Will a technology plan help your library? How often should it be updated? What should it's components be? Should it relate to other planning activities and documents? How can you be sure your plan meets Federal e-rate requirements? What's the best way to asses your technology needs and gather data to create a cohesive plan? Here, in one volume is everything librarians need to know to create, implement, update, evaluate, and use a detailed technology plan. The guide describes how plans are developed, how to maintain them, and how to use them as leverage for grant and budget applications. The accompanying CD-ROM contains some 50 technology plans developed in public, school, academic, and special libraries from which users can cut-and-paste appropriate selections to create, adapt, or enhance their own technology plans. The CD-ROM was prepared in an HTML format and can be used with both IBM and Macintosh computers.

Careful and systematic planning is essential to the success of your library's technology implementation efforts. This complete, clear, and easy-to-follow guide takes a highly practical, hands-on approach to thoroughly prepare public, academic, school and special libraries to develop and implement a technology plan in the library. Following a foreword from Executive Director of the American Library Association Keith Michael Fiels, authors John M. Cohn and Ann L. Kelsey provide a comprehensive introduction to the key concepts and elements in technology planning and the changing technological landscape affecting today's libraries. There is clear advice to help you best define your plan's scope, purpose and funding requirements, along with step-by-step guidance for developing an effective technology plan - from gathering data and identifying institutional needs, to determining priorities, identifying objectives, outlining costs and writing the actual plan. A five-step model plan is included to provide readers with a start-to-finish example of the development process, and the authors also advise on how to implement the new plan and evaluate its success. The accompanying CD-ROM includes over thirty-five time-saving, sample technology plans and RFPs. Each plan is specifically targeted to public, academic, school, or special libraries, and can be easily replicated or adapted for use in your own institution. An array of figures, checklists, and examples are included throughout the book to help reinforce important concepts, and a comprehensive webliography lists further related resources.