How can Northern Lights Help with my Plan of Service?

Answer

  • Northern Lights will be happy to support you in the development of your next Plan of Service! Member libraries can choose ONE of the following options for how we can help you accomplish this important task!

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  • Option 1: Lead community consultation workshop 

  • Option 2: Collate community feedback in a workshop with board/staff to define values and service goals to draft service plan 

  • Option 3: Fine-tune Plan of Service draft with board 

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Option 1: Lead community consultation workshop 

 

Option 1 Prerequisites:  

  • Board has recruited community members to be part of workshop, booked space, etc. 

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Option 1 Pre-work: 

  • Frame workshop – activities, prompts, ways to get people thinking about the needs of their community 

  • Get rid of the library ‘frame’ 

  • Target broader community trends and don’t lead into specific action 

  • Activities: ways of generating information beyond simple question and answer.

  • Examples: 

  • World café 
  • Dotmocracy (e.g. you get 5 dots to vote with) 
  • Generate concerns 

  • Prioritize concerns 

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Option 1 Outcome: 

  • Data is generated for the Board to use in drafting their Plan of Service 

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Option 1 Next steps: 

  • Board uses work to draft Plan of Service 

 

Option 2: Collate community feedback in a workshop with board/staff to define values and service goals to draft service plan 

Here is a sample survey that you can use to collect data from your community!

Option 2 Prerequisites:  

  • Board has a quantity of community feedback (data) to use for Plan of Service

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Option 2 Pre-work: 

  • Pre-code community feedback into themes 

  • Activities to get the board thinking about goals/outcomes, what is too specific, and how to stay on the right level 

  • Activity to decide on priority level of themes 

  • Format to draft goals and outcomes for themes 

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Option 2 Outcome:  

  • Rough draft of Plan of Service 

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Option 2 Next steps: 

  • Board will edit draft, seek staff input, fine-tune Plan of Service, vote on adoption 

 

Option 3: Fine-tune Plan of Service draft with board  

 

Option 3 Prerequisites: 

  • Board has created a rough draft of a Plan of Service 

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Option 3 Pre-work: 

Thorough review of draft 

Prep edits and comments 

Speak to rationale behind the improvements 

Have illustrative examples of other Plan of Service or goals 

Option 3 Outcome:  

  • Second-draft Plan of Service 

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Option 3 next steps:  

  • Board will seek staff input, fine-tune Plan of Service, vote on adoption 




Answered By: Jessie Morris
Last Updated: Jun 09, 2025