Strategic Plan - Thomas Crane Public Library

THOMAS CRANEPUBLIC LIBRARYStrategic PlanJuly 1, 2012 - June 30, 2017

THOMAS CRANE PUBLIC LIBRARY 1TABLE OF CONTENTSIntroduction ........................................................................................................................................................................................................ 2Board of Library Trustees ................................................................................................................................................................................ 2Library Community Planning Committee ..................................................................................................................................................... 2Community Vision and Needs ........................................................................................................................................................................ 3Values ................................................................................................................................................................................................................... 4Service Priorities ................................................................................................................................................................................................ 5Mission ................................................................................................................................................................................................................. 5Goals ..................................................................................................................................................................................................................... 6Measurable Objectives & Possible Activities ................................................................................................................................................ 7Implementation ................................................................................................................................................................................................. 12Acknowledgements ......................................................................................................................................................................................... 12The State of the Library ................................................................................................................................................................................. 12Strategic Plan | July 1, 2012 – June 30, 2017

THOMAS CRANE PUBLIC LIBRARY 2INTRODUCTIONIn the fall of 2011, the Thomas CranePublic Library Board of Library Trusteesand administrative staff initiated a newplanning process based on the PublicLibrary Association’s Strategic Planning forResults method. During the months ofOctober and November, the staffconducted customer and staff surveysand gathered data about the communityand library use trends. In December,community leaders were recruited toparticipate in a Community PlanningCommittee to discuss and recommendservice priorities for the coming years.The Community Planning Committeerepresented various demographic groupsin the city and brought a great deal ofcommunity knowledge and experienceto the planning process. The Committeemet in January and February 2012 toreview the current state of libraryservices, develop a vision for Quincy’sfuture, and determine how the librarycan help the city move toward thatvision.BOARD OF LIBRARYTRUSTEESHarold Crowley, ChairJanet DiTullio, TreasurerMary L. Reed, SecretaryTina CahillWilliam GriffinLIBRARY COMMUNITYPLANNING COMMITTEEDonna AckermanNeighborhood Housing ServicesWilliam AdamczykLibrary Staff LiaisonElizabeth CampbellQuincy Access TelevisionKelly CobbleQuincy Art AssociationCeleste DangNorth Quincy High School studentJanet DiTullioLibrary Trustee LiaisonPaul GormanSouth Shore YMCAMargaret LaforestCity Councilor for Ward 1Elizabeth ManningQuincy Dept. of Planning & Community DevelopmentLt. Dan MintonQuincy Police DepartmentJohn MolloyQuincy Council on AgingFrank PoonSouth Shore Elder ServicesDean RizzoQuincy Chamber of CommerceColleen RobertsQuincy Public SchoolsJoan RodeckQuincy Community Action ProgramsPeter TamQuincy Asian Resources, Inc.Anna WilliamsQuincy CollegeAlvin XieNorth Quincy High School studentBetty YauQuincy Constituent Services, Quincy Asian American AdvisoryBoardStrategic Plan | July 1, 2012 – June 30, 2017

THOMAS CRANE PUBLIC LIBRARY 3COMMUNITY VISION AND NEEDSThe Committee envisions a future Quincy where residents feel connected to theirsafe, prosperous and diverse community.Parents view the city as good place to raisechildren, with family-friendly recreational,educational and cultural opportunities.Children and teens are motivated to read andlearn, with healthy things to do and places togo.Teen, adult and senior volunteers are activeand contribute their time and talents to thecommunity. Seniors stay active and engaged inthe community with adequate transportationand recreational services.Immigrants have the support they need totransition into a new language and culture, andsucceed inside and outside Quincy. Localbusiness owners thrive in revitalized businessdistricts and enjoy the benefits of expandedtourism in the city.Everyone has more opportunities toexperience the performing and visual arts, andenjoys the city’s pedestrian-friendlyneighborhoods, open green spaces, naturalresources and active waterfront.To achieve this vision, the community needs toembrace cultural competency, and developmore educational and cultural resources for allages. It needs to provide more healthy activitiesfor children and teens, both after school and onweekends, and more community serviceopportunities for teens and adults.The city needs an upgraded infrastructure,better access to technology, additionalaffordable and senior housing, more and morevaried local businesses, expanded communitypolicing, and more green space. Overall, thecommunity needs strong coordination andcollaboration between city government,nonprofit agencies, community organizations,and other entities. The Committee believesThe Thomas Crane Public library has animportant role to play in achieving this vision.Strategic Plan | July 1, 2012 – June 30, 2017

