU MLIS students.
Action Plan: Explore the possibility of creating an internship that would help the Librarian
add more hours to the middle school outreach program. Contact SJSU MLIS program to
determine the requirements for an internship.
Assessment: In six months, the SJSU MLIS program should have been contacted for
information. In one year, the decision should have been made whether or not to create an
internship. If one is to be created, then it should be in the process of being implemented.
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Conclusion
The purpose of this paper was to complement an earlier paper that detailed an
environmental scan and SWOT analysis of the Live Oak Library in San Francisco. In the earlier
paper, a new Mission, Vision and Values statement was detailed based on the scan and SWOT
analysis. This paper outlined six strategic goals along with their objectives, contexts, action
plans and assessments. It is hoped that the strategic plan will enable the Live Oak Library to
fulfill its Mission, Vision and Values statement.
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LIVE OAK SCHOOL LIBRARY: STRATEGIC PLAN
Annotated Bibliography
AASL advocacy brochures: School library programs improve student learning. Retrieved March
9, 2012 from http://www.ala.org/aasl/aaslissues/brochures/advocacybrochures
Published by the American Association of School Libraries, each brochure views the school
library from a group point of view with an interest in the operation of the library through
administrators, policymakers, parents, and teachers. The brochures represent what a library
should be. Knowing where the Live Oak School library is now in terms of physical layout,
resources, services, etc. is one thing, but knowing what direction it should take to meet the needs
of the patrons is another; reading these brochures helped provide the direction we needed for
completion of our strategic goals.
Albright, K. (2004). Environmental scanning: Radar for success. The Information Management
Journal, 38, 38-44.
In this article, Kendra Albright, Assistant Professor in the School of Information Sciences at the
University of Tennessee, explains the need for information organizations to perform
environmental scans and provides the details of this process. The article also discusses external
influences that could affect the future of an organization must be identified as well as the need
for strategic plans to deal with potential problems. Albright insists that an environmental scan is
a process that is continually underway, as environments and circumstances can change quite
quickly. The environments to be monitored include industry/market, technology, regulatory,
economic, social, and political. After the environmental scan, organization needs are identified;
information is gathered from the applicable environments. The information gathered is analyzed,
and the results are communicated to the necessary people; decisions made are based on the
results. All organizations interested in their own longevity should partake in an environmental
scanning process. Albright’s strategic planning process guided and informed our own strategic
plan for Live Oak School library.
Beck, S. (2010). We must think strategically. Reference & User Services Quarterly, 49(3), 208214.
This column, written by the president of the Reference and User Services Association (RUSA),
examines the statements of concern about the future of libraries from candidates who ran for an
elected position in RUSA between 2007 and 2009. Collaboration between library professionals
was one area of concern for this organization, and this relates to the Live Oak School library’s
need to work with specialists outside of the school building. The area of user services also needs
monitoring to keep track of the services and collections patrons need and want as well as the
amount and method of instruction that works best. This practice coincides with our strategic
goal of surveying students at Live Oak School to ensure that the school’s resources are being
adequately allocated. In addition, candidates also viewed technology, professional development,
relevancy, and the economy as discussion worthy.
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LIVE OAK SCHOOL LIBRARY: STRATEGIC PLAN
Buchanan, S., & Cousins, F. (2012). Evaluating the strategic plans of public libraries: An
inspection-based approach. Library & Information Science Research (07408188), 34(2),
125-130. doi:10.1016/j.lisr.2011.11.004.
The journal article was written by Steven Buchanan and Fionnuala Cousins, members of the
Department of Computer and Information Sciences at the University of Strathclyde in Scotland.
The article is a study evaluating public libraries and whether they had a strategic plan that was
complete and implemented. The authors observed multiple studies and data recorded by other
parties in regards to the use and importance of strategic plans in their organizations. The body of
the article breaks down the main components of a strategic plan based upon the data pulled from
multiple public libraries and briefly discusses each component and its use in the plan. The
authors did find that most of the organizations had strategic plans that were incomplete. The
goal of the article is to provide a rubric for a method to identify and assess a strategic plan in its
completeness. The article was useful for us in searching for helpful guidelines as to what to
include in the strategic plan for Live Oak School library. It is also helpful to those researching
the use of strategic plans throughout the information services in their organizations.
Castiglione, J. (2008). Environmental scanning: an essential took for twenty-first century
librarianship. Library Review, 57(7), 528-536.
This journal article was written by James Castiglione, a professor at Brooklyn College as a
viewpoint of environmental scanning. The article highlights the important components on an
environmental scan. It outlines environmental scanning process particular to libraries, as well as
providing research support on the importance of the scan to the growth and life of the
organization. The author provides the readers with resources to consider when implementing an
environmental scan including resources that may empower them to conduct environmental
scanning activities. This article presented a strong supplement to the focus of our literature
review which was environmental scanning . The core of the article discusses multiple areas
supporting the importance and need of environmental scanning within a library organization. A
unique factor of this article is that it introduces the idea of initiating an environmental scan on a
global scale.
