In consideration of our international readership, the following summaries of this month's feature articles are provided first in English, then in French and Spanish.

The strategy game at the Special Libraries Association has been an evolving venture. The evolution of strategic planning within SLA has been a process of maturation both in our understanding of and respect for planning for our association. This strategy game at SLA is a complex dance of inter-related needs and input of the membership, the units, the Board of Directors, and headquarters staff. The partnership that has grown and developed into the strategic planning process is neither complete nor perfect. Every time a planning cycle is completed, improvements are made and learning happens. The Strategic Planning Committee and the entire Board of Directors welcome any input that members may have for further improvements to our future plans and the planning process.

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Integrating Technology into Strategic Planning
by Richard Hulser

Often, chess players rely on their knowledge of what has been actually tried, the probability of its success (or failure), and are continually alert to new actions, incorporating this information into their next move. They may take a risk with an untried method or stick to one or more methods that have proven to be successful in the past. This strategy is similar to planning for the use of technology in information services. Successful technology application for information services is based on its fit to actual needs, as well as realistic expectations of what can be accomplished using technology. The way to achieve this is through proper strategic planning. This includes an assessment of current resources and future needs as part of the development of a strategic plan to incorporate technology into information services.

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Marketing With a Capital S: Strategic Planning for Knowledge Based Services
by Ulla de Stricker

Some have said that strategic planning is a fancy expression for the simple notion of deciding "what/where/who do we want to be (for whom) in one-three-five years?" The fact is without strategic planning, few of us will succeed. Strategy has become a more and more challenging domain in step with the increasing complexity of most organizations' knowledge related activities. The information center is no different. Out strategic direction must be closely aligned with that of the entire organization, and especially with that of the Information Technology component. Therefore, our strategic planning checklist begins at the beginning, with efforts to ensure we are connected to the corporate decision-makers in a way that goes beyond the relationship between requestor and service provider.

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Filling the Planning Vacuum
by Doug Church

Have you ever been in a situation where a project was too important to base decisions on conjecture alone? In the absence of definitive answers, planning sessions can reach a standstill. If you can relate to this scenario, then you probably appreciate the difficulty (and potential pitfalls) of planning without reliable information. Whether you are faced with far- reaching strategic decisions, or short-term tactical ones, having good information can mean the difference between success and failure. In short, well-designed marketing research can save money and better direct valuable resources.

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