HomeMy WebLinkAboutAgenda - 06-21-2022; 12-4 - Information Item - Memorandum - Orange County Public Library Strategic Plan 2022-2027 1
ORANGE COUNTY
NORTH CAROLINA
MEMORANDUM
TO: Board of County Commissioners
FROM: Erin Sapienza, Interim Library Director
DATE: June 6, 2022
SUBJECT: Orange County Public Library Strategic Plan 2022-2027
This memo is to update the Board of County Commissioners on the
Orange County Public Library 2022-2027 Strategic Plan.
BACKGROUND: This strategic plan address diversity, equity and inclusion in our
library collections, programs and services. Our process included a dynamic series of
public engagement sessions, staff discussions and stakeholder interviews. The result is
the creation of a comprehensive plan that provides a roadmap for our next five years of
library service.
Floricane, a strategic planning firm from Richmond, VA, facilitated the work for this plan.
The completed plan includes the following focus areas:
• Communicate and Connect with Residents
• Be a Library for Everyone
• Invest in Our Staff
PROCESS: Our process consisted of five phases and lasted 10 months. In the
Planning and Engagement phase, we created a project team that included frontline
library staff members and held staff engagement sessions to discuss purpose, scope
and expectations of the work. During the Outreach and Discovery phase, our project
team identified stakeholders and specific community groups for in depth conversations
and then led engagement sessions over several months with those groups and
individuals. We also completed a resident feedback survey as part of this phase. In the
Strategic Framework phase, we developed themes and tactics based on the feedback
from staff and community groups. The Draft Phase saw the project team refine the
themes and tactics and host another community session to review our work to date. In
the final phase, Implementation, we created a Strategic Leadership Team to finalize the
plan and create a timeline for implementation of each tactic.
2
The level of community and staff engagement throughout this process exceeded what
we have accomplished with our previous strategic plans. Asking staff to co-create the
process and participate in key elements throughout the work, led to a collaborative
experience and allowed staff the opportunity to work directly with community
organizations.
NEXT STEPS: We will continue to foster the relationships we built with community
organizations, staff and leadership as we engage in the work outlined in the five-year
plan. We recognize the value of collaboration and are excited to bring this plan to life.
Acknowledgements:
Library Project Team
• Teresa Blackwell
• Maureen Socha
• Rae Hoyle
• Kim Dunderdale
• Jayna Fishman
• Lucinda Munger
• Erin Sapienza
Floricane LLC, Strategic Planning Consultants
• Serena Fulton
• John Sarvay
3
courvrr
9?1-A-4
Uhrary
Strategic Plan
2022-2027
Five-Year Strategic Vision
Orange County residents, library staff, and community partners see their libraries as inclusive and
accessible spaces for learning and connection.
.ree Areas of Focus
Communicate and Connect with Residents
Foster cooperative, collaborative, and interconnected relationships by providing opportunities for diverse
communities to meet, connect, and learn together.
1. Increase and enhance communications with residents and our community partners.
a. Update the library's communications plan to incorporate input from staff and key community
groups.
b. Develop a community advisory group to provide recommendations to address language and other
outreach barriers.
2. Build relationships and implement community engagement initiatives with communities with whom
the library does not currently have strong ties.
a. Expand our existing partnerships to create collective impact in underserved communities.
b. With support from the Department of Human Rights and Relations, expand our reach to Latinx,
Black, Indigenous, and LGBTQ communities.
Be a Library for Everyone
Support a more equitable and inclusive Orange County by providing accessible collections, programs, and services.
1. Build collections, programs,and services that reflect and include our entire community.
a. Collaborate with our existing Teen Advisory Board and community partners throughout the
county to create inclusive programs, collections, and services for teens.
b. Work with community partners to create services to meet the needs of young patrons with
sensory processing disorders.
c. Foster community-based relationships to create services and guide material selection that serve
local Latinx, Indigenous, Black, and LGBTQ community members.
d. Audit library materials, programs, services, policies, and processes using a DEI lens.
2. Foster a fun, inclusive, and welcoming environment for library visitors at both library locations.
a. Evaluate our existing spaces to identify accessibility issues.
b. Design an accessible and inviting initial in-person customer experience.
c. Ensure wayfinding signage is visually effective and accessible.
d. Display and promote the work of artists from varied backgrounds at both library locations.
1
4
courvrr
a=oL�n
Uhrary
Strategic Plan
2022-2027
3. Address literacy gaps in underserved communities.
a. Develop a plan to offer library services at the Efland-Cheeks and Cedar Grove community centers.
b. Build on our relationship with the Orange County Department on Aging to reach the county's
homebound aging population.
c. Expand our relationship with Orange County's Public Transportation, Housing and Community
Development, and Criminal Justice Departments to identify gaps in access to library facilities and
resources.
d. Coordinate with other county departments to offer library services at their location and/or
events.
e. Increase use of our Storytime-to-Go bags.
f. Implement"Baby's First Library Card" program.
Invest in Our Staff
Create a culture of mutual support and growth necessary for success.
1. Increase staff connections across divisions.
a. Develop a set of shared library values based on national standards and integrate those values into
our work.
b. Audit and refine staff communications to increase the relevance,timeliness, and accessibility of
communication to and among staff.
c. Update the staff lounge at Main to provide a cozier atmosphere.
d. Create a staff engagement team to foster a fun, inclusive, and welcoming environment for library
staff at both locations.
2. Provide staff training to enhance confidence and customer service skills when interacting with diverse
populations.
a. Evaluate and update the orientation process and include re-orientation activities for library staff.
b. Invite professionals from the Orange County Skills Center to educate staff at both locations on
services available to community members.
c. Provide Reader's Advisory training that emphasizes DEI authors and titles so that staff can
promote diverse titles in the collection to library patrons.
d. Provide professional development for staff around outreach best practices.
3. Ensure library staff and volunteers reflect the diversity of the Orange County community.
a. Remain committed to non-biased hiring and application processes for employees and volunteers.
b. Find ways to celebrate, highlight, and encourage diversity in current staff and volunteers.
c. Work with area universities and colleges to develop an internship program with focus on
candidates who have strong knowledge of the field through a DEI lens.
d. Work with community partners to recruit volunteers from Latinx, Black, Indigenous, and LGBTQ
communities.
2