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Future Ready Library Planning

Planning Resource for Wisconsin School Libraries

Future Ready Infographic

The Future Ready Librarian wedges provide a foundation to use to align the goals of your library media program with the Future Ready Schools Framework, which is a key resource for the Wisconsin Digital Learning Plan. A brief description of each wedge is followed by some initial guiding questions to consider when creating program goals, planning instruction, and budgeting for resources to meet those goals. These questions should help guide your library planning process required through PI 8.01 School District Standard (2)(h) addressing library media services.

In addition to the questions, these two tools will help guide the planning process:

  1. Library Planning Infographic: Use these talking points to introduce and advocate for creating and implementing a district long-range plan for library services.
  2. Library Planning Checklist: Use this outline as a guide for completing a district long-range plan for library services.

The work being done in Wisconsin around library planning has been recognized nationally. This 22 minute podcast, Making a Difference with School Libraries Throughout an Entire State, illustrates how a constructive process creates much more than a library plan. This 55 minute webinar, Planning for Excellence in Your Library Program Using the Future Ready Librarian Framework, highlights the successful creation and implementation of library plans by three different library media specialists.

Other resources related to library planning are found in the School Library Planning Group on WISELearn Resources.


Design Collaborative Spaces (Use of Space and Time)

Provides flexible spaces that promote inquiry, creativity, collaboration and community.

  • How does your library space promote inquiry?
  • How does your library space promote collaboration?
  • What is available in your library space to encourage creativity?
  • Is your space accessible for the school community?
Builds Instructional Partnerships (Curriculum, Instruction and Assessment)

Partners with educators to design and implement evidence-based curricula and assessments that integrate elements of deeper learning, critical thinking, information literacy, digital citizenship, creativity, innovation and the active use of technology.

  • How are you leveraging (digital) tools and resources to improve your instructional practice?
  • Do you model effective integration across content areas?
  • Do you encourage through collaboration the strategies for encouraging discovery, analysis, creation, and presentation?
Empowers Students as Creators (Curriculum, Instruction and Assessment)

Encourages and facilitates students to become increasingly self-directed as they create digital products of their learning that engage them in critical thinking, collaboration and authentic, real-world problem solving.

  • Do you have spaces for students to create products documenting their learning?
  • What types of library instruction do you use to promote critical thinking?
  • How does your program support connections to the community?
  • What do you include in your program to support real-world problem solving by students?
Curates Digital Resources and Tools (Curriculum, Instruction and Assessment)

Leads in the selection, integration, organization, and sharing of digital resources and tools to support transformational teaching and learning and develop the digital creation skills of others.

  • Does your selection and reconsideration policy include collection development information and processes addressing digital resources and tools?
  • Are resources in a variety of formats included in your collection development plan?
  • How do you curate and communicate resources to students and faculty?
  • Do your policies address intellectual freedom?
Facilitates Professional Learning (Personalized Professional Learning)

Leads professional learning to cultivate broader understanding of the skill that comprise success in a digital age (e.g. critical thinking, information, literacy, digital citizenship, technology competencies, etc.)

  • Do you provide or facilitate professional development?
  • What format do you use to provide professional development?
  • How do you identify the professional learning needs of the staff related to technology and information literacy resources and tools?
  • Do you provide professional development on strategies for encouraging discovery, analysis, creation, and presentation of learning?
Ensures Equitable Digital Access (Technology and Infrastructure)

Provides and advocates for equitable access to connectivity, digital devices, information, resources, programming, and services in support of the district’s strategic vision.

  • How does your library plan align to the district strategic plan?
  • Does your program utilize digital tools to support and promote equitable access to information and resources through your library media program?
  • How does your district support the library program to ensure students have access to the resources, human and physical, they need to optimize their learning?
Invests Strategically in Digital Resources (Budget and Resources)

Leverages an understanding of school and community needs to identify and invest in digital resources to support student learning.

  • How are you involved in the district planning for digital resources?
  • How are you currently involved in the school and district planning processes?
  • Are there any areas of communication that need to be improved?
Cultivates Community Partnerships (Community Partnerships)

Cultivates partnerships within the school and local community (families and caregivers, non-profit organizations, government agencies, public and higher education libraries, businesses, etc.) to promote engagement and a lifelong learning process.

  • What partnerships currently exist with the community?
  • What partnerships do you plan to cultivate?
  • What strategies can you use to build stronger community partnerships?
Advocates for Student Privacy (Data and Privacy)

Teaches and promotes student data privacy through their instruction and role as educational leaders.

  • What student privacy policies are currently in place in your district?
  • Is everyone in the district current on those policies?
  • Are there opportunities for you to provide leadership in building broader understanding and awareness of those policies?
  • How does the librarian and the library program promote and support digital citizenship?
Leads Beyond the Library (Collaborative Leadership)

Participates in setting the district’s vision and strategic plan for digital learning and fosters a culture of collaboration and innovation to empower teachers and learners.

  • Are you involved in the district strategic planning process?
  • How do you communicate what the library program does to support other district goals (equity, access to resources and space, etc.)?
  • How do you identify any roadblocks to collaborative leadership and ways to move beyond them?
  • Is there a plan to evaluate and analyze the library program through usage data and program statistics?