Community-Driven Strategic Planning
Howard County Library System
Innovation Synopsis
This year, our library embarked on an innovative journey to transform into a community-driven organization using Asset-Based Community Development (ABCD) principles. By engaging 16 staff members and 11 community participants, we developed an experiential learning project around our strategic planning initiative. We aligned two subcommittees to work on two of our six new strategic goals: kindergarten readiness for ages birth through 3 years old and building connections across difference. By leveraging ABCD methods, we conducted asset mapping and focus conversations to understand community aspirations in these areas. This process culminated in the development of a Lean Canvas, aligning our objectives with community desires and making them adaptable for various library departments. This initiative empowers our library to actively support and elevate community aspirations over the next 3-5 years.
Challenge/Opportunity
The pandemic halted our initial plans to implement Asset-Based Community Development, posing a significant challenge to our goal of becoming a community-driven library. However, this disruption also presented a unique opportunity to integrate ABCD into our strategic planning which we resumed in 2023. The challenge was to re-engage both staff and community members in a meaningful way, fostering collaboration and aligning our objectives with community aspirations. We leveraged the pause to reassess and strengthen our approach, allowing us to utilize ABCD as a framework to reconnect with our community and transform our strategic goals into actionable and relevant objectives. This opportunity enabled us to redefine our library's role in the community, emphasizing empowerment, collaboration, and shared aspirations.
Key Elements of Innovation
Our innovation integrated ABCD principles into strategic planning. Key elements include engaging staff and community members in experiential learning to foster growth in ABCD mindset and skillsets. We employed asset mapping and focus conversations to identify community resources and aspirations, ensuring that our eventual objectives align with the community's desires. The guidance of consultant Dr. Audrey Barbakoff was instrumental in our success. Over 17 weeks, she helped us navigate the project and formalize a replicable framework, enabling us to apply this approach throughout our system far beyond strategic planning. The creation of a Lean Canvas was pivotal, helping us articulate clear objectives focused on people, aspirations, potential actions, and opportunities for collaboration. By asking "why the library?" we ensured our objectives were uniquely suited to our role. This innovation emphasizes a holistic approach, making our library a dynamic, community-driven organization.
Achieved Outcomes
Our initiative successfully built the capacity of 16 staff members to engage with the ABCD framework. They developed an understanding of why ABCD is essential for library work and acquired skills to identify and prioritize what is important to the community. A significant outcome was the focus on capacity building, equipping staff with new mindsets and skillsets to apply in their branches and departments. These change agents within the library will support other staff who will be expected to learn the framework and begin incorporating ABCD into their work.
The project also resulted in strategic objectives that align with community aspirations, enhancing staff capacity for community engagement and developing a robust understanding of community needs through asset mapping. Ultimately, this innovation laid the groundwork for expanding community-driven practices and fostering a dynamic, responsive library environment.
