SWOT and Appreciative Inquiry Analysis on the Lexington Kentucky Public Library

The organization I chose to examine is one that I am very familiar with and currently
work for. The Lexington Public Library system. The Lexington Public Library system has six
library branches. The largest being the downtown Lexington Central library, The Village Branch,
The Northside Branch, The Beaumont Branch, The Eastside Branch and The Tate’s Creek
Branch. These branches make up the Lexington Public library system which service the city of
Lexington and surrounding counties in central Kentucky. The library has a strategic plan process
that follows these six key elements: Education, Access, Inclusion, Space, Culture, and
Stewardship (Lexington public library, n.d.). As part of these six elements the library follows a
strict guideline laid out in the Lexington public libraries policy and procedure manual. This
effects all library staff, operations, and implementations within all the library system. As director
of security, my staff and I follow closely the Lexington Public Library Policy and Procedures
manual.
In strictly following the Lexington public library policy and procedure manual the certain
policy implementations have been reviewed by myself and my staff that could further use
methods of research and evaluation implement better and safer practices inside the Lexington
public library systems. The library policy and procedure dealing with surveillance of library
property and access of customer information is one that needs further research and evaluation
especially in clarifying and finding proper solutions to vague policy understanding and
enforcement of the actual policy as it stands. With examining these areas of the Lexington public
library policy and procedures and finding actual realistic data certain research methods would
help identify key solutions that would institute better policy implementation including
Quantitative research that depends essentially on the accumulation of quantitative information,
Qualitative or research that depends on the gathering of subjective information and Mixed
research that utilization both quantitative and qualitative in a joint evaluation of research
(Johnson, 2014) .Research on this issue of surveillance of library property and the access to
customer information is a vital problem inside the library policy and procedure and could gather
the necessary data to better institute the policy and procedure in a more effective manner.
Lexington Public Library. (n.d.). Retrieved December 08, 2017, from
https://www.lexpublib.org/strategic-plan
Johnson, G. (2014). Research methods for public administrators (3rd ed.). Armonk, NY: M. E.
Sharpe.
The organization I chose to examine for my final project is of course The Lexington Public Library system.
the Lexington Public library system services the city of Lexington and surrounding counties in central
Kentucky. The Lexington Public library is a public governmental organization under the umbrella of the
Lexington Urban County government. The library is overseen by an advisory board and a board of
trustees who are all selected by the mayor of Lexington Kentucky an approved by the Fayette urban
county government.
The Vision of the Lexington public library is “A community engaged in a lifetime of discovery” The
Mission is “Lexington Public Library connects people, inspires ideas, and transforms lives”. The library
strategically plans for the mission and its vision by coordinating efforts with various private and public
entities to improve its services to the public. Such nonprofit groups such as God’s pantry, Friends of the
library, Bluegrass.org and others. The library has made efforts to partner with outside organizations,
government institutions, and professionals to come up with various youth and adult programs. The
library has a strategic plan process in place that seeks to follow these six key elements which operate
with the core vision and mission statement in mind: Education, Access, Inclusion, Space, Culture, and
Stewardship (Lexington public library, n.d.).
The library stakeholders include the Fayette Urban county government, Lexington citizens, and
employees and managers within the organization. Strategic planning processes incorporate all these
stakeholders when the planning and implementation process begin. The various strategic plans are open
documents and released to the public, such as capital improvement plans and budgeting plans, the
library remains accountable regarding the amount and types of services that it plans to offer. Such as
strategic planning methods as SWOT analysis which help the library examine external and internal
factors in their implementation (Bryson, 2011) thus properly implementing strategic methods which
benefit the library as an organization and it stakeholders.
Bryson, J. M. (2011). Strategic planning for public and nonprofit organizations: A guide to strengthening
and sustaining organizational achievement (4th ed.). San Francisco, CA: Jossey-Bass.
