Citizens Library begins strategic planning process
Citizens Library began its strategic planning process, which will help determine the program and service direction, and infrastructure needs of the Washington institution.
Stu Wilson and Nick Dimassis of Library Strategies, a consulting firm, were hired to help spearhead the process.
Librarian Diane Ambrose said the planning process will include gathering data – including a community survey that will be available online and in paper form, stakeholder interviews, sessions with library staff and a daylong retreat.
The strategic plan will set the course of the library for the next three to five years.
Nationwide, libraries are experiencing significant changes, and planning is an important process to match service opportunities with community needs, Ambrose said.
Public libraries are being used more than ever, but depending on specific local needs, the use is evolving. Nationally, print books and other hard copy materials are still in heavy demand, but libraries have also become important centers for technology learning and access, providers of critical early literacy and teen services, hubs for lifelong learning for all ages, and important community gathering sites that are free and open to everyone.
At the same time, many libraries struggle with adequate funding and other resources. Planning helps determine which new and traditional services and resources are required to be effective.
A new plan is expected to be approved by the end of the year.
Citizens Library was founded in 1870 by Dr. Francis J. LeMoyne, a leading citizen of the area in the 19th century. Today, the library building also serves as the headquarters of the Washington County Library System, and the District Library Center for Washington, Greene and Fayette counties.