opening minds enabling dreams STRATEGIC PLAN 2018–2023
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message from the chair AT ITS SPRING 2016 strategic planning retreat, Fraser Valley Regional Library Board members were asked a simple question: “What strengths do you want people to associate with Fraser Valley Regional Library?�
Public libraries are in the business of assuring that communities are places where people want to live and to form businesses, places where residents can explore their curiosities, expand their horizons and add their voices to local, national and international conversations.
Board member responses were incredibly consistent. They want Fraser Valley public library facilities to be family oriented, welcoming to all and reflective of our communities.
I want to thank our staff for Public libraries are participating in discussions in the business of about their thoughts and helping communities‌ hopes for our future, and I want to thank the many residents of the Fraser Valley who took time to attend public meetings and to respond to our online survey. This plan is more robust thanks to your contributions.
In many ways, Fraser Valley Regional Library facilities already have these strengths. Still, we can do more. Strategic planning is designed to help focus the limited discretionary energies of an organization so that ambitions are not lost in the daily business of providing service.
CHUCK STAM BOARD CHAIR
As we try to become an even friendlier organization and even more reflective of each community in the Fraser Valley, we also want to reach out to people and let them know how we can improve their quality of life.
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message from the ceo LIBRARIES need to respond to the changing ways that people learn and what they want to learn. Public libraries are the only cultural institution in which every visitor brings a unique, self-defined reason for reaching out to us. We want to make their explorations as successful as possible. In the summer of 2016, public consultations and surveys were conducted. We heard from hundreds of staff members and from many hundreds of Fraser Valley residents. The result is a plan that will be implemented in phases over five years beginning in 2018. The supporting strategies to achieve our goals will be developed as part of our ongoing annual planning process. This strategic plan is intended to make us an even better library system; the themes support our commitment to our communities, our funding municipalities and our staff. We also want to address a commonly expressed fear that new directions mean taking the public library farther away from its most heavily used service — the collection and lending of books. We have no intention of diminishing the importance of this key service. In
Libraries need to respond fact, we will continue to to the changing ways that improve our selection of people learn and what books over the next few they want to learn. years. While printed books remain critical to our future, eBooks, audiobooks and other digital technologies are essential in this new economy. If we expect to be a key source of information and creative content for Fraser Valley residents, we must understand and anticipate trends within our industry critical to our delivery of personalized customer experiences. Fraser Valley Regional Library prides itself in its quest to provide exceptional service at a reasonable cost. Thank you to our communities, our member local governments and to all our staff who contributed to this plan. Your participation in this process was critical, and we are excited to start our new journey with all of you. SCOTT HARGROVE CHIEF EXECUTIVE OFFICER
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about fraser valley regional library
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mission Opening Minds. Enabling Dreams.
vision Improving the quality of life for our communities through knowledge, ideas and experiences.
values We value development that invests in the enjoyment, lifelong learning, literacy and the vibrant health of communities. We value open access to library services and materials that remove barriers associated with education, technology, culture, economics and physical disadvantage. We value and celebrate diversity as integral to an inclusive, vibrant community. We value our responsive, courteous and friendly staff as the foundation of Fraser Valley Regional Library’s service and success. We seek collaboration and partnerships to maximize our potential to serve our customers and communities. We value innovation as it gives us freedom to grow, and we take risks to find creative solutions and better serve our public in a fiscally responsible manner. 9
what will we do? To achieve our five themes, annual plans will be developed each year with corresponding initiatives. In this way our five-year plan will remain vibrant and fresh, responsive to current trends and customer needs. Each initiative is designed to advance our overarching themes and has a target against which success will be measured. Results will be detailed in our annual reports.
funding the strategic plan This plan is designed to accomplish strategic priorities by: • Refocusing our existing capacity, including staffing, funding and other resources, • Building and directing additional capacity through streamlining processes, developing staff and technological innovations. When funding needs are identified, a business case for the new initiative will be developed for approval by Fraser Valley Regional Library’s board, prior to implementation. In most cases, the business case will be presented and considered by the board as part of the annual budget process.
