Library plans for the future
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Updated: November 25, 2009 11:33 AM
NANAIMO, 20 November 2009 – Vancouver Island Regional Library (VIRL) is embarking on a strategic planning process and invites the public to participate and help plan its future.
Public consultation sessions will be held in locations throughout VIRL’s region, and the public is invited to attend, participate and provide input. In addition, members of the public are encouraged to complete a questionnaire, which will be available on the website (www.virl.bc.ca
“Too often, strategic planning is seen as a complex process involving only senior management in the design and production of a glossy marketing document that’s used infrequently,” says Rosemary Bonanno, VIRL’s executive director.
“Strategic planning has the potential to be a powerful process that galvanizes an organization by bringing together the public, the board and staff to develop a common vision, direction and goals that will provide valuable information at budget time, as the strategic direction should drive funding decisions,” she says.
For the public consultation sessions VIRL will use a process called ‘appreciative inquiry’ (AI) that has been widely used in organizations since the early 1980s.
“Appreciative inquiry focuses on the best in people and their organizations; instead of building a future on correcting negatives – what’s ‘broke’ so to speak - AI builds the future on things that are done well,” says Bonanno.
The public consultation sessions will take approximately 2 hours, and afterwards participants will be able to view their input on a ‘moodle’ website that allows for on-line collaboration and communication. Moodle (modular object-oriented dynamic learning environment) is frequently used in post-secondary educational institutions.
For more information, please visit the website at www.virl.bc.ca.
