Did you know that MCPL just released its Strategic Plan for FY2017-2020? Renowned business leader Peter Drucker once said, "Long-range planning does not deal with the future decisions, but with the future of present decisions." This is exactly what we are doing with our strategic plan. We are making decisions now that affect both what we currently are doing and what we are planning to do to meet our goal. Our goal is to provide access to services, resources, and programs that are important to you, the residents of Montgomery County.
How are we planning on doing that? Glad you asked! We are focusing on on four areas in our strategic plan. Here are some highlights about those areas.
Literate Montgomery: MCPL will provide opportunities to encourage language and life-skills literacies and lifelong learning.
- Early Literacy/Reading Readiness: Increase diverse storytimes, resources for parents and caregivers, and STEM Go! Kits in all branches, and create the Jan Jablonski Early Literacy Training Center at the Noyes Library for Young Children.
- English Language Literacy: Expand resources, services, and programs for English language learners.
- Health Literacy: Increase programs and resources on personal health, wellness, and nutrition.
- Digital Literacy: Increase programs and resources for all ages to interact with and learn about new technologies.
- Financial Literacy: Provide programs and resources for all ages on personal finances.
- Environmental Literacy: Increase resources and programs for all ages on environmental topics and green strategies.
Connected Montgomery: MCPL will provide opportunities to encourage inclusive and engaged communities.
- Diversity: Create new programs to reflect language and cultural diversity, increase translation of promotional materials in the main languages spoken in the county, provide opportunities for residents to share family histories through oral history recordings, and hire an ADA coordinator to expand services to people with disabilities.
- Customer Reach: Reach customers with targeted marketing campaigns using new media and technologies, and increase our presence at community events.
- Civic Engagement: Provide resources to new residents, increase citizenship classes and naturalization ceremonies, and provide programs and resources to learn about current events.
- Collaborative Spaces: Create multi-purpose spaces to promote collaboration as well as provide resources that encourage customers to build, experiment, and innovate.
Strong and Vibrant Montgomery: MCPL will provide opportunities to develop, increase, and hone workforce skills.
- Skills for Gainful Employment: Provide access to high school diploma classes and online classes. Increase programs and resources in job skills.
- Area and Regional Business and Government Areas Coordinator: Create opportunities for businesses to learn about other business, non-profits, and government agencies in the area.
- Small Business Support: Increase small business programs and resources. Create business centers at all branches.
- Skills for Job Seekers: Increase programs and resources in job searching and application skills.
Delighted Montgomery: MCPL will provide exceptional customer experiences by supporting and training staff, and reinforcing our infrastructure.
- Inviting Spaces: Refresh branches, create collaboration spaces, and enhance accessibility.
- Customer Driven Decision Making: Implement multi-channel mechanisms for gathering and evaluating customer feedback. Improve and adapt library services and spaces to meet customer needs.
- Responsive Materials Process: Decrease wait times for new materials and match branch collections with community interests.
- Enhanced Programming: Create programs to reflect the diversity of our communities as well as increase programs and resources for independent use.
- Relevant Technologies through the 21st Century Technology Funds: Provide up to date technologies and training that reflects the current and future needs of customers.
- Effective Partnerships: Work with county agencies to provide a broader range of resources to customers.
- Common Sense Policies & Procedures: Eliminate barriers to service, rewrite policies and procedures in plain language, and translate those policies and procedures into the main languages spoken in the county.
- Effective Information Services: Conduct technology classes and help customers navigate e-resources.
- Staff Recognition: Support staff with introducing innovative ways to meet community needs through programs and services. Encourage staff to share successes with all branches.
- Staff Skills Support: Continually improve the customer experience through staff training and development. Encourage knowledge sharing among staff.
- Staff Engagement with the Community: Create resources to introduce new customers to library services and identify ways for the library to address community needs.
Learn more about the MCPL Strategic Plan FY2017-2020. Also follow us on Twitter to see how we are implementing strategic plan.
We are excited about the opportunity to support, encourage, and inspire you to learn and grow!
Susan
