Briana Elliot

SWOT Analysis (Unit 3)

For this SWOT report, I chose to focus on Berkeley Public

Libraries, specifically the North Branch. From an outsiders perspective,
the library has several strengths that are apparent to any library user.
Firstly, according to Erica Olsen and her discussion on performing a
SWOT analysis (3), the North Branch library capitalizes on its strength
in providing programming to children and teens of all ages.
The library seems very aware of its communitys need for youth
programs, as informed by the internal gathering of data via Customer
Satisfaction Surveys (4) completed in the past. As a result, the
management team of the North Branch has organized and supported
countless literacy-based programs, outreach, and services that has the
potential of reaching almost 13 percent of the city of Berkeleys total
population, the percentage of all Berkeley youth from ages 0-17 years
old (1). Some examples of current programs for children and teens,
retrieved from the North Berkeley Branch Library webpage (5), are the
following: Summer Reading Program; summer library volunteer
opportunities for kids entering grades 6-8; Movies for Junior Foodies;
Baby Bounce & Toddler Tales; and, Spanish Bilingual Story-time.
Having many successful programs for the North Berkeley Branch
means that the overall staffing is exceptional. The programs and

outreach, as well as the general library reference services, are strong,

staffed by a large, rotating group of skilled and competent paid and
volunteer staff that are aware of their patrons and their community
needs.
According to the Berkeley Public Library (BPL) Strategic Plan (4),
some future objectives and initiatives are centered around early
literacy programs, and as seen above, the North Branch already sets a
fantastic example. Having the strong foundation of programs and
services already in place, as well as a well-trained staffing team, the
North Branch is fully capable of achieving future goals of expanding its
services to different age groups, such as the proposed initiative to
bring early literacy programs to children (and their families) in the
second grade and higher (4).
Using their strengths to shore up their own weaknesses, as
Erica Olsen (3) puts it, gives the North Branch management team an
organizational edge in facing the areas that are seemingly lacking.
According to the BPL Strategic Plan (4), many of the future initiatives
involve priority service responses to the following cultural programs:
programs assisting new immigrants; programs on life issues (finance,
health, retirement, etc.); programs on adult book discussion; and,
lastly, promoting awareness of different cultures (4).
All of the above programs suggested in BPLs future initiative
planning deal with the adult population in some way, a population that

is being largely ignored in the North Berkeley Branch Library

programming and outreach services. This means that presumably most
library patrons of the North Branch are children, teens and their
families. One question for the North Branch management to ask itself
could be, how can the early literacy and teen outreach programs,
already succeeding, invite a larger, broader population of adults that
also include new immigrant populations and/or populations that are
culturally different from one another? Contemplation on this weakness
can bring about the librarys opportunity to develop programs that
compliment one another. For example, if reaching an adult population
is a goal, than try offering an adult program like the proposed adult
book group, or the life issues program, around the same time as a
program for children or teens; that way, the patrons who are families
already coming to the library for a kid- or teen-specialized program,
can also stay, be informed, or visit a program designed for adults.
Another example, if reaching the new immigrant populations and
promoting cultural inclusion is a goal, than perhaps the North Branch
can use its pre-existing strength of having some bilingual (Spanish)
staff persons in their programs for children, and giving the staff more
hours and responsibilities to conduct bilingual (Spanish) programs and
outreach for adults as well. Having bilingual staff in the library at more
times, for more programs, can potentially reduce the threat of the
library being viewed by the outer community as culturally incompetent

as well. Evans & Ward (2007) discuss the notion that providing services
to a diverse community, like having trained bilingual staff, can promote
a sense of empowerment and motivation for library patrons who might
otherwise be intimidated by potential language barriers (75).
Furthermore, the bilingual staff at North Branch could use its preexisting patron population of the Bilingual Story time to test out
ideas and run specific surveys to get internal data for future cultural
displays, history & family nights, and/or community gatherings
promoting culturally diversity. The chances to reduce weaknesses and
external threats and transform them into opportunities for future
strengths can thus be endless; North Branch management teams must
decide what programs will better serve their population of patrons so
that the whole community is being served more equally.
Getting the community directly involved in the decision-making
process can be an excellent way to combat potential threats to North
Branch as well, by empowering patrons to be positive, political, and
active members of their own library experience. For example, if a
citywide strategic plan of Berkeleys Public Libraries (previously
mentioned) has been conducted, with goals and initiatives set in place,
the North Branch must be seen by its patrons and outer community to
be taking steps (like other Berkeley library branches) toward reflecting
the demographics and age-group populations that are identified as
needing new services. As a preventative measure, the North Branch

must identify and be aware of these issues as weaknesses, (like the

lack of bilingual and culturally diverse programs and outreach as well
as broader services for adults), and embrace the opportunity to
squelch the potential for threats due to the external political
environment of the community(6).

References:
1. Bay Area Census, 2010, retrieved from:
http://www.bayareacensus.ca.gov/cities/Berkeley.htm
2. SWOT Analysis as presented on Wikipedia, retrieved from:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:SWOT_en.svg
3. Olsen, Erica. Discussion of preforming a SWOT analysis:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GNXYI10Po6A
4. Strategic Plan of Berkeley Public Library, retrieved from:
http://www.berkeleypubliclibrary.org/about_the_library/documents/Strat
egic_Plan_Final.pdf
5. Berkeley Public Library For Kids: Programs and Events, retrieved
from:

http://www.berkeleypubliclibrary.org/children/programs-and-events/#/?
i=8
6. Library SWOT Analysis, retrieved from:
http://www.ehow.com/about_5498787_library-swot-analysis.html
7. Evans & Ward. (2007). Management basics for information
professionals. New York, NY: Neal-Schuman Publishers, Inc. Print.