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Nebraska Library Commission workshop: how to build a community needs response plan for accreditation
Summary
NLC staff walked librarians through the seven required elements of the community needs response plan, methods for gathering community input (surveys, focus groups, key informant interviews), how to use census data and tips for writing SMART goals that the commission will evaluate.
Krista Porter, library development director at the Nebraska Library Commission, devoted the workshop’s second half to the community needs response plan — the separate document applicants must submit with the accreditation application. Porter said the plan is not a full strategic plan but a focused, community‑centered document that identifies recent community needs and lists a small set of specific goals to address them.
Porter told attendees the plan must contain seven elements: a mission statement, a community profile (demographics and context), an assessment of community needs, an analysis of library strengths/resources/barriers, a set of specific goals (three recommended), an evaluation plan describing how the library will review progress, and a summary of previous goals when applicable. The plan must be written or updated within the most recent five years.
On data and community input, Porter recommended using the U.S. Census Bureau and American Community Survey (data.census.gov) for demographic numbers and said Sam Shaw compiles a statewide profile libraries can use for comparison. For local engagement she outlined options: focus groups, key informant interviews with community stakeholders, and online or paper surveys; she cautioned planners to frame questions to capture community issues beyond immediate library performance.
Porter emphasized goals should be SMART (specific, measurable, attainable, relevant, time‑framed) and ideally focused and realistic for the library’s capacity over the five‑year accreditation period. "Three goals would be perfect," she said, adding those goals can be new services, expansions of existing programs or research projects leading to service change. She also said NLC will accept draft plans for feedback prior to final filing.
On evaluation Porter said the plan should describe an annual review process (typically by the library board) and, if there is a previous plan, report on the success or failure of earlier goals. She encouraged honest reporting and stressed that the plan is a living document that can be revised as circumstances change.
Porter closed by inviting attendees to submit draft plans for review and reiterated that NLC staff will consult with libraries through the application process.
