Know Thyself What is a SWOT Analysis Strengths

Know Thyself

What is a SWOT Analysis? Strengths Weaknesses Opportunities Threats

Strengths Weaknesses Opportunities Threats

I N T E R N A L E X T E R N A L Strengths Weaknesses Opportunities Threats

POSITIVE ADVERSARIAL Strengths Weaknesses Opportunities Threats

Strengths Weaknesses Opportunities Threats

What we’ve done O Blue Ridge Branch (MCPL)

10 Questions 1. What do you brag about when you talk about your work? 6. What one thing would have the biggest impact? What we’ve done 2. What are three most 7. Looking to the future, what critical issues facing our worries you the most? O Blue Ridge Branch (MCPL) community today? 8. What makes you most 3. Why are these issues hopeful? important? 9. If all your dreams could come 4. If you could change anything true, what would you wish for about the way we serve the your work? For the library community, what would you system as a whole? change and why? 10. Who has a stake in the 5. What operational library’s success over the investments would next three years? significantly improve the impact we have on the community?

10 Questions Strengths Weaknesses 1. What do you brag about when you talk. Service about your 6. What one • thing would. Levels have • Customer Staffing work? the biggest impact? • Staff • Budget • Our ties to the community • Database promotion 2. What are three most 7. • Looking to the what Promotion of future, early literacy critical issues facing our you the most? • worries Time for 1 -on-1 assistance O Blue Ridge Branch (MCPL) community today? • Lack of dedicated prog. /study 8. What makes you mostareas • Access to & assistance with 3. Why are these issues hopeful? • Training tech important? • Outreach • Early literacy awareness 9. • If Emergency all your dreams could come preparedness • you Jobcould search assistance 4. If change anything true, what would • you wish for Weeding • Browsing copies of books about the way we serve the your work? For the library • Outreach what would you community, system as a whole? • Violence/Crime • Emergency preparedness change and why? • Poverty/Economic issues 10. Who has a stake in the • Library becoming 5. What operational library’s success over the irrelevant? investments would next three years? Opportunities Threats significantly improve the impact we have on the community? What we’ve done

What we’ve done O Blue Ridge Branch (MCPL) O Blue Springs City Theatre (Blue Springs, MO)

What we’ve done What are 5 O things Blue Ridge Branch (MCPL)things that we we do may not do really well? O Blue Springs City Theatre well? (Blue Springs, MO) What are 5 things that you’d like to see us do outside our organization? What are 5 barriers to our organization’s success?

Blue Springs City Theatre O Key Threat O Other theatre organizations have conflicting showtimes and weekends O We communicated and adjusted our show weekends to benefit everyone O This analysis helped the board receive a grant to assist in strategic planning

What we’ve done O Blue Ridge Branch (MCPL) O Blue Springs City Theatre (Blue Springs, MO) O Colbern Road Branch (MCPL)

When to call in SWOT O As part of strategic planning O used to create and set goals O Apart from strategic planning O used to accomplish goals O Annually O revisit

The SWOT Plan O Decide how to gather data O Survey O Focus Groups O Bulletin Board/White Board Brainstorming O Choose your SWOT Team

The SWOT Team O Staff O Board Members O Community O Patrons O Non-patrons AKA Stakeholders

The SWOT Plan O Decide how to gather data O Survey O Focus Groups O Bulletin Board/White Board Brainstorming O Choose your SWOT Team O Conduct it O gather and narrow results

SWOT Training

MLA Annual Conference Strengths Weaknesses Opportunities Threats

MLA Annual Conference • • • • • • • Networking Education Library-specific Meeting Vendors Fun/Social Events Exchange of Ideas Chance to travel and see other libraries Location (if centrally located) Rotation of location (reaches smaller libs) Helps academics meet presentation requirements Relatively Inexpensive Committee Involvement New technology Diversify Sessions (pertain to more libraries) Use conference as a forum for national lib issues Network with other associations Solicit ideas from small/rural libraries Reaching very small or rural libraries Open-ended sessions (participation based) Virtual sessions (broadcast/record) eliminate conflicts Carpooling/bussing to conference (link on web? ) More scholarships “Ask Dr. Librarian” session More real-life xp panels Regional mini-conferences Strengths Opportunities • • • • Hit or Miss Sessions Location Technology Issues Unfamiliar to New Members Scheduling events Session conflicts Content may not pertain to special or school libraries Weaknesses Funding Decline in speakers Competing conferences Membership Attendance Tracking can harm attendance/interest Threats

