Over the years, the Columbus Metropolitan Library (CML) has experimented with various continuous improvement initiatives. Some projects fizzled owing to the universal killers of grand ideas such as inertia, inconsistent implementation, lack of buy-in, "flavor of the month" attitude, and the all-time favorite: if they ignore this idea it will go away and they can keep doing things the way they always have. The projects that succeeded, such as one in technical services designed to decrease the time customers wait for new material, proved that it is possible to make and maintain sizable process improvements with fewer staff. These trials fueled CML's passion for more. Like many organizations, CML is made up of multiple departments all working hard to achieve the mission and vision of the library but not necessarily all working together. Clearly they needed a comprehensive systemwide orientation to identify areas for improvement, work across department lines, and implement lasting change. To address these needs, CML executive director Patrick Losinski and the Executive Leadership Team added a new objective to the organization's 2005 tactical plan: Objective 4.2.3 To determine a strategy, structure, time line, budget, and overall implementation plan for a quality improvement program at CML by 2005.