FY2021-2024 Strategic Plan

Methodology/User Needs Assessment

In developing the latest Strategic Plan for the Wilbraham Public Library, library staff and trustees gathered feedback about the library and its services through a variety of methods, including:

Results from the “Your Voice Your Library” Massachusetts Public Library Patron Survey (results available May 2018)
SOAR exercise completed by library staff and Board of Trustees (Spring and Fall 2018)
Patron survey focused on Children's Services (Spring 2019)
SOAR exercise completed by the Strategic Planning committee (Summer 2019)

In August of 2019, Library Trustee Linda Dagradi facilitated a 3-hour meeting with members of the community representing a variety of demographics within the community, as well as a few key staff members.

The Strategic Planning Committee was comprised of :

Ron Haislip-Hansberry (adult, parent, member of the Friends of the Library)
Christine Goonan (adult, educator, parent)
Charles Bennett (senior citizen, former editor of the local newspaper, member of the town's 250^th anniversary committee)
Carol Ross (senior citizen, library volunteer with our outreach program)
Molly Olsen (high school student, member of the Teen Advisory Board)
Linda Dagradi (library trustee)
Karen Grycel (library trustee)
Bernard Davidow (adult services librarian)
Rachel Hapgood (teen services librarian)
Heidi Kane (children's librarian)

At the August 27^th meeting, Library Director Karen Demers reviewed the service responses that were selected in the prior strategic plan and informed the group how collections, programs and services were developed according to those priorities. Karen Demers then left the meeting to allow the committee to be able to speak freely and determine if changes should be made to the existing mission statement and make recommendations for the service responses that should be selected for the next plan.

Results of the surveys and the Strategic Planning Committee meeting are included in the appendix.

Mission Statement

Comments from the Strategic Planning committee resulted in the following updated mission statement, approved by the Board of Library Trustees in September 2019 -

The Wilbraham Public Library provides opportunities for community learning, recreation, and making connections.

Service Responses

The committee selected the following service responses from “Public Library Service Responses 2007,” by June Garcia and Sandra Nelson, published by the Public Library Association.

Priorities for FY2021-2024

Create Young Readers: Early literacy. Children from birth to age five will have programs and services designed to ensure that they will enter school ready to learn to read, write, and listen.
Satisfy Curiosity: Lifelong learning. Residents will have the resources they need to explore topics of personal interest and continue to learn throughout their lives.
Make Informed Decisions: Health, wealth, and other life choices. Residents will have the resources they need to identify and analyze risks, benefits, and alternatives before making decisions that affect their lives.
Be an Informed Citizen: Local, national, and world affairs. Residents will have the information they need to support and promote democracy, to fulfill their civic responsibilities at the local, state, and national levels and to fully participate in community decision-making.
Visit and Comfortable Place: Physical and virtual spaces. Residents will have safe and welcoming physical places to meet and interact with others or to sit quietly and read and will have open and accessible virtual spaces that support networking.

Goals

Service Response Priority #1
Create Young Readers: Early Literacy

Definition: Children from birth to five will have programs and services designed to ensure that they will enter school ready to learn to read, write, and listen.

Goal I: Wilbraham parents and caregivers of the young will receive appropriate instruction and assistance to obtain skills related to parenting and early childhood development.

Objective A: The library will continue to work with the town clerk's office to identify parents of newborns in town and send them an introductory package about the library and its programs and collections.

Objective B: The library will identify local preschools and daycare centers and develop service programs, such as deposit collections or kits to promote early literacy skills.

Objective C: The library will offer training for parents and caregivers on the use of both print and non-print resources related to parenting and early childhood development, such as Tumblebooks and the Scholastic Teachables products.

Objective D: The library will promote collections and services for parents and caregivers according to the provisions of the library's Marketing Plan.

Goal II: Wilbraham babies, toddlers, and preschoolers will have the materials and services that support their developmental and learning needs.

Objective A: The library will partner with Pathways for Parents to provide programs for ages zero-five.

Objective B: The library will promote titles appropriate for storytimes through in-house displays and lists as well as electronic format and through social media outlets.

Objective C: The library will regularly purchase materials in a variety of age-appropriate formats for use by babies, toddlers, and preschoolers.

Objective D: The library will promote collections and services for babies, toddlers, and preschoolers according to the provisions of the library's Marketing Plan.

Service Response Priority #2
Satisfy Curiosity: Lifelong Learning

Definition: Residents will have the resources they need to explore topics of personal interest and continue to learn throughout their lives.

Goal I: Wilbraham residents of all ages will have resources and opportunities to participate in programs to develop skills and to meet their recreational needs.

Objective A: Library staff will select materials in a variety of formats that appear in industry and trade bestselling lists and according to patron demand.

Objective B: Library staff will identify topics in the area of lifelong learning on a quarterly basis to develop appropriate print and non-print collections.

Objective C: Library staff will provide training on the use of the library's electronic resources that provide lifelong learning opportunities, such as Learn it Live, Great Courses, Educode, and Ancestry Library Edition.