VALUESAs part of the planning process, library staff and trustees developed the following statement of thevalues that guide our work.These values provide the foundation for the Thomas Crane Public Library’s work,guiding the policy decisions, service priorities, and daily actions of library staff andtrustees.Open AccessWe value free, open and equitable access to information and services, and protectthe privacy of everyone who uses the library. We connect our customers to theideas and information they wish to explore in a friendly, nonjudgmental manner.People-Oriented ServiceWe value all customers and provide services that respond to their needs. We listento customer opinions and input and consider the impact on the customer in alldecisions.ExcellenceWe value knowledgeable, high quality service, respecting the diversity of ourcommunity and creating an inclusive, welcoming environment for all library users.Innovation and CollaborationWe value creativity, flexibility, initiative, and continuous learning so that we remainresponsive to changing community needs. We work together within the library andwith community organizations and leaders to achieve common goals.Good StewardshipWe value the frugal expenditure of public dollars and maximize the effective andefficient use of all our resources. We respect the heritage of the community in thecareful preservation of historic library facilities and collections.Strategic Plan | July 1, 2012 – June 30, 2017

THOMAS CRANE PUBLIC LIBRARY 5SERVICE PRIORITIESThe Community Planning Committee selectedareas of service that the library should focus onin the next several years. The libraryadministration and staff assessed the library’sability to adopt the service priorities chosen bythe Committee. On the basis of this analysisand input from the Board of Library Trustees,the Committee recommended the followingservice priorities for the library over the nextfive years.• Stimulate Imagination: Reading,Viewing & Listening for Pleasure &EnrichmentMISSIONTCPL’s mission statement describes our corepurpose and reflects the five service prioritiesidentified in our strategic plan.The Thomas Crane Public Library is acomfortable and welcoming place tovisit, where young children can discoverthe joy of reading, and people of all agescan satisfy their curiosity, stimulate theirimagination, and connect to the onlineworld.• Satisfy Curiosity: Lifelong Learning• Connect to the Online World: PublicInternet Access & Instruction• Create Young Readers: Early Literacy• Visit a Comfortable Place: Physical &Virtual SpacesThese service priorities were approved by theBoard of Library Trustees and are theframework for the goals listed later in thisdocument.Strategic Plan | July 1, 2012 – June 30, 2017

THOMAS CRANE PUBLIC LIBRARY 6GOALSThe following interdependent goals reflect thelibrary’s service priorities for the next fiveyears and show how they will affect the lives ofQuincy residents:• Adults and school age children will enjoy awide variety of popular and newmaterials available when, where andhow they want them, with expert adviceon choosing among the options.• Adults will have engaging and enjoyablecultural and recreational experiences.• Teens will have materials, programs andinteractive opportunities that focus ontheir current interests and providesatisfying recreational experiences.• Adults will have the materials andprograms they need to learn abouttopics of personal interest.• Adults and seniors will be comfortableusing commonplace digital resources,services and devices.• Everyone will have free, high-speedInternet access in the library when,where and how they want it.• Children aged 0-7 will discover the joy ofreading and will become lifelongreaders.• Children and families will have a safe,clean and comfortable place to interact,play and explore books.• Adults and teens will have comfortable,clean and welcoming spaces to meet andinteract with others, and quiet placesfor reading, study and relaxation.Strategic Plan | July 1, 2012 – June 30, 2017

