Strategic Plan

CELA's strategic planning project

CELA’s staff and Board are working on a new strategic plan which will guide our work for the next five years. Part of this planning will include consulting with our users, our member libraries and our colleagues who support people with print disabilities and accessible reading. We have engaged an organization, called Nordicity to help us in this process.

We will be gathering information through surveys, focus groups and interviews, beginning in February with a survey. Please check this page regularly for updates.

Help Shape CELA’s Future

CELA is developing a new strategic plan to help guide our work over the next five years – and we want to hear from you!

We welcome a wide range of perspectives including from:

  • People who use CELA’s accessible reading materials, including designates (friends or family members who help CELA users)
  • Library staff, educators, and other professionals who support people in using CELA
  • Organizations that work with or support CELA

As part of this process, CELA is working with Nordicity, an independent consulting firm that supports public libraries, accessibility organizations, cultural organizations and others with planning and research.

Ways to Participate

There are two ways to get involved:

  1. Complete an online survey. Now complete! Thanks to all who contributed. 
  2. Register for a virtual focus group (for specific participant groups)

You are welcome to take part in both if both apply to you. Details are provided below.

Register for a Focus Group

Nordicity is facilitating a series of virtual focus groups for different groups of CELA users and partners. These 75-minute sessions will allow for deeper conversation about what CELA is doing well, where there may be gaps, and what CELA should focus on in the coming years.

Focus group spots are limited and registration is offered on a first-come, first-served basis. If you are unable to secure a spot, we strongly encourage you to participate by completing the survey.

Please register for the session that best reflects your role or perspective, and the language you would like to participate in.

CELA Users

The following sessions are open to all CELA users with print disabilities, including parents and designates (friends or family members who help CELA users):

  • English session: Register for CELA user session (English) on March 9, 1:00 PM Eastern Time (Completed)
  • English session: Register for CELA user session (English) on March 10, 7:00 PM Eastern Time (Completed)
  • English session: Register for CELA user session (English) on March 16, 8:00 PM Eastern Time (Completed)
  • French session: Register for CELA user session (French) on March 19, 7:00 PM Eastern Time (Completed)

The following session is specifically for CELA users with learning and/or physical disabilities, including parents and designates (friends or family members who help CELA users): If this time does not work for you, we invite you to choose another time from the list above:

  • English session: Register for CELA users with learning and/or physical disabilities session (English) on March 17, 7:00 PM Eastern Time (Completed)
Professionals Who Support CELA Users

Library staff

  • French session: Register for library staff session (French) on March 16, 12:00 PM Eastern Time (Completed)
  • English session: Register for library staff session (English) on March 24, 1:00 PM Eastern Time (Completed)

Educators and other support professionals including those who are eligible for a CELA Client Access Support Account

Complete the Survey

Thanks to everyone who answered our survey! The draw for the Envoy Connects has been done and we have contacted the winners. 

Fill out the survey here: CELA Strategic Plan Survey Now complete! Thanks to all who contributed. 

If you need help to complete the survey, please feel free to call our Contact Centre at 1-855-655-2273 and one of our staff will call you to fill the survey out over the phone.

  • The survey will close on Sunday, March 8 at 11:59 PM Eastern Time.
  • It is available in English and French. The option to switch languages is at the top of the survey page.
  • The survey has been tested for accessibility and is designed to be usable with assistive technologies.
  • It will take approximately 10–20 minutes to complete (the number of questions and time required may vary depending on who you are and how you answer some questions).
  • You will have 12 hours to complete the survey once you start. If you close the survey before you have completed it, the answers you have already provided may not be included.
  • Your responses are anonymous. Survey results will only be reported in summary form (never on an individual basis). The survey is administered using a Canadian survey tool, and responses are stored on Canadian servers.
  • Everyone who completes the survey will have the option to enter a random draw to win one of three Envoy Connects. An Envoy Connect is a portable audiobook player designed for accessible reading.
  • If you choose to enter the draw for an Envoy Connect, you will be asked to provide your name and contact information at the end of the survey. This information will only be used to contact winners and will never be connected to your survey responses.

 

Additional Information and Support

Contact CELA Member Services for questions about this project: members@celalibrary.com (email link)

Contact Gaeby Abrahams at Nordicity for questions about the survey: gabrahams@nordicity.com (email link)

Thank you for taking the time to share your perspective. Your input will help shape CELA’s future direction and ensure our services continue to meet the needs of the people and communities we serve.