What are the steps to creating effective library policies and procedures?

1 Assess your current situation

Before you start writing or revising your library policies and procedures, you need to assess your current situation and identify the gaps, issues, and opportunities that you want to address. You can use various methods to gather information, such as surveys, interviews, focus groups, observations, and benchmarking. You should also review your existing policies and procedures and evaluate their relevance, clarity, compliance, and effectiveness. This will help you to determine what needs to be updated, added, deleted, or consolidated.

2 Define your purpose and scope

Once you have a clear picture of your current situation, you need to define the purpose and scope of your library policies and procedures. The purpose is the overall goal or rationale for having a policy or procedure, while the scope is the range of situations or activities that it covers. You should also consider the audience and the level of detail that you need to provide. For example, a policy that applies to all library users may need to be more general and concise than a procedure that guides a specific staff function.

3 Draft your policy or procedure

After you have defined your purpose and scope, you can start drafting your policy or procedure using clear, simple, and consistent language. You should also follow a standard format and structure that makes it easy to read and understand. A typical policy or procedure document may include the following elements: title, date, approval authority, purpose, scope, definitions, policy or procedure statement, roles and responsibilities, exceptions, related documents, and review date. You may also include examples, diagrams, or flowcharts to illustrate your points.

4 Consult and revise

Before you finalize your policy or procedure, you need to consult with the relevant stakeholders and solicit their feedback. Stakeholders may include library staff, managers, users, partners, or external experts. You should also check for accuracy, completeness, consistency, and compliance with the applicable laws, standards, and best practices. Based on the feedback and the review, you should revise your policy or procedure accordingly and address any gaps, errors, or ambiguities.

5 Approve and communicate

Once you have revised your policy or procedure, you need to seek approval from the appropriate authority, such as the library director, board, or committee. You should also communicate the policy or procedure to the intended audience and inform them of the rationale, benefits, and expectations. You can use various channels to communicate your policy or procedure, such as email, newsletter, website, social media, or training sessions. You should also make sure that the policy or procedure is accessible and visible to the staff and the users.

6 Implement and evaluate

The final step is to implement and evaluate your policy or procedure and monitor its impact and outcomes. You should provide adequate training, support, and resources to the staff and the users to help them comply with the policy or procedure. You should also collect and analyze data, such as usage statistics, feedback, complaints, or incidents, to measure the effectiveness, efficiency, and satisfaction of the policy or procedure. You should also review and update your policy or procedure regularly or as needed to ensure its relevance, currency, and quality.

7 Here’s what else to consider

This is a space to share examples, stories, or insights that don’t fit into any of the previous sections. What else would you like to add?