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our five themes
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inspiration Our staff, combined with our technologies and resources, encourage strong economic, creative and social growth in our communities, families and individuals.
welcoming place Fraser Valley Regional Library is an essential destination connecting people living, working or studying in our communities. We provide a fun, friendly environment focused on knowledge, creativity and experiences that transform lives.
partnerships Our libraries are integral to sparking the potential of individuals and their communities through meaningful connections and relationships.
engaging staff Our staff continue to grow their expertise and confidence needed to meet evolving customer needs.
know us. love us. We are known and celebrated for providing a broad and dynamic range of services. Our customers appreciate the friendly and personalized Fraser Valley Regional Library experience. Those who know us, love us.
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inspiration Our staff, combined with our technologies and resources, encourage strong economic, creative and social growth in our communities, families and individuals. Feasibility study for a mobile makerspace / creativity lab. Identify and explore non-traditional library collections and experiences. Support residents to create, launch and promote their own eBooks. INSPIRATION mirrors a change in the evolution of public library services. Traditionally, libraries collected print material that they assumed people might want to borrow. Today, in contrast, material on a wide variety of topics is
available online. People are participating in discussions, asking questions of experts and offering their own expertise. They are exploring new ways of communicating and learning from and with others. While exciting, this sometimes leads to the proliferation of false information, highlighting the critical role libraries play in helping our customers confirm the accuracy of their sources. Fraser Valley Regional Library wants to help people explore the potential of new information-seeking tools. We want to support them as they engage in new ways of learning and as they share their own creative endeavours.
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Feasibility Study for a Mobile Makerspace / Creativity Lab
Identify and Explore Non-Traditional Library Collections and Experiences
While many people use the library to find information, they also use the library to help them create content and to gain knowledge about tools and technologies relevant to their professional and personal lives. The study will include:
Recent years have seen tremendous demand for libraries to loan materials other than books and provide powerful experiences to support community growth and connections. Pilot projects have shown that much demand exists in our communities for non-traditional collections such as musical instruments and new technologies, as well as makerspace programming. This initiative aims to expand on those early successes and grow popular new services that support aspects of the new economy in our communities.
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a needs analysis; options for services; resource requirements and funding options; and an investigation of potential partnerships and sponsors.
This initiative will support the communities we serve and improve library service by introducing the public to technologies that they cannot access from home but which may have an impact on their personal and professional growth.
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The initiative will support the communities we serve and improve library service by providing access to unique technologies and experiences which are not readily accessible to many Fraser Valley residents in their own communities.
Support Residents to Create, Launch and Promote Their Own eBooks Staff and customer training will allow Fraser Valley residents to create their own eBooks and to place their work in our library catalogue. Partnerships with various technology platforms are currently being evaluated. The initiative will support the communities we serve and improve library service by providing residents with the means of expressing their thoughts, ideas and creative endeavours and sharing them with a potential audience.
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welcoming place Fraser Valley Regional Library is an essential destination connecting people living, working or studying in our communities. We provide a fun, friendly environment focused on knowledge, creativity and experiences that transform lives. Create a digital library card and evaluate the online customer journey. Identify and explore best practices and strategies for physical space design.
WELCOMING PLACE focuses on what our customers experience when they visit our libraries in person or online. We want people to feel at home, surrounded by a space that is welcoming and responsive to their needs.
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Create a Digital Library Card and Evaluate the Online Customer Journey
Identify and Explore Best Practices and Strategies for Physical Space Design
Customers should have the option to access services without visiting a physical location. Whether browsing online or in library, customers expect a seamless experience that allows them to access what they want, how they want it.
We will use a combination of customer feedback, staff recommendations and data acquired through research to make our libraries even more inviting, welcoming and flexible. The emphasis will be practical, implementable projects that:
The initiative will support the communities we serve and improve library service by reducing barriers, increasing remote access and moving towards creating personalized experiences for our online customers.
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manage noise levels; promote cross-generational use; facilitate collaborative learning experiences; and develop guidelines for the look and feel of physical spaces.
The initiative will support the communities we serve and improve library service by improving the functionality of our libraries by making them more inviting and increasing their popularity by supporting flexible use.
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partnerships Our libraries are integral to sparking the potential of individuals and their communities through meaningful connections and relationships. Build a strong partnership infrastructure. Support community partnerships.
PARTNERSHIPS are vital for public libraries. Communities achieve more when they harness the tremendous resources available in their community. This underscores the need to establish strong and effective partnerships. Fraser Valley Regional Library has the opportunity to fulfill a strategic role in supporting strong community partnerships.
