Fort St John Public Library Strategic Plan:

Transcription

1 Strategic Plan

2 Message from the Chair I am proud of the work done by our staff and Board to develop this Strategic Plan and we are looking forward to realizing the goals we ve set forth! With a long history of excellent service to the residents of Fort St. John and Areas B and C of the Peace River Regional District, this plan recognizes the need to continue doing what has made us successful while challenging ourselves to discover new ways to evolve and grow with our community, keep pace with a changing service environment and to establish sustainable funding to ensure service continuity during challenging economic times. Whether you experience the library within our building, online from the comfort of your home, on the go with your e-reader or at one of our many library programs, you may have already noticed our new look! In this plan, you will also notice a fresh, new vision and mission to guide us into the future. If you re not yet officially a part of our family, I encourage you to stop by today and get your library card, your key to a world of information, imagination and possibilities. L.J Lawson, Chair Become a Patron getting a Library card is easy! Library cards are free to all residents of Fort St John and area. All you need is government ID or supporting documents (e.g. a utility bill) that provides your current local address 2

3 ABOUT THE LIBRARY The Fort St John Public Library was incorporated as a public library association in As required by Part 4 of the Library Act, oversight of the library is provided by a board of directors. The board of directors is made up of 5-9 members, elected by the patrons of the library, who make up the public library association. Local governments also appoint representatives to participate as members of the Library Board of Directors. The Board of Directors provides strategic direction and sets policy for the library and is responsible for ensuring that the library provides relevant, comprehensive, and efficient service to the community it serves. The day-to-day operation of the Library is managed by the Library Director, who reports directly to the Board. The Library operates out of the North Peace Cultural Centre in Fort St. John BC, centrally located at the corner of 100 th avenue and 100 th street. The Library can also be visited online at: Our community, our customers: The Fort St John Public Library serves residents from the City of Fort St. John and Electoral Areas B & C of the Peace River Regional District. The total population serviced by the library is 34,194 in All residents can become members or patrons of the library by obtaining a library card. There are currently 5,757 active library cardholders. Our collection: The library boasts an extensive collection of information, available in a variety of formats. The following table provides collection items and numbers. Type of Collection Item Number in Collection Books 77,871 Audiobooks on CD 1,350 ebook & audiobook online database 49,056 Digital Magazine database 313 DVDs 1,565 Music CDs 509 Magazine & Newspaper subscriptions 111 Daisy books for the visually impaired 35 Total numbers of items in collection 130,810 3

4 Our programs and services: The library doesn t just provide information we also provide entertaining, educational and engaging programs and services for the whole community. Some of the library s services include: Programs Story times mother goose (0-12 months), toddler (ages 2-3), pre-school (ages 3-5) Reading Buddies (primary secondary grades) Illustration Station (grades 1-7) Saturday Crafternoons (grades 1-7) Summer Reading Club (ages 2-14) Library and Beyond! summer day-camp (ages 7-12) The Avid Readers Book Club (adult) Food4Fines program Stuffed Animal Sleepover Annual Family Library Camp-In Services 8 Computers for public use, with free Internet access Free wireless internet for laptops, tablets, ereaders and other devices Free one-on-one computer skills training as well as free monthly group sessions Inter-library loan service provides access to books province-wide Free book delivery to homebound patrons Free book and music CD for babies born in the FSJ hospital Library tours for classes and groups Exam invigilation Outreach story times for local daycares Ongoing, in-library book sale Our partners: The Fort St. John Library has many partners. The Friends of the Library Society are a dedicated group of individuals who fundraise on a regular basis to support the library as well as provide ongoing help. Government funding partners, including the Province of B.C., the federal government, the City of Fort St. John and the Peace River Regional District, provide critical resources to support the library s operations Many businesses and organizations also graciously contribute funds and promote the library. Some of our biggest business or organization funding partners include: The North Peace Literacy Alliance ConocoPhillips Canada Telus Fort St. John Literacy Society Talisman Energy Spectra Energy Family Friendly Community Tim Horton s Shell Canada School District 60 Suncor Suncor Energy Settlement Workers in Schools ConocoPhillips Penn West Petroleum North Peace Credit Union Encana Corporation Imperial Oil Limited BonaVista Energy 4

