Ideas for a community library strategic plan?

Massmomm
Thu, 30 Aug 2018 21:51:18 +0000

Strong children’s programming is a must! I agree with @yourmomma that the library should be working with the schools and that there should be a literacy program in place from the youngest ages. Children are your future patrons.

A dishwasher to wash the communal toys in the children’s section. Don’t have toys? Get them!

Storytime for toddlers and preschoolers.

Rational summer reading programs for children. Don’t make kids who are reading Harry Potter in 1st grade compete for prizes with kids just starting chapter books by having contests for the number of books read. Do it by minutes of reading, and make the prizes worthwhile. You don’t really need to provide incentives for strong readers, but doing so shows that reading is highly valued.

Quiet rooms for work or meetings, with doors that close. Free parking (although having to feed meters did not seem to deter patrons at the Cary Memorial Library in Lexington, MA–one of the nicest libraries I know–check our their programming online).

Fines (for adults only!) that go back to the library, not the town. It galled me that the library in Sherborn, MA didn’t get to keep patron’s fines. I paid a lot of fines during our years there.

Lots of e-books.

Lend stuff other than books and other media. I love @bookworm 's baking pan idea! The Sherborn library used to lend themed bags to kids every summer (gardening, bugs, astronomy, cooking). It would be great to lend tools to adults.