Objective D: Library staff will hold regular book talk/discussion/reading programs targeted to youth, teen, adult, and senior readers at appropriate locations throughout the community, including the schools, library, senior center, and elderly housing centers.

Objective E: Library staff will work with the Friends of the Library, the Wilbraham Cultural Council, and other partners to present four programs annually to support lifelong learning opportunities and hobbies.

Objective F: Library staff will continue to develop digital collections and walking tours highlighting resources in the local history collection for those who wish to learn more about their community.

Objective G: The library will promote collections and services for lifelone learning according to the provisions of the library's Marketing Plan.

Service Response Priority #3
Make Informed Decisions: Health, Wealth, and Other Life Choices

Definition: Residents will have the resources they need to identify and analyze risks, benefits, and alternatives before making decisions that affect their lives.

Goal I: All Wilbraham Library users will have access to physical and digital resources to assist them in making informed decisions.

Objective A: Library staff will select four topics annually for collection development and promote these resources appropriately.

Objective B: Library staff will create a physical and digital resource guide identifying organizations to provide professional assistance in health, financial, legal, and education topics.

Objective C: The library will actively work with the town and appropriate agencies during times of crisis to provide support for residents and meet their needs by providing proper referrals for disaster recovery or other necessary services.

Objective D: The library will promote physical and digital collections to that assist the community in making informed decisions according to the provisions of the library's Marketing Plan.

Goal II: All Wilbraham Library users will have opportunities to attend programs to assist them in making informed decisions.

Objective A: Library staff will plan two programs annually in the area of health and wellness.

Objective B: Library staff will plan two programs annually in the area of personal finance.

Objective C: Library staff will survey teen and adult users to determine topics of interest for future programming.

Objective D: The library will promote programs that assist the community in making informed decisions according to the provisions of the library's Marketing Plan.

Service Response Priority #4
Be an Informed Citizen: Local, national, and world affairs.

Definition: Residents will have the information they need to support and promote democracy, to fulfill their civic responsibilities at the local, state, and national levels and to fully participate in community decision-making.

Goal I: All Wilbraham Library users will have access to physical and digital resources to increase their awareness of issues at the local, state, national, and global level.

Objective A: Library staff will select four topics annually for collection development and promote these resources appropriately.

Objective B: Library staff will regularly identify local issues and provide information to the public through both physical and digital forums.

Objective C: The library will promote collections concerning local, national and world affairs according to the provisions of the library's Marketing Plan.

Goal II: All Wilbraham Library users will have opportunities to discuss issues at the local, state, national, and global level.

Objective A: The library will work with civic leaders and elected officials to present public forums on legislative and policy issues as needed.

Objective B: The library will offer four programs or series annually to provide information or promote discussion on a variety of topic areas that affect daily life on a local, regional, or global scale, such as the Great Decisions series, or World Cafe events.

Objective C: The library will promote programs regarding local, state, national, and global affairs according to the provisions of the library's Marketing Plan.

Service Response Priority #5
Visit a Comfortable Space: Physical and Virtual Spaces

Definition: Residents will have safe and welcoming physical places to meet and interact with others or to sit quietly and read and will have open and accessible virtual spaces that support networking.

Goal I: Visitors to the Wilbraham Public Library will have comfortable spaces to read and to use the computers for recreational and educational use.

Objective A: Library staff will continue to improve seating areas appropriate for reading, quiet study, or group work.

Objective B: Library staff will continue to assess the community's need for mobile computing workstations and wireless printing.

Goal II: Visitors to the Wilbraham Public Library will be able to enjoy the grounds surrounding the library for recreational use.

Objective A: Library staff will implement the StoryWalk© on the library grounds, rotating titles every three to four weeks.

Objective B: Library staff will replace worn benches with comfortable outdoor seating.

Goal III: The Wilbraham community will have knowledge of programs and meetings held at the library that are open to the public.

Objective A: Library staff will continue to promote the Burbio service to the public and for community groups to share their calendars for events.

Objective B: Library staff will explore expanding the Brooks Room reservation system to allow for direct bookings from community groups.

Goal IV: Users of the Wilbraham Public Library website will have access to information about the library's collections and services through a dynamic online portal.

Objective A: Library staff will work with PiperWebs to regularly provide access to new offerings.

Objective B: Library staff will promote the use of the Library Aware services so the public can learn about programs and materials.

Objective C: Library staff will continue to use social media to provide an online forum for the community to connect.

Goal V: Visitors to the Wilbraham Public Library will be able to easily locate areas of the collection through appropriate signage.

Objective A: Library staff will explore stack mapping software through C/W MARS or other venues.

Objective B: Library staff will identify a source to create consistent signage throughout the collections.

Appendix

Attached to this document are the following electronic files -
Survey results from the MBLC Your Voice Your Library from Wilbraham Public Library users
SOAR results from library staff and trustees
Children's Department survey results
Notes from the Strategic Planning Committee meeting, facilitated by Linda Dagradi