OLS consultants are available, on a limited basis, to facilitate planning sessions for a fee. These sessions can be half-day or full-day, and typically include any combination of the following:

• Discussion aimed at coming to a collective understanding of the library’s current reality, including making sense of any information gathered about the library and the community, and the opportunities and challenges the library is facing
• A revisiting/revisioning of the mission statement to ensure that it captures the library’s unique value proposition and continues to inspire
• Envisioning and articulating a successful future for the library
• Identifying the 3-5 strategic directions that will form the framework for the plan.

OLS recommends that a planning session be timed to occur following the gathering and compiling of information from different sources, so that part of the session can be spent making sense collectively of the information gathered. For guidance about the planning process, see Strategic Planning  in the Professional Resources. 

Fees for a half-day or full-day facilitation are calculated as follows:

• $95 for every hour a OLS consultant spends related to the session, including:
• Time spent on-site facilitating
• Time spent preparing for the session (usually 1-3 hours to customize a typical planning day)
• Time spent transcribing notes as follow-up (typically 1-2 hours, or notes may not be required at all)
• Time spent travelling to and from the session
• The costs associated with the consultant’s travel to and from the session (rental + gas) are included in the hourly rate.
• Accommodations, if required, is in addition to the hourly rate.

 Availability is not guaranteed and will depend on timing, advance notice, and overall demand at any given time.  To discuss the possibility of engaging a OLS facilitator, please contact us.