Written by Ken Satterfield
Plans are nothing; planning is everything. - Dwight D. Eisenhower
You've got to be very careful if you don't know where you are going, because you might not get there. - Yogi Berra
Successful churches, like successful businesses, have discovered that there is value in strategic planning – preparation that looks far beyond the next week or next year to look at goals for the next 10 or 20 years. That’s still true, even when there are surprises like a global pandemic that upsets the apple cart.
My church decided to put together a time capsule in 1999 to be opened in 2100. We asked, “What format should we use that could still be read in a hundred years?” The answer proved surprisingly complicated. You may feel that way if you’ve thought about how to plan beyond the upcoming budget year.
It may seem unimaginable – just look backward to the year 2000. DVDs and mp3 players had just been introduced to the general public (1997). Amazon was an online bookstore (1995) and Google was just another search engine (1998). Books, newspapers, and magazines were almost universally printed.
What kind of media will we be using in the next 20 years? Perhaps the best way to prepare is consider trends that affect the media we use:
* Print continues to make way for digital. Print is not dead, but it is changing. Church libraries have moved from vinyl to cassette, CDs, and now digital files and downloads. VCR became DVDs, whose market share has dropped by more than two-thirds in the past decade, replaced by streaming services and the corner Redbox vending machine.
Books require TLC – space, proper temperature and humidity, avoiding dust and direct sunlight – while the contents of the entire Library of Congress can be digitally stored in a shoebox. While more fragile – affected by a cracks, hard drive crashes, and power surges – digital information is much easier to duplicate.
A storage cloud will become the source for information, much as we rely on electricity for power now.
But once again, print is not dead! Last year, Pew Research Center found about a quarter of Americans read an eBook, yet around two-thirds of Americans read a book in print.
For licensing reasons, a church library may not have the ability to offer digital titles. Churches need to explore the possibility of working together in consortia for digital resources, while making the best investments in print materials. Subscription services such as RightNow Media (rightnowmedia.org) can provide Bible and topical study materials, self-enrichment, and children’s titles.
* Information becomes more and more available. A few years ago, a church library might be considered a smaller but more specialized version of the local public library. Today, a smartphone has access to more titles than the local library!
What does this mean to you? Today’s library is limited in size. That doesn’t have to be a limitation to tomorrow’s library. Technologies that favor availability more than the collection are needed. Computers, tablets, phones – or whatever takes their place – need to be kept up to date. Embrace information technology; apps such as Libby by OverDrive make titles more accessible, including audiobooks and magazines.
And, even if an individual church may not be able to carry every print and movie title themselves, we can help members and other patrons discover where to find and access the best of these titles to grow Christians and strengthen families.
* Many do not utilize the internet, BUT… A lot of people are like my mom. She, like 10 percent of Americans, doesn’t access the internet and has no interest in email or texting. Then there are those who cannot afford or access internet access. Others can surf the web, send emails and keep in touch with Facebook, but have not fine-tuned their skills to know how to search effectively, watch a streaming service online or attach a file to an email.
What does this mean to you? It is critical that library teams also become guides for technology, knowing how equipment works and how to do common tasks. That’s a moving target. As a new generation comes along and new technologies come into play, today’s questions will be unnecessary, replaced by new questions. Developing and utilizing other helps is needed. And those who choose to not be online should not be treated like second-class citizens and left behind.
For those who are online, opportunities for utilizing social media abound. Libraries can take advantage of a church’s website, Facebook, Twitter, and other accounts to share information and promotion. Communities of book lovers such as Goodreads (goodreads.com) are popular because people gather around common interests and recommendations from those they can trust. The church can utilize such avenues as well.
* Products are becoming less valued than experience. Thomas Frey of the DaVinci Institute predicted that as Baby Boomers retire and lifestyles become more mobile, having the right things will become less important and experiences will be become prized.
What does this mean to you? If the library becomes more digitized and has access to this incredible amount of content, will it still need a location? Yes!
The Institute of Museum and Library Services determined that millions of people use their libraries to find a job each year. These individuals may not check out a title but appreciate access to free information.
The library provides a useful service. You may not be providing employment helps, but what can you provide? In a day of “fake news,” dependable sources for truth are invaluable. That could point the need for computer devices and software, paired with your resourcefulness and your care for people.
Public libraries are constantly seeking ways to be crucial parts of their communities, and that is a key to the library’s future. So, the same is true for the library of a church in seeking to be a necessity (rather than a luxury) both within and outside the walls of the church. It is not only the mission of the church, but also desire of a vibrant library ministry!
As climate change results in an increase in the frequency and the power of storms, we are reminded all too often that a library powered by machines and electricity alone can be disabled. However, a church library that is creative, resourceful, and provides superior service is one that will be vital to the future of believers – regardless of the technology tools we use.
Search your go-to websites for library technology information. Let's have a conversation on the CLN about the future of church libraries. Click here to observe and participate in this discussion.
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Ken Satterfield is a former state library consultant and marketing coordinator for Word&Way. This article has been revised from an earlier version to update trends and sources. Posted July 20, 2020.
Download here: Strategic Technology Planning for the Church Library
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