Forrest, C. (2009). Academic libraries as learning spaces: Library effectiveness and the user
experience. Georgia Library Quarterly, 46(3), 7-10.
Charles Forrest, director of Library Facilities Management and Planning at Emory University in
Atlanta, stresses the importance of a viewing the library as an experience and the customer as a
guest in this article. A library’s inputs, outputs, resources, and services all contribute to a
customer’s overall experience. Forrest believes all library employees must work as collaborative
partners, ensuring that a customer’s activities and encounters in the library will result in success
for the library as an institution by fostering learning and enhancing the reputation of the library
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LIVE OAK SCHOOL LIBRARY: STRATEGIC PLAN
and its community. Forrest examines Anaheim’s Cerritos Public Library as an example of a true
“library experience.” Enhancing the library’s physical features is the focus of one of our goals
for the Live Oak School library and this article provided examples for us to develop from. The
article confers about the library’s features which include an aquarium, life-size dinosaur replica,
and a fireplace with artificial fire and fire sounds and how these features cultivate the learning
that takes place there.
Francis, B. H., Lance, K. C., & Lietzau, Z. (2010). School librarians continue to help achieve
standards: the third Colorado study (2010). (Closer Look Report). Denver, CO: Colorado
State Library, Library Research Service. Retrieved April 11, 2012 from
www.lrs.org/documents/closer_look/CO3_2010_Closer_Look_Report.pdf
This study, sponsored by the Colorado State Library, Colorado Department of Education, and the
University of Denver’s College of Education, asserts that there is a correlation between the
strength of an elementary library program and student performance on the reading portion of the
Colorado Student Assessment Program. The study gauges the strength of a library program in
terms of staffing, expenditures, student visits, and collections. According to the research cited,
students performed better if the following conditions were met: the library program is served by
at least one endorsed librarian; the library spent more than the median $10.53 on each student;
students visited the library 151 times or more per week; and the library subscribed to nine or
more periodicals and circulated 150 or more VHS and DVD videos. The results of this study
support our strategic goals of strengthening the Live Oak School library by improving the library
space to allow for more student visits and integrating e-books to increase the library’s collection.
Gersten, T., Losee, S., & Paik, V. (2012). Live Oak School: An independent K-8 school in San
Francisco. Retrieved from http://liveoaksf.org/index.html
This aesthetically pleasing website is the home page for Live Oak School, our assignment’s
focus organization. With a clean look and clearly labeled links, this site is very user-friendly. The
site includes a message from the head of the school; facts about enrollment, tuition, and
transportation; an interactive view of the school’s block; information on academics, the school’s
facilities, school life, and more. This website was very helpful in better understanding the school
and its library. This understanding was vital to our research considering the fact that the majority
of our group has never actually been to the school. A great deal of our background information
was obtained from the website, and more in-depth issues were discussed with the librarian whose
contact information can be found on this website.
Harada, V. (2005). Working smarter: Being strategic about assessment and
accountability. Teacher Librarian, 33(1), 8-15.
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This feature article written by Violet Harada, professor and coordinator of the School Library
Media specialization at the University of Hawaii, stresses the importance of the library’s role in
school wide assessments. Resources in schools will always be limited; therefore, school media
programs must appear valuable by visibly contributing to school goals. Media specialists
currently report statistics related to collection sizes, new acquisitions, student attendance,
damaged and lost book counts, and classes taught. What librarians need to report are statistics
related to the extent of student learning. Assessments measuring this information can take the
form of observations, products, and conversations. The strategy outlined by Harada to “work
smarter” in linking library goals to school goals helped us focus as we developed our strategic
goals for the Live Oak School Library.
Hartzell, G. (2002). What’s it take? Teacher Librarian, 30(1), 81-86.
This presentation by Dr. Gary Hartzell, a professor of Educational Administration and
Supervisor at the University of Nebraska, examines what it will take to make libraries the
educational centers they could be. He claims that administrators are the main obstacle in
achieving this ideal because of their age and the stereotypes they associate with “library” and
“librarian” based on their own schooling experiences. Dr. Hartzell mentions a requirement of
aspiring educators in Wisconsin which is requiring instruction about school media programs and
the resources and technologies associated with them. More programs of this nature would help
correct the disturbing trend of librarians being viewed as professionals outside of the teaching
partnerships arena. Principals have the power to encourage collaboration between teachers and
library specialists, but most do not exercise this power. In fact, the entire media program is
likely to go unnoticed and consequently undervalued because it’s difficult for principals to
recognize a successful librarian when teachers and students often absorb their work. To fix the
problem, the gap in administrators’ educations must be filled, and media specialists must make
their work known. The library must be viewed as a central place of knowledge acquisition and
student success. One of our strategic goals for the Live Oak School library was to create
awareness of the Library’s involvement with student achievement.
Johnson, H. (1994). Strategic planning for modern libraries. Library Management, 15(1), 7-18.
http://dx.doi.org/10.1108/01435129410049007.
