It is cold and snowing here. Of course it is Cleveland in February, and it is what one would expect the winter weather to be. Everyday I watch the forecast to see how many layers I must dress my children in. Should they wear the usual coat, hat, and gloves, or should they be dressed for the next polar expedition? Short term planning at its finest. Of course when the winter clothes sales start, I try and buy what I can for next year. It is hard with growing boys to effectively plan long term for next winter. Growth spurts can make those fabulously priced snow pants into capris. Any longer term planning beyond a year is wishful thinking.

In libraries we tend to do a lot of short term planning and our long term planning is usually one year ahead. However, I think a one year long term plan may be a little too short at times. Perhaps we should be aiming for having short, middle and long term plans. Short term plans are for things happening within the year. Middle range plans are for things happening in the upcoming year. Long term plans are for things happening within the next five years.

Usually we become so focused on our yearly plans that sometimes it appears as if out of the blue certain things require our attention for next year. Really, many of these things shouldn't be out of the blue. Here are some examples: You all of a sudden notice that the carpet and upholstery are becoming fairly worn. The usage of the library space is changing, more people are using it as a study space or a meeting space rather than a repository. People are looking for more things online from home rather than coming into the library. These things didn't happen in a year. They happened over many years. They should have at least been on your radar, and most likely they were. But having them on your mind but not on a long term plan can hurt you or the library. These things cost money and because they might be completely new projects or items that aren't usually done on a yearly basis, your administration will need to know about them well in advance. If you don't write it down and submit it to your administration, they are not going to know about these things. They cannot read your mind and it isn't their job to forecast the library's needs.

Just like surprise growth spurts, changes in the strength of the dollar can wreak havoc on our journal budgets. But having a plan can go a long way in helping get the resources your library needs.