A vision of what you want your organization to be, and a road map of how you want to get from here to there, is absolutely essential if you are to be a good steward of your organization's resources. The changes that we are experiencing are fundamental and profound. One of the consequences is that not only have the answers to the old questions had to change, but in many case the old questions need to change as well. There is increasing evidence that we can no longer afford to move along based on traditional ways of thinking and acting. Libraries, for instance, can no longer evaluate usage with circulation figures.
Libraries are busier than ever, but in many cases circulation figures have decreased.
Based on a 1998 environmental scan the authors concluded that too many of us are underestimating the magnitude of change that is coming in the years ahead. Take a moment to reflect on what your board does during its meetings. Consider how much time is spent investigating how the world will change in 5 or 10 years opposed to discussing short-term, operational issues. . . . Traditionally, planning has been based on the assumption that the future is predictable as an extrapolation of the past and present. Viewed with a linear approach to the future email is an extension of traditional mail.