This journal article by Heather Johnson, the temporary assistant librarian at the University of
Luton in Bedfordshire, England, lays out the different elements of strategic planning and how to
implement and initiate the task within a library organization. It serves as an informative article
and is useful to those who are looking into revising their strategic plan or developing one for
their library. The article is based on the idea that librarians need to take into account modern
practices in order for their library to continue the growth it needs to survive. The view is slightly
biased, as the author already believes strategic planning is important for libraries. The article
provides guidance for libraries as they begin the process of strategic planning by briefly defining
a strategic plan and discussing the importance, the process and the implementation of the plan.
The article supports the argument that strategic plans can be highly effective within a library or
information service and are not used to their potential by current information professionals.
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LIVE OAK SCHOOL LIBRARY: STRATEGIC PLAN
Developing a strategic plan for Live Oak School library is a main part of this paper and this
article helped form the thought process we needed to accomplish that task.
Pacios, A. R. (2004). Strategic plans and long-range plans: is there a difference? Library
Management, 25(6), 259 – 269. http://dx.doi.org/10.1108/01435120410547913
This journal article is written by Ana Pacios, from the Library Science Documentation
Department from Carlos III University of Madrid, Spain. The article compares and contrasts the
meaning of the most commonly used expressions to refer to the plans that consider the future of
the library, strategic planning and long range planning. The author conducted research of 65
plans, 34 public libraries and 31 university libraries, located on the web from public and
university libraries. The article briefly touches on the terminology and idea behind strategic
planning literature. The article is insightful on the different terms used to describe planning
within a library, strategic and long range. This article compares the data retrieved from the
libraries and concludes that the terms strategic planning and long range planning have no
significant difference in meaning. The article is based strictly upon the data collected by
research, providing an unbiased conveyance of information. The article is useful in providing an
in-depth study on what the two expressions actually mean as well as how different information
services conduct strategic planning based on their library’s needs.
Pashiardis, P. (1996). Environmental scanning in educational organizations: uses, approaches,
sources and methodologies. International Journal of Educational Management, 10(3), 59.
This journal article by Petros Pashiardis, an assistant professor at the University of Cyprus,
emphasizes the importance of educational institutes to stay abreast the environmental changes.
The article’s audience is educational institutions and the guidelines put forth pertain to
educational environments. The main argument of this article is that in order for organizations to
succeed in an environment that is constantly and often drastically changing they must put into
practice environmental scanning. The article is very useful to those researching best practices
and reasons to implement an environmental scan. It provides information on the uses of an
environmental scan as well how approaches to executing the scan within an organization. The
article refers to multiple sources to help gain an objective view of what an environmental scan
entails. The goal of this article is to provide an informative approach to environmental scanning
in educational environments and their vital importance for the survival and success of an
institution. The article provided great insight for our literature review as well as providing a
understanding of the importance of the environmental scan within libraries.
Smith, K. (2002). Building student learning through school libraries. Teacher Librarian, 30(1),
87-89.
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This supplement to Teacher Librarian focuses on a Colorado high school’s library media
program. Written by Dr. Kathleen Smith, the principal of the school, the article highlights the
program’s credibility by citing data that shows an increase in the school’s graduation rate,
decrease in the dropout rate, number of students attending college, and the number of AP tests
administered. Dr. Smith attributes the school’s success to five areas: advocacy, access, data,
technology, and connections between teaching and learning. The school is committed to
information literacy from the first day of each school year; administrators, librarians, and
teachers stress the importance of the media center’s services, and throughout the year
celebrations, speakers, readings, exhibits, and more remind students of the library’s offerings.
Because knowledge acquisition is the program’s focus, the school’s media center is always open
during school hours and for several hours after school. Librarians keep data on who uses what
materials and for what purpose. This monitoring revealed a dramatic shift from periodical use to
online database use. This practice ties into our strategic goal of conducting student surveys at
Live Oak School so that the library may better serve the students needs and wants. If they know
the usage trends and interests from their students, they can better justify the expenditures needed.
Zhang, X., Majid, S., & Foo, S. (2010). Environmental scanning: An application of information
literacy skills at the workplace. Journal of Information Science, 36(6), 719-732.
This journal article, developed by Xue Zhang, Shaheen Majid and Schubert Foo, correspondents
with the Nanyang Technological University in Singapore, focuses on environmental scanning
and its relationship with information literacy skills and environmental instability. The authors
use their literature review to briefly introduce environmental scanning, information literacy
skills, as well as break down an environmental scan into seven necessary components:
identification, acquisition of information, storage of information, information processing,
distribution, evaluation and use. The in-depth literature review provides a stable ground for
understanding the argument of the importance of incorporating information literacy skills within
the scan. The authors provide a refined model that links the correlations between information
literacy skills, environmental uncertainty and environmental scanning. The model was used in
our literature review to help convey the process of an environmental scan in a visual format.
They conclude that an environmental scan is an information intensive process and that those
involved in conducting the environmental scan must acquire the necessary information literacy
skills in order for the process to obtain high-quality environmental information.
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