The SWOT Plan O Putting it to use O Match Strengths with Opportunities O Take a hard, close look at Weaknesses O Allay Threats O What can you do to improve? O What if you stop doing it? Is there another organization that fills that need? Is it even needed?

Conclusions O “Know Thyself” O You have to know where you are before you know where you’re going O Be deliberate about what we do and what we don’t do O SWOT Analyses can help determine your focus O This is the best session you will see all week

Questions? Now is the time to seek counsel from the oracle

References Hammerstein NYC. SWAT. Photo. Accessed 1 Oct 2014 from https: //www. flickr. com/photos/strawdog 316/8369913481/in/photolist-d. KBZF 8 -fow. Qx. Edcfg. Xe-bdf 6 hc-f. Ewy 6 J-d 56 WRS-8 mz 2 Q-ec. MFMa-7 z. ADp. Q-d. A 3 yoj-2 qz. Epa-6 Ec. Wx 6 dcfpz. S-9 Reo. N 8 -5 c 5 Mk 3 -52 r. Xrc-83 un 8 g-iavnc. K-dkf. C 1 x-5 j. C 7 Qs-ytj. AS-ytj. AL-5 ZQj. NSdjc. WN 8 -Jqp 8 G-8 g. SZz-yto. CT-e. Zux. HQ-a. Ez. Xi. P-yto. CP-e. Zicwk-618 qgz-58 ZEd. J-f. Bo 5 Uuf 18 mk 4 -a. WNJYx-tr. RMS-5 Wd. VAw-e 2 buj. L-6 q. Cg 3 A-f 1 n. Gid-f 6 e 7 Ga-68 STi. J-574 i. Na 2 P 3 W 7 m-ELHp 3 -6 M 5 H 2 j-4 ak. Wrd-7 ELDs. G-NXFy. T Lake, N. (2012). The Strategic Planning Workbook (3 rd ed. ). Philadelphia, PA: Kogan Page Peterson, S. Temple of Apollo. Photo. Accessed 22 Sep 2014 from https: //www. flickr. com/photos/stevepeterson 433/14932287048/in/photolist-f 5 Qf 6 M-brgv. Xi -ntw 5 AR-anv. KJm-e. An. ZM-o. Kv. SGY-8 ut. Wmu-ob. SRk. K-x 1 h 2 Q-o. Vrc 7 w-pg. Rs. Db-4 W 4 tn. Gbe 2 Zja-e. T 5 h 8 E-8 Y 2 fug-hpi. R 7 m-7 uv. L 6 f-n. Aut. Y 5 -az. Ar. Dc-5 A 9 Cz. Z-bk 6 f. XZ-an. UV 2 Q 72 J 6 Y 5 -po. Kh. AL-79 t. Ty. P-e. Ao 6 p-e. ZKWkd-f 3 YBwt-5 n. K 9 io-jwwm. Nf-e. Ao 36 -p 5 Us. Ky-avt. KBa -e. Ao 9 J-pg. Tntv-jwu. N 7 J-jwsu. WB-a 2 suyz-2 ty. AZD-64 z 7 qs-fmd 6 t. S-fmda. Sm-CLUVv-h. Js. PCi -8 Y 5 ir. Q-d. TUd. EF-aqa 2 Mh-3 Vn. HWu-h. Vv. X 8 q-7 e 9 KUY

Contact Seth Moses Dan Brower Colbern Road Branch Manager Mid-Continent Public Library Parkville Branch Manager Mid-Continent Public Library smoses@mymcpl. org dbrower@mymcpl. org