What is the Library Value Planner?
The Library Value Planner (LVP) is a planning tool. Use it to document the library’s current services or potential growth, and its staff, skills, and budget requirements. It can be used for operational or strategic planning, or to map out needs for implementation of new services.
Note: the tool is not exhaustive. Members should adapt and edit it for their particular context.
Purpose of the Library Value Planner
This tool will help you demonstrate that health library services are essential to your users (CHLA Statement on the Importance of Hospital Libraries, 2021) by:
- Quantifying the value of the library’s collection
- Quantifying library programming and services
- Developing a SWOT analysis matrix (strength, weaknesses, opportunities and threats)
- Reallocating budgetary/collections/physical space resources for operational gain
- Identifying gaps in funding, training, and/or staffing
- Assessing the current allocation of resources
- Identifying new services, collections, or direction for service improvement
This tool should be used in combination with a needs assessment to understand your library and its users, and be able to prioritize what services are most important to them.
Structure of the Library Value Planner
This tool is structured using modules and components.
1. Modules – broad categories of library services
2. Components – specific service offerings within the broader categories
Each component contains working definitions and space to outline:
1. Money – financial resources required
2. Skills – specialized training or expertise required
3. Staffing – personnel required
There is an additional option for Diversity, Equity, Inclusion and Accessibility (DEIA) that you can check off to identify potential growth areas for DEIA.
How to use the Library Value Planner
There are thirteen modules reflecting current practice/operations within Canadian health and social science libraries, including clinical, academic and government settings. Each of these modules contains components identified by the CHLA Standards (CHLA Standards, 2020) and the CHLA Standing Standards Committee.
This tool is meant to be flexible in its application. Depending on your context, you should adapt the tool by adding or removing components as appropriate for your setting. This is a list of services that can be offered, not that must be offered at every library.
-Assign 1 to 3 symbols to each component to indicate one of the following
–1 Symbol (*) – where there is low resource allocation
–2 Symbols (**) – where there is medium resource allocation
–3 Symbols (***) – where there is high resource allocation
–These symbols represent values relative to other services rather than specific numbers. They are used to map out how you allocate resources within your setting, and potentially what new resources may be required.
Compared with the Levels of Library Service
For those familiar with the Levels of Library Service graphic, please see the chart below for a comparison of the adaptations made in developing the Library Value Planner:
| Levels of Library Service | Library Value Planner |
| Levels of service: bronze, silver, gold | Library options: Financial Resources, Skills, Staffing, DEIA |
| Proof of concept | Editable tool |
| Values assigned by user with a more limited scope | Values assigned by user with a broader scope |
| N/A | Diversity, Equity, Inclusion and Accessibility (DEIA) Priority option added in new tool |
| Archives | “Archives” changed to “Records Management and Archives (if applicable)” |
| Several new modules added | |
| Many more specific services listed and defined |