Libraries play a key role in schools. They are places where students come together and different interests overlap. For this reason, libraries are essential for the encouragement of learning and curiosity. Although such environments should naturally expose students to new perspectives and concepts, it’s also important that the library reflects and supports the unique policies, demographics and mission aims of your school. Whether a primary or secondary, state or independent, the location, size, demographic and nature of your school will shape its strategic direction. If your library is to be an integral part of your school, its provision must likewise be tailored to the school itself. Creating a library development plan will help you to stay aligned to your school’s mission and set out your vision for the library based on that.
A library development plan strategically outlines your priorities to raise standards and identifies the measures to achieve your goals. A typical library development plan will include a short introduction that summarises your previous year’s evaluation and sets out a rationale for any changes you intend to implement. This is usually followed by a table which presents a simplified outline of what you intend to achieve in the future, your strategies, the resources you’ll need, and the criteria by which you will judge your success. This should be presented in a simple format so it is easy to read and relevant parties, including senior leadership and school managers, can be made aware of the strategic direction of your library.
It is important not to be too ambitious when creating your development plan. You should set targets that are realistic and which provide motivation to staff. You may also wish to limit yourself to no more than three or four goals. If possible, it is preferable for your goals to be linked to your school’s overarching policies or strategies. However, this may not always be possible.
Watch school library professional, Nick, discuss some of the specific considerations to be accounted for when creating your library development plan in Video 1.