Lexington Public Library. (n.d.). Retrieved December 13, 2017, from
https://www.lexpublib.org/strategic-plan
A strategic plan is essentially is the envisioning a desired process which incorporates the vison, and
translates this vision into broadly defined goals or objectives to achieve the vision brought forth (Bryson,
2011). Strategic planning in the case of the library six key areas of focus is necessary in order to properly
allocate necessary resources, personnel, and action to the six core areas the library wants to focus on in
order to achieve the successes in those endeavors. The strategic planning process is examined and
evaluated for strengths and weakness and to maintain the goals and objectives are being met. This
process occurs year-round and is the key strategic implementation the library administration and its
board of trustees focus on.
Bryson, J. M. (2011). Strategic planning for public and nonprofit organizations: A guide to strengthening
and sustaining organizational achievement (4th ed.). San Francisco, CA: Jossey-Bass.
Lexington Public Library. (n.d.). Retrieved December 13, 2017, from
https://www.lexpublib.org/strategic-plan
Ahmed, great discussion board post. Strategic planning is very necessary in public and non profit
organizations and is the key analysis in order to properly implement key elements which will sustain and
empower the vision or mission of the organization. Strategic planning methods could be
basic strtegic planning which identify basic core goals and ways to implement them. Also SWOT analysis
which look at external and internal factors around the organization or the alignment model which look
at resource allocation in conjunction with the mission statement and how resources could or should
be allocated for better results (Bryson, 2011). Either way strategic planning is necessary in the survival
and actual service the organization wants to incorporate. Great discussion board post
Bryson, J. M. (2011). Strategic planning for public and nonprofit organizations: A guide to strengthening
and sustaining organizational achievement (4th ed.). San Francisco, CA: Jossey-Bass.
Running head: LEXINGTON PUBLIC LIBRARY
Lexington Public Library
Dominic Norwood
Walden University
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Abstract
The Lexington Public Library is one of the oldest and most recognizable organizations in
Kentucky. Within it organizational context we see that this organization with all of it rich
history and public influence has a tremendous impact on the city of Lexington from a
constitutional standpoint and the community it services. Within its legal foundations we see how
the Lexington public library is regulated to follow city codes, and ordnances in proper and
ethical means by the Lexington Fayette urban county government. With it’s connection to public
service we see that the organization was formed to spread information to enable the citizens to be
educated and more informed. We also see ethical issues and dilemmas within the library when it
comes to funding and personnel. Although the library has been successful, it has also been faced
with some ethical challenges that have threatened its status as one of the best libraries in the
nation. Issues have arisen between the staff and public in regards to the management and
operations of the Lexington public library. The management and leadership of the Lexington
Public Library is showcased through the selection of its board of trustees and trustee advisors by
the mayor’s office and approved by the Fayette Urban council. We also see the internal
administrators who maintain the day to day operations of the library while reporting to the board
in monthly meetings. When surveying the power and civic engagement of the Lexington Public
along with collaborative intergovernmental relations within the library structure we see through
partnerships with various stakeholders, the library has been making an impact all over the
county. The library is accountable to the public as well as the Fayette urban county government
and its advisory and board of trustees. Throughout rigorous accountability measure the Library
makes sure that it makes all fiscal and operating information available. We also see the
budgeting and financial management side of the Lexington public Library. Through the aid of
LEXINGTON PUBLIC LIBRARY
federal and state monetary instruments, to the assistance provided by grants and other financial
avenues the library is consistently planning and budgeting the most cost efficient services it can
provide. Finally we examine the future of the Lexington Public Library. The Challenges, trends
and opportunities that have been and will be the cornerstone to the future of the public library
within the community. Technology, financial gains and cut backs, as well new implementations
to programs and service within the library system have been presenting a lot of new trends,
challenges and opportunities for the organization. The success and failures of the library as
whole are incorporated into these very intrinsic categories that allow us to examine and gain
understanding of how the Lexington public library in its role as non-governmental organization
has been and is servicing a growing and diverse community.