THOMAS CRANE PUBLIC LIBRARY 8Goal: Adults will have engaging andenjoyable cultural and recreationalexperiences.MEASURESA. Each year, at least 3,000 adults willattend library-sponsored cultural andrecreational programs and events.B. Each year, at least 50% of adult libraryusers will say that the library presentsprograms and events of interest tothem.POSSIBLE ACTIVITIES1. Provide a variety of movies, concerts,literary and other programs of interestfor adults, and introduce programmingof interest to younger adults (20s &30s).2. Collaborate with communityorganizations such as Quincy Collegeand/or Quincy Public Schools to presenta citywide “one book” reading program.3. Start an online book club and/or anonline reader review web page.Goal: Teens will have materials, programsand interactive opportunities that focus ontheir current interests and provide satisfyingrecreational experiences.MEASURESA. In the first year, the number of teensattending library-sponsored programsand activities will increase by 25%.; thenumber will increase by 25% each yearthereafter.B. Each year, 50% teens who use thelibrary will say the library’s materials,programs and interactive opportunitiesfocus on their current interests andprovide satisfying recreationalexperiences.C. Each year, the collection of materials forteens will be sufficiently stocked tomatch demand.POSSIBLE ACTIVITIES1. Weed, transfer, expand and possiblyfloat the young adult collections to meetdemand.2. Recruit teen readers to provide bookreviews/blog posts on the librarywebsite and to create displays offavorite books.3. Create and supervise reserved spacesfor teens after school, to accommodatea variety of activities from homework togaming.4. Provide after school teen movies andgaming programs.5. Develop a computer tutoring programfor teen volunteers to help seniors gaintechnology skillsStrategic Plan | July 1, 2012 – June 30, 2017

THOMAS CRANE PUBLIC LIBRARY 9Goal: Adults will have the materials andprograms they need to learn about topics ofpersonal interest.MEASURESA. Each year, the circulation of adult nonfiction(physical) materials (books,DVDs, audiobooks) will increase by 5%.B. Each year, at least 2,300 adults willattend library-sponsored educationalprograms and events.C. Each year, there will be at least 33,000pageviews of library-created researchand digital collection web pages.D. Each year, the number of online librarydatabase search retrievals will increaseby 5%.E. Each month, at least 25% of popularsubject titles will be on shelf andavailable for checkout.POSSIBLE ACTIVITIES1. Weed, transfer and expand non-fictioncollections to reflect demand formaterials on topics of personal interest.2. Present educational programs for adultson a variety of topics.3. Create digital collections and exhibitshighlighting local history.4. Promote online research databases viathe library website.5. Create online tutorials to aid users ofonline databases.6. Improve in-building material displays tofacilitate discovery by library users(examples: end-panel shelf displays,digital displays).Goal: Adults and seniors will becomfortable using commonplace digitalresources, services and devices.MEASUREA. At least 200 adults will attendtechnology instruction classes orprograms in the first year; this numberwill increase by 5% each year thereafter.POSSIBLE ACTIVITIES1. Provide formal classes and informalclinics on technology topics of interestto library users, including adult basicliteracy students.2. Partner with other organizations toprovide additional learningopportunities.3. Develop a computer tutoring programfor teen volunteers to help seniors gaintechnology skills.4. Provide more intensive hands-ontechnology training for library staff.Strategic Plan | July 1, 2012 – June 30, 2017

