How to Plan When There’s Just No Time

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As a solo children’s librarian in a small library, I wear many hats. From program planning and collection development, to occasional custodian and outreach coordinator, there’s always something to keep me busy. Add in short staffing, my own PTO, and working the circulation desk, it can feel like there’s no time to undertake high-level planning work.

However, strategic planning and thinking ahead are an important part of making sure that my collection stays relevant and up to date, my programs are meeting the needs of my community, and I’m staying educated on developments in the field. Here are three ways that I build planning for children’s services into my busy schedule:

1. When I’m In the thick of things
   Even though fall has just started, and I’m only a month or so into my regular school-year programming schedule, I am already thinking about programs and initiatives for 2027. I find that at the busiest times, like the start of the school year or in the thick of summer reading can be some of the best times to plan for the future. I’m a big dreamer, so I always have more ideas than I can reasonably accomplish as a team of one. When I’m busy, it forces me to be realistic that I can’t accomplish everything.

   Every time I have a new idea (or return to a previous idea) I try to jot it down in a list in my programming spreadsheet or even just on my desk calendar. When I revisit these notes, I can see what ideas I keep returning to. This helps me focus in on what is most important to me.

   At the moment two things that are emerging are:

   1. Strategies for increasing circulation of our J fiction collection.
   2. Adding regularly scheduled family programs one evening a month
2. When there’s a grant
   In the ideal world, grants would give us money with no strings attached. However, most grants ask you to do some planning for a project that fits the funding priorities of the granting body. Even if you do not receive funding, a grant can be a valuable opportunity to plan for projects you might like to accomplish.

   Last winter, I learned about a community biodiversity grant offered by the Massachusetts Department of Fish and Game. My library has an underutilized outdoor space and I dreamed up an outdoor classroom that would include a pollinator garden and a vegetable garden for hands-on learning. I wrote a grant request that ultimately was not funded. However, a patron who is involved with our local community garden learned about our funding proposal and ultimately provided support and funding to start a vegetable and herb garden on a smaller scale. This garden was used all summer in Library programs and by kids and families, and has become a beloved part of our library grounds. My more elaborate plans for this space remain unfulfilled, but now I have a detailed proposal and budget estimates that can help me grow out the space over time as funding opportunities materialize.

3. When something drastic happens
While I was working on this post, three things happened: A caregiver asked me to tape together the floor puzzle piece their excited child had ripped, one of our most popular Library of Things items suddenly stopped working, and our circulating copy of the game Yeti in My Spaghetti came back with the box damaged beyond repair and several noodles missing.

One of the goals I set with my director at the beginning of the Fiscal Year was to develop procedures for regular collection development for the children’s materials in the Library of Things (LoT). With these three LoT related mishaps in one week, it brought that goal back to the forefront. I would have preferred for materials not to be ruined, but this inspired me to take my goal, and turn it into a SMART goal so that I actually tackle this project.

• Specific: I will develop a collection development plan for the children’s Lo
• Measurable: I will produce a document for my director that includes a proposed budget and timeline that could be followed in future fiscal years.
• Achievable: I will work with the adult service librarian to decrease the workload of this task while not duplicating work that will serve both of us.
• Relevant: This goal will help revitalize a collection that has recently sustained heavy wear and tear.
• Time-Bound: I will produce a draft of this work by the end of December.

These are just a few examples of how I find time to work strategic planning into my busy schedule. Other ALSC blog posts have also touched on this subject. I’ve also found Jaime Eastman’s ongoing series of posts thinking about youth services through the lens of New Year’s resolutions to be particularly helpful. I would love to connect in the comments if you have any ways you make sure to find time for thinking ahead!

Today’s guest blogger is Macy Kinney. Macy is the children’s librarian at the Elizabeth Taber Library in Marion, MA, where she works with kids ages 0-12. She loves running programs, ordering picturebooks, and developing relationships with kids and families. She has also served on ALSC’s Early and Family Literacy Committee.

Please note that as a guest post, the views expressed here do not represent the official position of ALA or ALSC.

If you are interested in submitting a guest post, please read and fill out our Guest Blogging Interest Form. We would love to hear from you!

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