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Organization Context
The Lexington Public Library is located in Lexington, Kentucky. It was established in
1905. The library was formed by incorporating the former Transylvania Library and the former
Lexington Library. The initial first branch of the library is located along Lexington’s East Main
Street. This branch is known as the Central Library. The library also has grown to incorporate 5
more branch systems inside its organization system. This includes The Village Branch, The
Northside Branch, The Beaumont Branch, The Eastside Branch and The Tate’s Creek Branch.
These libraries service all the major areas of the city and residents in the community are granted
access to all library resources no matter the area they live.
One of the main reasons why the library was established is that the people around
Lexington knew that libraries are very important when it comes to the functioning of a society in
a society. Therefore, the library is heavily influenced by the United States constitution, which is
the cornerstone of democracy in the nation (Wiegand, 2015). One of the guiding points that
supports the mission of and enhances the causes of the public library is located in the First
Amendment of The U.S. Constitution. “Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment
of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof; or abridging the freedom of speech, or of the
press; or the right of the people to peaceably assemble, and to petition the government for a
redress of grievances”(United States Senate n.d.). The founding fathers supported the spread of
information within the press and the exercise of free speech, peaceful assembly. The library
foundation reflects the founding fathers vision and core values in its services and implementation
within its own core value and mission. Furthermore, an educated public is crucial for a
functioning democracy, and the library was opened to serve as one of the best symbols of
democracy where education frees the mind.
LEXINGTON PUBLIC LIBRARY
Today, the Lexington Public Library serves approximately 300, 000 people in Lexington
and its environs to make sure that more and more people access education as enshrined in the
United States constitution. Throughout its history, the library has been operating an outreach
department so that people far away from the library can get the necessary information through
books.
Legal Foundation
As a public institution in a democratic society, the Lexington Public Library is also
governed by laws that are intended to make it function smoothly and to provide services as
required by the U.S constitution. Enabling legislation is set by the Fayette Urban County
Government allowing the library and its function to exist within the community along with
setting the legal parameters and measures the library is deemed to follow. (Shafritz, Russell,
Borick, 2013 p.11). The Lexington Fayette Urban County Government sets the standards and
laws for the community as well as the library. However, the library also has standards and
measure it internally follows within its own Constitution. First, the library is managed by a
board of trustees.
According to Article II of the Lexington Public libraries constitutional mandates, the
library’s board is made up of seven members who are appointed by the mayor of the county
council for a 4-year term. Each year, membership of the board rotates in a 2-1-2-2 sequence.
Members serve for only 2 terms, and no individual can become a member if they have any
financial interests regarding the library services or sale of materials where money is expected
(Lexington Public Library n.d.).
The laws of the library require that it has a Chair, vice chairman, a secretary, as well as a
treasurer who are elected or nominated during a normal board meeting. All the library’s officers
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must serve a maximum of two terms, each consisting of two years, according to Article III
(Lexington Public Library n.d.). The laws of the library also spell out the duties for every officer.
The Chair presides over all board meetings, and they are also eligible to cast a vote regarding
issues concerning the library during board meetings.
Article V states that the fiscal responsibility lies with the library’s board where all duties
and powers regarding the management of business affairs, funds, and assets are controlled by the
board (Lexington Public Library n.d). The bylaws require that accurate and true records of all
disbursements and receipts must be kept so that the financial status of the library can be
established during all regular meetings. This in turn is regulated by the board of trustees with
legal ramifications set, that if not adhered would create disciplinary action and sanctions up to
and including limited of funding or even the dissolution of the Library.
