Step 1 Technology Planning

Library Plans

State library agencies may have their plans approved through several mechanisms. The Institute of Museum and Library Services (IMLS) has approved a Library Services and Technology Act (LSTA) plan for every state. These plans are similar in purpose and scope to Ed-Tech plans for State Education Agencies (SEA), and they constitute approved technology plans for the purposes of the Schools and Libraries Program. Alternatively, a state library agency may choose to use a technology plan approved by an appropriate body within the state (e.g., the legislature, state department of telecommunications, state department of information technology, etc.). Since LSTA plans and many state agency plans cover a period of more than three years, USAC will ask the IMLS or the state agency for a progress report under these plans during their third year.

State library agencies are the preferred approvers for the technology plans of library systems and libraries in their states. USAC will consult with state library agencies and will certify their approval process if they affirm the application of the criteria and standards outlined in Technology Planning and Tech Plan Scope and Timeframe.

For the purposes of technology planning:

• A library is a single administrative unit, which can have multiple outlets.
• A library consortium is an administrative unit which is a collection of multiple libraries, each with its own governing structure, that come together to share resources and aggregate demand. (See Library Consortia for more specific information.)

Individual libraries may write their own technology plans. Library consortia technology plans may be used to fulfill the requirement for the individual libraries to have a technology plan if the consortium:

• Supports and validates the services requested by the library
• Is based on a collaborative planning process
• Follows the guidelines set out in the technology planning scenarios outlined below:
• A library that applies for discounts on services for its own library outlet(s) may have a plan written at the library level.
• A library consortium that applies for discounts on services that are shared by a group of libraries may have a plan written at the consortium level as long as the plan supports and validates the requested services.
• Libraries that apply for discounts on services for their own library outlet(s), which are part of a larger initiative supported by the library consortium, may have a plan written at the library consortium level, as long as the plan supports and validates the requested services.

A state library agency may delegate its approval authority by designating a third party to establish and operate an independent peer review process on its behalf. In the event of such delegation, the agency should notify USAC. The state agency will retain responsibility for the approvers operating under its jurisdiction.