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Build a Strong Partnership Infrastructure To deliver planned new services, Fraser Valley Regional Library needs to be efficient in identifying when partnerships are the right vehicle and selecting the most appropriate partners, partnership structures and roles. We will establish procedures and protocols for good, lasting and sustainable partnerships. The initiative will support the communities we serve and improve library service by providing staff with a framework through which they can evaluate, negotiate and establish potential partnerships with community agencies and organizations in an efficient and effective manner.
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Support Community Partnerships Fraser Valley Regional Library provides our developing tool kit and experience to help community groups succeed. The initiative will support the communities we serve and improve library service by sharing our resources to support the establishment of better community partnerships.
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engaging staff Our staff continue to grow their expertise and confidence needed to meet evolving customer needs. Evaluate and improve internal communications. Promote an environment that supports staff in doing their best work.
ENGAGING STAFF — We will continuously improve. Staff will continue to enhance their skills and knowledge so they can deliver exceptional customer services relevant to changing customer needs.
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Evaluate and Improve Internal Communications Communication is a critical tool in any organization and fundamental for efficient operations. This initiative will review, analyze and improve our current internal communication methods and frequency. This initiative will support the communities we serve and improve library services by enabling staff to provide exceptional customer service through increased collaboration and knowledge sharing.
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Promote an Environment That Supports Staff in Doing Their Best Work We know that our best path forward is to create a fulfilling and collaborative environment where staff are encouraged and supported. For Fraser Valley Regional Library to be successful and staff to continue to be engaged, we need to ensure they understand what is expected of them and how they contribute to the lives of our customers. This initiative will support the communities we serve and improve library service by ensuring that our customers experience friendly, engaged and knowledgeable staff.
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know us. love us. We are known and celebrated for providing a broad and dynamic range of services. Our customers appreciate the friendly and personalized Fraser Valley Regional Library experience. Those who know us, love us. Increase public awareness and delight with our services. Enhance the reputation of Fraser Valley Regional Library and the value of libraries.
“KNOW US. LOVE US.� is our final strategic theme. Fraser Valley Regional Library, and libraries in general, will only be successful and thrive if we are valued by those we serve. It is our intention to measure and understand public attitudes, experiences, satisfaction levels and knowledge about the library services they use and that are available.
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Increase Public Awareness and Delight With Our Services Develop and implement a methodology to assess and enhance the awareness and delight experienced by our current and potential customers. We will establish a baseline to measure progress and focus on the development of an awareness marketing strategy. This initiative will support the communities we serve and improve library service by increasing the value the community receives from our services through expanded and more active membership.
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Enhance the Reputation of Fraser Valley Regional Library and the Value of Libraries Fraser Valley Regional Library will share with the profession its results-centric approach and responsiveness to issues that all public libraries now face. Our focus will be on becoming a recognized leader and enhancing our reputation to attract highcalibre employment candidates. This initiative will support the communities we serve and improve library service by making it easier for Fraser Valley Regional Library to attract the best job candidates and benefit from learnings gained through inclusion in provincial and national conversations about best practices.
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FVRL Executive Team (left to right, above) • • • • •
Nancy Gomerich, Director of Finance Cathy Renshaw, Director of Organizational Development Scott Hargrove, Chief Executive Officer Heather Scoular, Director of Customer Experience Jeff Narver, Director of Infrastructure and Development
FVRL Board of Directors • • • • • • • • • • • • • • •
Councillor Les Barkman, City of Abbotsford Councillor Chuck Stam, City of Chilliwack Councillor Heather King, Corporation of Delta Director Bill Dickey, Fraser Valley Regional District Councillor Sonja Reyerse, Village of Harrison Hot Springs Mayor Wilf Vicktor, District of Hope Councillor Sylvia Pranger, District of Kent Councillor Gayle Martin, City of Langley Councillor Petrina Arnason, Township of Langley Councillor Corisa Bell, City of Maple Ridge Director Maria Harris, Metro Vancouver Councillor Jenny Stevens, District of Mission Councillor Bill Dingwall, City of Pitt Meadows Councillor Laura Dupont, City of Port Coquitlam 35 Councillor Bill Lawrence, City of White Rock
For more information, please visit: www.openingmindsenablingdreams.ca