Connection to Public Service
To serve the public better, the Lexington Public Library embraces a number of ethics,and
moral codes especially those of the American Library Association. The library recognizes how
important it is for the public and other professionals to know the ethical principles it holds to
build its presence within the community. This in turn guides its services to the public. Therefore,
the library embodies responsibilities in the presence of a changing environment regarding
information. The Lexington Public library focuses on many different public services initiatives
through the year. From After school tutoring programs, and Summer reading initiatives for the
children of the Lexington community. To the nonprofit partnerships, community engagement
events and educational opportunities for all the citizens of Lexington. Public service is truly their
greatest driving forces within the community. An example of the libraries outreach and
LEXINGTON PUBLIC LIBRARY
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connection to public service happened in 1949, with the Laura Carroll Branch. This branch was
the first library branch in Lexington specifically created to serve the African American
community. The library took a an “extra mile” approach in creating social equity or fairness
across the board when it came to individuals living in Lexington (shafritz et.al 2013.).The
creation of this branch within the community established a branch that served other diverse
groups and needs within the Lexington community. This enable to library to reach more people
across all racial, gender or economic status. The library has continued offering traditional library
services, but in its effort to keep up with the technological advances of the time, now it has
incorporated digital services within the organization to spread information to each member of the
community without discrimination or unequal patronage.
Also in it continued aspirations of public service and accessible information as well as
technological literacy for all in the community. the Lexington Public Library has been, and is,
committed to freedom of intellect, as well as the freedom of the public to access vital
information. The library is also committed to free flow of ideas and information for generations
to come. Therefore, the library follows a strict code that allows it to make ethical decisions at all
times. The library protects its user’s privacy in respect to the resources that have been borrowed,
transmitted, downloaded, and consulted. The library follows the ethical guidelines that such
information usually remains confidential (Wiegand, 2015). The library does not also censor
resources because it believes in freedom of information. The library does not give in to efforts to
deny anyone information, no matter their religion, sexuality, or race. Freedom to all information
and knowledge is the key standpoint the library pushes as its core value. This idealism pushes
their drive for community involvement ad full access for their citizens in the public services
realm.
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Ethical Issues or Dilemmas
Despite its efforts to remain as ethical as possible, the Lexington Public Library was
faced with an ethical issue in 2013. The library for the most part is committed to a fair treatment
of all its employees but the library was faced with a lawsuit where a former director sued the
library for an unfair dismissal. For the library, this is a dilemma because it shows that there were
problems internally with the library organization. The former director was suing the library for
damages worth $446,129.00 dollars for the salary that remained on the contract. According to
the laws of Kentucky, the library’s board exceeded its authority when it decided to terminate the
contract of its former director (Jcheves@herald-leader.com, J.C. n.d. 2013). According to the
Court of Fayette County, the library’s arbitration panel surpassed its authority on a number of
issues. The panel entered into the Opinion and Order and decided to fire the director, which led
to unpaid cash for remaining part of the contract. Due to the nature of the case, it dragged for a
long time, which could risk damaging the library’s good name. Also, the library risked paying
the rest of the money to its former director because of the unfair termination of the contract.
To allow such a breach of professional ethical behavior and totally disengage with the
accepted norms the library generally abided in (Shafritz et.al 2013), the library could have
handled the issue in a different manner. First, the library’s board should not have exceeded its
authority in ending the contract of the former director. The board could have followed
Kentucky’s local statutes to avoid such a breach of ethics. Also, the library could have had a
settlement outside the court if they thought it would be difficult to work with the former director,
or if they thought he was underperforming. The other thing the library could have done is to pay
the rest of the money remaining on the contract to avoid inconveniencing the former director
financially. By doing the above things, the library could have avoided breaching ethical
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standards and engaging in behavior the would present ethical challenges to the libraries good
name and works within the community.
Management and Leadership
The library also follows a leadership structure both formally and informally so that it can
function smoothly. Leadership we see is the exercising of authority through directing and
coordinating subordinate team members in the achievement of organizational goals and
initiatives. (Shafritz, Russell, & Borick. 2013, p361). The informal leadership structure of the
Lexington public library is presided over by a Board of Trustees, which oversees the finances
and policies of the library (Lexington public library n.d.). The Board of Trustees is made up of
seven members who are appointed by Lexington Fayette Urban County Government’s mayor.
