Since planning is a large part of Dysart & Jones’ consulting practice and our passion, materials relating to planning are always of interest. I pointed to Dave Pollard’s blog on environmental scanning on April 25th of this year, and here’s a great series on environmental scanning (ES) from Alane Wilson of OCLC. She was the editor of the famous OCLC 2003 Environmental Scan.

In her blog, Alane has series on ES, four parts, Alane includes a definition, comments on the lack of information on ES in the library literature, great links to more information on ES as well as examples, practical comments on the process used by OCLC for their scan, tips on how to be successful in doing your own scan. She promises to talk about what do to once you have the scan in the fourth part of the series.

It is her comments about mindset and skills, however, that I like best. Alane talks about ES taking an “outside-in” very broad view of the environment — the long view of the world. It reminded of talks I have heard from Stewart Brand, of the Long Now Foundation, who has been talking about an even longer view — in the thousands of years. It is so hard for us to look around and forward but it is so critical to our plans and accomplishments. Alane comments, “that “inside-out” planning is why librarians find themselves at the periphery of the new information universe”. I agree, and it is

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