NC LIVE Strategic Plan, 2023-2026

Strategic Plan Goals & Strategies

Strategic Goals

1. Access. NC LIVE will provide residents with the e-resources they need to support education and economic development.

Strategies
  • NC LIVE will invest in e-resources that meet the literacy, informational, and educational needs of North Carolinians.
    • NC LIVE and the Resource Advisory Committee will review stakeholder feedback, usage data, and cost data to evaluate the current mix of resources to ensure that libraries and residents are getting the most value.
    • NC LIVE and the Resource Advisory Committee will review stakeholder feedback and other inputs to ensure that the e-resources reflect the diverse needs of residents. Inputs will include:
      • Strategic Plan survey and focus groups.
      • Resource value survey.
      • State demographic data.
      • Diversity Equity Inclusion & Access (DEIA) principles.
  • The NC LIVE Continuing Education & Training Advisory Committee will use the stakeholder feedback from this process to continue to evaluate and offer training and professional development that meets the needs of members.
  • The Website Advisory Committee will continue to review NC LIVE's website, its functionality, its usability, and its integration with libraries' online public access platforms.
  • NC LIVE will explore new ways to inclusively and equitably serve all NC residents by considering the addition of new services and e-resources.
    • NC LIVE will develop tools and support to help libraries meet accessibility goals.
    • Working with member libraries, especially the three academic COIs, NC LIVE will study whether the timing is right to resurrect the Open Educational North Carolina program.
    • NC LIVE will study the feasibility of creating a consortial borrowing service.

2. Awareness. NC LIVE and its committees will work with member libraries to explore and implement marketing and communications strategies to increase awareness, usage and impact of e-resources for NC residents.

Strategies
  • NC LIVE will improve awareness of and access to NC LIVE's e-resources. Strategies could include:
    • Expanded search engine marketing.
    • Media outreach.
    • Public service announcements.
    • Other marketing strategies.
  • NC LIVE will identify and share information about the value and impact of NC LIVE e-resources for North Carolina libraries and residents.
    • NC LIVE will consider the creation of an end-user survey to evaluate and measure outcomes among NC residents.
  • NC LIVE and the Outreach Promotions & Partnerships Advisory Committee will use stakeholder feedback to strengthen marketing and communications support for libraries. Strategies could include:
    • Making content such as social media posts and print materials more customizable.
    • Improving communication between NC LIVE Committees and the membership.
  • NC LIVE and the Outreach Promotions & Partnerships Advisory Committee will use stakeholder feedback to continue to strengthen communication between NC LIVE, its Committees and the membership.
  • The NC LIVE Continuing Education & Training Advisory Committee will consider offering more training and professional development in the areas of marketing and communications. Topics could include:
    • Social Media
    • Search Engine Optimization

3. Support. NC libraries will be empowered to advocate for increased funding for NC LIVE, starting in the next State budget cycle, leading to more investment in e-resources in future years.

Strategies:
  • The three publicly funded COIs will advocate for increased funding within their spheres of influence.
    • Public Libraries
    • Community Colleges
    • UNC System Libraries
  • As planned from the inception of NC LIVE, North Carolina Independent Colleges and Universities (NCICU) will also seek state financial support for their teaching, learning, and research missions; and in recognition of their own significant support of members of the public who use these libraries.

Key Performance Indicators

In order to track progress in achieving these goals, NC LIVE will monitor and report out quarterly on the following measures:

Access & Awareness

  • NC LIVE Collections Size
  • NC LIVE Collections Usage
  • Search Engine Marketing Results
  • Public Awareness of NC LIVE

Support

  • Annual Operating Budget
  • Membership Participation in Advocacy Efforts
  • Value & Impact Stories

Strategic Planning Process

The NC LIVE Executive Committee hired a consultant to help lead NC LIVE through a strategic planning process.  Work started in February 2022, and continued through fall 2022. If you would like to comment on the process, please contact the NC LIVE Help Desk, or submit your comment anonymously.