There is also an advisory board charged with advising the board of trustees regarding crucial
issues related to the library’s operation. The advisory board is made up of a maximum of ten
members. The ten members usually attend each meeting with the Board of Trustees, where they
serve on ad hoc committees, as well as standing committees. Article VII of the library
constitution states that the mayor of the county council appoints an advisory board with the
approval of the County Council, where the advisory board gives advice on issues that are related
to administration of services and daily operations (Lexington Public library n.d.). The members
of both boards are approved by the members of the Fayette urban government county council,
where they serve a maximum of two terms, each made up of four years.
The formal structure of leadership encompassed by the Lexington Public library are those
members who handle the daily operations and integral part of the library funding, outreach, and
administrative practices. The set up the distinct oral vison and organizational standards they as
well as their employees abide in and work towards. These include the director of the library. who
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administers the library as well as is the figure head to the outside community and entities. The
director of operations, The director in charge of collections, the director of outreach services,
The Director of finance. As well as department heads for all auxiliary groups and nonadministrative positions. With regards to library employees, co-workers are also expected to
respect one another just as well as management with high regard. The libraries leadership makes
sure that its workers improve their skills and knowledge so that they can serve the people better.
The library also does not allow the employee’s personal beliefs to interfere with the institution’s
goals of providing information freely and fairly to everyone without discrimination.
Power and Civic Engagement
The Lexington Public Library has a number of ways in which it engages the public to
spread information to the county’s residents. Before the library adopted modern technology, the
library used the travelling branch to engage members of the public, especially those in the distant
and poorer areas of the city.
With the current technology, the library has devised new methods of engaging the public
through a game app called the BattleKasters. The library partnered with Alane Adams, who is an
author to come up with a game board based on “The Red Sun”, which is a book by Adams.
Currently, four games have already been created, and they enable the library engage with its
younger users. In addition to engaging teenagers, BattleKasters engages their families, as well as
the library’s partners. With the board game, the library is able to engage teens and encourage
them to take part in several games that create virtual quests that are interactive to encourage
creativity.
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The board game is location-aware, and it uses beacons to come up with questing,
interactive adventures. For teenagers, such board games are venues for delivering content to
them so that they can become interested in reading books. Two games cover the entire city, and
many partners are hosting beacons to deliver useful content.
The partnership between the library and community partners is benefiting both sides. The
Transit Authority in the city also agreed to provide free transportation for the members of the
library owning a card (Wiegand, 2015). Therefore, the community is able to access the library
and get useful information because of the several partnerships that are taking place via different
programs such as the ones mentioned. Such partnerships also give the library a lot of power to
execute various programs in the community.
Accountability
Lexington Public Library strives to maintain responsibility to the various stakeholders in
the city. The library tries as much as possible to be accountable regarding the money it has been
receiving from the various stakeholders it is partnering with. One of the ways it does this is to
make sure that it reveals its financial information in the public domain so that members of the
public can scrutinize how it has been spending money. Also, if a member of the public has a
question, there is an address where one can voice questions and opinions to advance the mission
and objectives of the library. Therefore, the library follows a strict code that allows it to make
ethical decisions at all times.
Also, the library makes sure that it provides two types of financial statements to the
public domain. One of the financial statements is the library’s government-wide statement, and
the other statements are fund financial statements from individual contributors. The government-
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wide financial statement usually reveals both the short-term and the long-term information when
it comes to the general financial status. By revealing such information, the stakeholders are given
confidence about the direction of the library. The fund statements usually reveal information
concerning individual contributions, and these ones are usually more detailed when compared to
the government-wide financial statements.
By revealing the different types of financial statements such as the fund financial
statements and the government-wide financial statement, the library shows that it is accountable
to the stakeholders because people can address important questions regarding the library’s
finances. Also stakeholders are able to compare these statements with those of the previous years
to see the amount of progress that has been made so far.
Through various plans that it releases to the public, such as capital improvement plans
and budgeting plans, the library remains accountable regarding the amount and types of services
that it plans to offer (Boyne, 2004). Plans are a good tool for accountability because they are like
a promise to the various stakeholders.
