I’d like to start by thanking everyone in the community for approving Issue 7, voting to provide the funding the Library needs to keep its services available at a time when use is reaching record levels. So many donors and volunteers were needed to make this success possible and we thank you all. The Library has proven itself to be a good steward of public funding for the more than 150 years it’s been in existence and we will be good stewards of your local tax dollars as well.
While it is a huge relief to have some measure of financial security we have to remember that the funds generated by the levy only replace the funding lost as a result of declining State revenues. We will not be able to build or expand branch libraries, increase our hours of operation or take on additional operating expenses. Our funding from the State of Ohio continues to drop and is projected to drop even further in 2010 so we must be prudent with our expenditures if we are to continue to avoid future service reductions.
What we are planning to do in 2010 is update our Strategic Plan. This five-year plan, completed in 2004, identified four priorities: Relevant Services, Financial Strength, Community Awareness and Dynamic Organization. Despite the ongoing financial challenges, we have made many service changes to meet the goals and objectives stated in the Strategic Plan. To develop this plan, the Library will be gathering input from community leaders and library users across the county using one-on-one interviews, surveys, focus groups and any other means to determine how the Library’s services, collections and facilities should be changed to better meet the needs of our community today. We will also be reviewing our use data and observing how people are using the Library.
To help with the completion of this task the Library Board has approved the formation of an Ad Hoc Planning Committee consisting of three members of the Board, the chairs of the Finance & Audit, Library Services & Administration and Facilities Committees. The charge of this committee will be to oversee the development of a Strategic Plan for the Library. In addition, an advisory committee of community leaders and library users will be created to provide additional guidance through the planning process.
Developing a good Strategic Plan is a time consuming process and we estimate that it will be 6-9 months before a new plan is presented to the full Library Board for approval. We look forward to spending the next few months planning for the Library’s future and are excited about the changes we will be making to better meet the ever-changing needs of our community.