5 STRATEGIC PLANNING Current operating environment: The following themes represent important factors which are expected to impact the Libraries current and foreseeable operating environment. To the extent possible, these themes have been Growing, diversifying community The population of the library s service area continues to diversify and grow. As the community grows and the demographics change, the library must also evolve and grow. The service environment is constantly changing Technology continues to advance, and along with it so do the ways in which people want to access information. The library must keep pace with changing technology such as e-books, online information sources and social media to stay relevant to the community. Sustainable funding Current economic realities have increased the risks to funding sources for many non-governmental organizations. Now more than ever it is imperative for the library to maintain a balanced source of funding. The library itself must also utilize resources efficiently and effectively. Strategic Planning The strategic plan has been developed collaboratively by the library s board of directors and staff. The plan was also distributed to the library s partners to provide input. The plan contains vision and mission statements and goals, which provide the strategic direction for the organization. Additionally, the plan identifies initiatives intended to support the organization in achieving its goals, and measures which are intended to serve as performance indicators. This strategic plan has been created for a three year period: However, the plan is a living document that may be updated as initiatives are completed, added or as the organization s environmental factors change. The Strategic Planning and Policy Committee of the Board of Director s is responsible for overseeing implementation of the plan. 5

6 Our Vision where we want to be The library is a highly regarded community resource: known for connecting people and knowledge, fueling imaginations and energizing our world. Our Mission why we exist & what we want to be remembered for The Fort St. John and Area Public Library is a community cornerstone, providing a variety of information and support for lifelong learning in a welcoming, entertaining and safe environment. The library hosts creative, community-oriented programs and delivers top-notch customer service. Our Strategic Goals and Initiatives 1. Continue to provide top-notch service to our customers Develop and execute a long-term library space plan Formalize customer surveying and service improvement program 2. Deliver programming that meets the needs and diversity of our community Develop a plan to increase programming and services for currently underserved demographics (e.g. seniors, teens, multilingual services) Implement a program delivering an increased number of speakers and workshops on unique topics Identify and leverage opportunities to support and provide services aligned with the BC Education Plan 3. Increase the awareness and usage of the library s services Continue the library rebranding campaign Develop and implement a marketing campaign Refresh the Library s website, with a focus on increased interactivity 4. Maintain financial stability through good stakeholder relations and a broadened funding base Develop and implement a long-term financial plan Develop and implement a community relations strategy Develop key performance indicators and reporting approach for communication with stakeholders 5. Support staff in maintaining the skills and capacity to deliver great services and programming Implement a needs-based staff training and development strategy Update technology and ensure staff have the related skills 6

7 Performance Measures: The following reflect areas of measurement the Library plans to establish and monitor in relation to this strategic plan: Goal #1 Patron satisfaction with service delivery Goal#2 Program participation Participant satisfaction with programming Goal#3 Library website usage rates Library visits Goal #4 Funding growth Goal #5 Staff engagement 7

8 The Fort St. John Library is committed to upholding the Canadian Library Association Statement on Intellectual Freedom All persons in Canada have the fundamental right, as embodied in the nation's Bill of Rights and the Canadian Charter of Rights and Freedoms, to have access to all expressions of knowledge, creativity and intellectual activity, and to express their thoughts publicly. This right to intellectual freedom, under the law, is essential to the health and development of Canadian society. Libraries have a basic responsibility for the development and maintenance of intellectual freedom. It is the responsibility of libraries to guarantee and facilitate access to all expressions of knowledge and intellectual activity, including those which some elements of society may consider to be unconventional, unpopular or unacceptable. To this end, libraries shall acquire and make available the widest variety of materials. It is the responsibility of libraries to guarantee the right of free expression by making available all the library's public facilities and services to all individuals and groups who need them. Libraries should resist all efforts to limit the exercise of these responsibilities while recognizing the right of criticism by individuals and groups. Both employees and employers in libraries have a duty, in addition to their institutional responsibilities, to uphold these principles. 8