Intergovernmental Relations
The library also coordinates efforts with various private and public entities to improve its
services to the public. Such nonprofit groups such as God’s pantry, Lexplay, Friends of the
library, library has made efforts to partner with outside organizations, government institutions,
and professionals to come up with various youth and adult programs. For instance, in September
2016, the library partnered with lexplay to hold a speedrunning and gaming marathon and the
proceeds would go towards funding various projects for the library. Also, the library has also
partnered with the Northside Branch Digital Studio for gaming, as well as educational initiatives
so that the residents can get useful information to enrich their lives.
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Individuals are also encouraged to partner with the library through donations to improve
its services across the county. Most events in the library are usually supported by individuals
who have already recognized the efforts the library is applying to improve its services across
Kentucky.
In 2015, the library partnered with the various public schools in Fayette to give every
student a personalized library card so that they can access the library’s resources more easily. On
top of the resources the teenagers access at school, the cards enable to the students to access
additional materials, which the schools cannot offer. Such resources include online databases
from reputable institutions in the United States, audio books from various authors, and e-books.
In April 2017, the library participated in a health fair with Davidson County. Such an
initiative is meant to spread healthy practices among Kentucky teenagers for a healthier future.
There have been other collaborations with the University of Kentucky Confucius Institute to host
painting exhibitions that promote talent in arts.
To encourage more youths in the county to attend the library, Lexington Public Library
has collaborated with Lextran to give free transport to students who have a card from the library.
Therefore, through the various partnerships, the library and the various stakeholders benefit.
One of the challenges that the library has been facing regarding the various partnerships
is turnout. Sometimes it is hard to make the youths to attend various initiatives that have been
launched by the library and its partners.
Public Financial Management and Budgeting
The organization receives its funding through the Ad Valorem property taxes. The laws
of Kentucky make sure that institutions such as the Lexington Public Library get 5 cents per one
hundred dollars of property value that has been assessed in the Fayette County. That is the lowest
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amount of money that can be given to public libraries. However, most counties, including the
Fayette County, have chosen to allocate more money to their libraries because they recognize
how important they are in making sure that the population remains informed.
Lexington Public Library also gets some funds from the federal and state kitty for public
libraries. The rest of the operating funds for the library come from the Library Foundation and
the library’s friends. Such funds come in form of fees, fines, as well as grants. Therefore, the
additional funds allow the library to come up with various initiatives that benefit the society.
The library’s fiscal year usually starts from July 1st to June 30th. The library’s trustees
usually review and then approve budgets at the beginning of every fiscal year. Independent
audits are also carried out every fiscal year. The audits are carried out on the internal controls, as
well as the financial statements to check their compliance with the U.S standards of accounting.
Challenges, Opportunities, and Trends
The library has faced a few challenges over the last few years. In 2014, the library was
sued by a former director after the board terminated its contract. Due to the lawsuit, the library
suffered in terms of its finances and its reputation.
The library has opportunities because it is a well established public library. Therefore, it
has a good opportunity to attract more users because it already has enough resources. Due to its
good reputation, the library also has the opportunity to attract more partners (Bilmes, 2011).
Technology offers new opportunities to spread its services to many people regardless of where
they are located in the country or the world.
The current trend is creating apps for library services and the organization is taking
advantage of technology to create such an app.
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Therefore, due to these opportunities, trends, and challenges, the organization might find
itself needing more staff and money to be able to accommodate new technology and maintain it.
Also, the organization is able to reach more people and make an impact to the community.
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References
Shafritz, J. M., Russell, E. W., & Borick, C. P. (2013). Introducing public administration (8th ed.). Upper Saddle
River, NJ: Pearson Education.
Bilmes, L. J. (2011). Federalist Nos. 67–77 How Would Publius Envision the Civil Service
Today?. Public Administration Review, 71(s1), s98-s104.
Bingham, L. B., & O’Leary, R. (2011). Federalist No. 51: Is the Past Relevant to Today’s
Collaborative Public Management?. Public Administration Review, 71(s1), s78-s82.
Boyne, G. A. (2004). Explaining public service performance: Does management matter?. Public
Policy and Administration, 19(4), 100-