Texas Library Journal - Winter 2021

TLA Embarks on Strategic Planning: 2022 – 2025

By Shirley Robinson

MANY OF THE TEXAS LIBRARY ASSOCIATION’S (TLA) MEMBERS AND SUPPORTERS KNOW THE JOURNEY THE ASSOCIATION HAS BEEN ON FOR THE LAST 20 MONTHS; the devastating cancellation of two in-person conferences and the financial impact of those cancellations, significant business, and operational adaptations, sweeping societal changes that impacted what our members needed and depended on from the organization and many enormous technological improvements – some of which are still underway.

Across this huge sea of change TLA has fared well, due to the steadfast guidance and foresight of the Executive Board and association leadership of committed unit officers, hundreds of volunteers, and the staff team.

As we emerge from these massive challenges and opportunities it’s now time to return to continuation of a project that would have begun in mid-2019, the refresh of an association Strategic Plan.

High-functioning associations and non-profit organizations routinely engage in Strategic Planning every 3-5 years to ensure continuity of purpose, relevancy to member needs and continued growth and evaluation to support an industry. TLA’s current Strategic Plan took the organization through the end of 2019 and was a project high on our list of goals in January of 2020.

We all know what happened in the following months, but I am pleased to share that over the last few months work has begun and we plan to engage member stakeholders in added conversations this spring and share the final plan over the course of the TLA Annual Conference in April of 2022.

In October 2021, the TLA Executive Board (EB) gathered to discuss the current position of the organization and opportunities for the future. Equipped with insight gained during their pre-retreat work, input from various membership surveys and feedback from unit officers and key stakeholders, the EB approached the strategy retreat having identified the following key opportunities: leadership development; leveraging technology to continue offering quality professional development; clarification and prioritization of TLA’s efforts for stronger representation on legislative activities; and, partnerships for added influence, reach and impact of promoting libraries and solidifying local relationships.

TLA is in a solid position to envision its future and is in a valuable position to solidify itself as the primary convener for networking, professional development, advocacy, and resources sought after by those seeking to advance their own practices and/or the profession as a whole.

As TLA’s future evolves, leaders will use its new strategic plan to remain aligned when deciding between competing priorities, partnership opportunities and determining what should receive TLA’s attention, financial and resource investment.

The participants began the session by describing individual visions of TLA as a thriving, successful organization three years from now. Many key areas of alignment rose to the surface such as an inclusive community that welcomes and celebrates a variety of perspectives and insights; a diverse and enthusiastic membership; an organization providing a robust selection of high-caliber professional development and the go-to resource for representing the collective voice of the industry across the State of Texas.

The EB reviewed the current vision and mission statements and concluded new versions should be crafted to align with the vision of the future organization; these new statements will be refined further and piloted with key stakeholders over the next few months.

An association’s vision demonstrates the desired future state – it’s where you’re going. The mission tells HOW you’ll get there. Generally, a vision and mission are steadfast and time-honored, however, in times of historic change they also need to evolve to help an organization continue to move forward.

Ultimately, the EB will finalize 4 – 5 strategic priority areas to serve as the primary areas of focus for TLA in the coming three years. Staff and leadership will author goals that will serve as definitions of success for each area and those will cascade down to annual goals and an operational plan for staff and volunteer leadership across all units – districts, divisions, round tables and committees.

This work is not the end, but rather the beginning of a new pathway to shape TLA and our work together for the profession in Texas. Stay tuned for more communications, website updates and articles and opportunities for collaboration to be shared over the coming months to connect members and leadership with these conversations about the future of TLA. Now is the time to define our value and resources for many generations of librarians and library workers to come.

Shirley Robinson, CAE, is the Executive Director of the Texas Library Association.