1. Reflecting on the Future
Joe Matthews
November 2013

2. Shameless Commerce Section
2013

3. My Road Map Rules of the Game Scenario Planning Library Scenarios
Re-imagining
Planning Horizon

6. Our Age of Anxiety is, in great part,
the result of trying to do today’s job
with yesterday’s tools and
yesterday’s concepts.
Marshall McLuhan

8. It’s not linear
Alternate futures
Now

9. Strategic planning is not only looking down the road, it is …

10. … not just a map

11. … it is a plan to arrive at a specific destination!

12. Scenario Planning
Process of imagining alternative futures – and identify their implications
Recognizing that we do not have one future, but many
Allows ‘options’ to remain in ‘play’
Seeks to consider new and different options
Liberates us from past thinking
Helps us move to a “preferred future”

13. Scenarios Helps us to bring new ideas into our thinking and planning
Helps us to think more broadly about the forces that are impacting libraries
Are a great tool for engaging others so that many views and insights are explored
Nothing is right or wrong. Scenarios encourage us to think about things we normally don’t think about.

14. Disruption is a reality

16. Building Scenarios Experience LEARNING SPACE Explore INSPIRATION SPACE
Excite
Empowerment
Innovation
MEETING
PLACE
Participate
PERFORMANCE
SPACE
Create
Involvement

17. Possible Dimensions Technology (Hi & Lo); Touch (Hi & Lo)
Eco-framework; Values retention
Institution-driven vs. Customer-led; Structure (Inflexible vs. Flexible)
State supported vs. market driven; closed (traditional) vs. open (MOOC)
Funding climate; adaptability

18. Library Scenarios

19. Confronting the Future
ALA 2011

20. Its all about building stories & ideas around a framework as a means to an ongoing conversation. It’s about what could happen, not what will happen. It’s about developing a preferred future!

21. Re-imagining Libraries

22. Re-imagining Services
Search
Discovery
Content
Shelving
Librarians

23. Planning Horizon Focus on 3 to 5 years hence
Use scenarios to explore the future with a variety of stakeholders
Focus on a Preferred Future that will really respond to your customer’s needs
Recognize that a plan does not survive the first encounter with “reality” - adjust

24. Possibilities abound …
Just do not dismiss opportunities

25. An Important Question Preferred Future, how will the library
Regardless of the scenarios used in the
planning process and your choice of a
Preferred Future, how will the library
add value in the life of each customer?

27. Joe Matthews Joe@JoeMatthews.Org