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What are Standards? <br />The Standards represent a snapshot in time. Library planning <br />and operations are inherently fluid in responding to what is <br />sometimes a rapidly changing social, fiscal, and technological <br />environment. <br />This document can inform but does not replace a library's <br />strategic plan. While the standards attempt to identify current <br />key issues, services, and best practices in Colorado public <br />librarianship, they are not intended to be a detailed road map <br />to each library's future. <br />How to Use these Standards <br />Each standard has a short <br />introductory section followed by a <br />checklist of 'basic' elements that <br />library leaders should consider when <br />planning and guiding operations. <br />Aspirational future focused' <br />guidelines are also included. <br />As an aid in planning, the checklists provide the means by which library stakeholders can discuss and <br />determine how a library addresses or should address each standard category. <br />These checklists are not intended to be a one -size -fits -all set of elements that all libraries must meet. Some <br />libraries now plan and carry out activities that exceed many or all of those listed, while others may be <br />constrained by resources or circumstances in ways that make achieving many of the basic ones difficult. <br />Every community is different. What is important is that the director, staff, board, and community <br />constantly review where you are, where you want to be, and what it will take to get there. These checklists <br />are intended to provide guidance for that journey. <br />Supplemental information in the appendix offers resources for addressing some sections. When pertinent, <br />tables are referenced and available on the State Library Standards website with state and national <br />statistical data. Local libraries will need to decide how best to meet or exceed them for the benefit of their <br />communities. The State Library offers consulting support and resources for meeting standards. <br />This document is intended for use by librarians, boards, staff, governing officials, members of funding <br />agencies, and community support groups involved in planning at the local level, and within the context of <br />regional and state library services. For example, library directors may choose to review each standard by <br />bringing them one by one to their board meetings throughout the year. Staff, community members, and <br />other stakeholders are encouraged to attend these discussions about how the standards apply to their <br />library. <br />The standards and resources plus brief introductory videos about the standards are available under the <br />State Library's public library link2. <br />Action Items and Next Steps <br />Ultimately, how library stakeholders view and adopt these standards will determine the actionable next <br />steps important to planning and growing a library's services and ideas on which to act. For instance, a list <br />of small administrative to-dos, key policies, adjustments, or the need for a more thorough review of existing <br />practices, etc. might turn up. A few major initiatives may float to the top of the planning priority list, such as <br />outcomes that are more specific and metrics to measure progress. Examples may include the creation of a <br />comprehensive risk management strategy that identifies a host of business assets and procedures for <br />assuring their survival. <br />2 http://www.cohbrarystandards.org/ <br />2 <br />