Library long-term and strategic plans tend to employ top down approaches that can leave departmental staff feeling disconnected an unrepresented in the plan. In 2019, the Access Services Department at the University of Denver engaged in a long-term planning process. This process puts Access Services staff members at the center of the process. This article examines the planning process for the long-term plan including how the themes of the plan were developed, how goals were determined and set, and the path toward administrative approval. This article will focus on helping readers understand how they can undergo a similar process to develop their own plan, as opposed to the specific results at the University of Denver.