THOMAS CRANE PUBLIC LIBRARY 10Goal: Everyone will have free, high-speedInternet access in the library when, whereand how they want it.MEASURESA. Each week, an average of 8,000 usersessions will be logged on librarycomputers or devices.B. Each week, an average of 1,500 usersessions will be logged on the library’swireless Internet service.C. Each year, 75% of library Internet userswill say the library’s Internet andcomputer services meet theirexpectations.POSSIBLE ACTIVITIES1. Upgrade and expand wireless service.2. Upgrade public use computer hardwareand software to meet the needs ofcurrent library users.3. Upgrade time management system toprovide easier and more equitableaccess to public computers.4. Add wireless printing capabilityGoal: Children aged 0-7 will discover thejoy of reading and will become lifelongreaders.MEASURESA. Each year, 5,200 children aged 0-7 willattend early literacy programs at thelibrary.B. Each year, 2,700 parents and caregiverswill attend early literacy programs at thelibrary.C. Each year, 12 early literacy programs forchildren aged 0-7 will be presented atnonlibrary locations.D. Each year, the circulation of books forchildren aged 0-7 will increase by 5%.E. Each year, the collection of materials forchildren aged 0-7 will be sufficientlystocked to match demand.F. Each year, 5,000 children aged 0-7 willuse the library’s early literacyworkstations.POSSIBLE ACTIVITIES1. Provide a variety of early literacyprograms at all library locations,including bilingual (Chinese/English)programs.2. Provide family literacy programs forparents in the library’s adult basicliteracy program.3. Introduce a “baby shower” program forexpectant and new parents.4. Provide off-site programs/presentationsat area schools, day care centers, theQuincy Farmer’s Market, etc.5. Weed, transfer and expand collectionsfor young children to meet demand.6. Create early literacy learning areas, withearly literacy games and specializedcomputers with early literacy activities.Strategic Plan | July 1, 2012 – June 30, 2017

THOMAS CRANE PUBLIC LIBRARY 11Goal: Children and families will have asafe, clean and comfortable place tointeract, play and explore books.MEASUREA. Each year, 80% of parents/caregiverswho visit the library will say the libraryis a safe, clean and comfortable place fortheir children.POSSIBLE ACTIVITIES1. Improve cleanliness of publicbathrooms.2. Upgrade children’s furniture andcarpeting as needed.Goal: Adults and teens will havecomfortable, clean and welcoming spaces tomeet and interact with others, and quietplaces for reading, study and relaxation.MEASURESA. Each year, 10,000 adults and teens willuse library meeting and study rooms.B. Each year, 80% of adults and teens whovisit the library will say the library is acomfortable, clean and welcoming place.POSSIBLE ACTIVITIES1. Add online study room bookingcapability so library users can book aquiet study room from anywhere, andto provide equitable access to studyrooms.2. Implement policies to assure there isalways a quiet area at the library.3. Improve cleanliness of public bathroomsand other high traffic areas.4. Add comfortable reading chairs andother furniture improvements whereneeded.5. Upgrade HVAC systems and carpetingwhere needed.Strategic Plan | July 1, 2012 – June 30, 2017

THOMAS CRANE PUBLIC LIBRARY 12IMPLEMENTATIONThis Strategic Plan is a flexible blueprint forQuincy’s library leadership. It is also a point ofreference for the Friends of the Library and theLibrary Foundation. Library administrators candirect the use of library resources to supportthe stated priorities and goals. The Friends ofthe Library and other advocacy groups can alsoorient their fundraising and resource allocationaccordingly. Throughout the five-year period,library leaders will monitor the measures andactivities as well as community and library userfeedback to adjust these to meet changingneeds and conditions.ACKNOWLEDGEMENTSThe Board of Library Trustees gratefullyacknowledges the enthusiastic and dedicatedparticipation of those who served on theCommunity Planning Committee. Theirindividual and collective knowledge of thecommunity and their appreciation of thelibrary’s vital role in the city grounded theentire strategic planning process. The Boardalso thanks library consultant SondraVandermark for her invaluable assistance.The Board acknowledges and appreciates thelibrary management team for its work todevelop goals consistent with the selectedservice priorities, and thanks the library stafffor its participation in the planning process atcrucial points along the way.THE STATE OF THE LIBRARYPrior to the first Community PlanningCommittee Meeting, the library prepared adocument with information about the libraryand the community, to help all Committeemembers develop a common frame ofreference for the planning process. The Stateof the Library: January 2012 includes avariety of data about the library budget andlibrary use, and demographic information aboutQuincy.Strategic Plan | July 1, 2012 – June 30, 2017This document is available on the library’s websiteat thomascranelibrary.org > About > Administration> Facts & Figures.