Questions That Should Be Answered
- What should your library do? Is there something that your library should be doing, but isn't? This is a good time to talk about library values. What are your values? Is it important that people have access to information? Should your library be a holding place for the history of your community? Should everything in the library be free? You must look at your community and determine those values that are important to you. Libraries have a special place in the community and common values are what bring us together to succeed at what we are doing.
- What should your library not be doing? Are there services that you are offering that you shouldn't be offering? Again look at your values as a library and look at your community.
- How is your library going to allocate resources? Resources are scarce in any library, so use what you have wisely.
Planning isn't easy, but it is important. If libraries are going to survive and thrive, then library staff, communities, and governmental officials must do some strategic planning. If you would like more information about planning, contact the State Library.
ASPeN: The New Library Directory
- Home
- Introduction
- Wanted: A Library Director
- Contacts
- Montana Library Scene
- Montana Library Scene Overview
- Montana Public Libraries
- Montana State Library
- Montana Library Association
- Wired-MT and Focus
- Federations
- Continuing Education in Montana
- Certification
- Public Library Standards
- Montana Shared Catalog
- Library Director, Trustee, and Local Government
- Library Director, Trustee and Local Government Overview
- Library Laws
- New Library Staff
- Library Board Overview
- Responsibilities of the Library Board and the Director
- Tips For Working With the Library Board
- Getting Boards to Attend Meetings and Plan for the Library
- Policies vs. Procedures
- Policies vs. Procedures Overview
- Policies
- Procedures
- Public Service
- Public Service Overview
- Customer Service
- Reader’s Advisory
- Reference
- Reference Interview
- Circulation
- Interlibrary Loan
- Outreach
- Programs
- Visiting Senior Centers and/or Schools
- Services to the Homebound
- Bookmobiles
- Children Services
- Young Adult Services
- Adult Services
- Collection Development
- Collection Development Overview
- Assessing the Collection
- Collection Development Policy
- Collection Management Honor Roll
- Selecting Items for the Collection
- Acquisitions
- Weeding or Deselection
- Technical Services
- Technical Services Overview
- Organizing Your Collection
- Classification and Cataloging
- Processing and Mending
- Public Relations
- Public Relations Overview
- Library’s Image
- Publicity
- Programming
- Community Relations
- Role of Trustees
- Marketing
- Friends and Volunteers
- Friends and Volunteers Overview
- Friends of the Library
- How to Organize a Friends Group
- How to Revitalize Your Friends
- Volunteers
- Volunteer Programs
- Recruiting Volunteers
- Managing and Keeping Volunteers
- Personnel
- Personnel Overview
- Personnel Policy
- Hiring
- Interviewing
- Job Evaluations
- Discipline and Termination
- Grievance Procedures
- Important Employment Laws
- Finances
- Finances Overview
- Local Funding Sources
- State Funding Sources
- Information Access Montana Act
- Coal Severance Tax
- Federal Funding Sources
- Library Services and Technology Act
- Telecommunications Discount Program (E-Rate)
- Children's Internet Protection Act (CIPA)
- Library Foundations
- Other Funding Sources
- Budgeting
- Budgeting Calendar
- Following the Money
- Planning for the Future
- Planning for the Future Overview
- Long Range Planning
- Preparing to Plan
- Describing Your Community
- Your Community’s Vision
- Questions That Should Be Answered
- Planning for Disaster
- Technology in the Library
- Technology in the Library Overview
- Planning and Evaluating Technology
- Automation
- Statewide Cooperative Projects
- E-Rate
- Montana State Library
- Montana State Library Overview
- Montana State Library Commission
- Montana State Librarian
- Library Development Division
- Montana Talking Book Library
- Montana Digital Library
- Publications
- Timeline of Required Paperwork
- Explanation of Paperwork Required by Montana State Library