NASHVILLE PUBLIC
LIBRARY Strategic Plan: 2014-2015
NPL PL
Goals and Objectives
Baseball legend Yogi Berra said, “if you don’t know where you are going, you will wind up somewhere else.” The following plan was adopted by Nashville Public Library in the fall of 2014 as a follow up to NPL’s “Strategic Conversation”. This is a working, living document. Along with many public libraries today, NPL is evolving with the times and changing how we provide service and do business. While the road may certainly have curves and detours in it, this is our map for the immediate future of NPL. Enjoy. Kent Oliver
Nashville Public Library Mission Inspire Reading, Advance Learning and connect Our Community.
Vision All members of our diverse community are empowered through limitless learning opportunities to enrich their lives.
We Value Extraordinary Customer Service Love of reading Lifelong Learning Intellectual Freedom Innovation Excellence Inclusiveness
Goal I Be an Essential Resource and a Valued Community Partner
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Awareness & Marketing
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Initiate a comprehensive library marketing and merchandizing plan.
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Partnership
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Be an essential resource to all Metro Nashville Government departments for dissemination of materials and effective collaborations. Serve as a valued educational and cultural partner to a broad range of diverse, city-wide agencies, institutions, and business as measured by our geographic reach, number of partner requests, and overall collaborations.
Increase utilization of our community spaces, system-wide, by Metro department and the broader community by 15%.
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Community Support
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Create a multi-layerd plan between the Nashville Public Library Foundation and Friends of the Library to increase volunteer hours, donations and number of Library Advocates.
Become Nashville’s volunteer location of choice and increase annual volunteer hours by 5% annually.
Build quality and consistency into internship opportunities designed to increase appeal and awareness.
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Goal II Deliver Learning Opportunities Through Programs and Services That Meets The Needs and Interests of Nashvillians At Every Stage of Life
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Reach Children, Teens, and Families
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Strategically cultivate these key partnership programs with formal development plans adopted by: Limitless Libraries T.O.T.A.L Wishing Chair Bringing Books to Life! Learning Labs
Create and conduct a program audit ensuring the alignment of system-wide programming to community interests and needs.
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Instill Love of Reading
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Identify and integrate quality standards and best practices into all children, teen and adult programming. Become the central hub for adult literacy information for both providers and students through space, materials and services. Expand all benchmarks for the Nashville Reads program, by an average of 10%. Increase checkouts, usage, visits, and programming attendance.
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Invite Meaningful Dialogue
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Increase opportunities to engage the community through forums and dialogue that build on the resources and materials available through NPL Special Collections and Archives.
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Close the Digital Divide
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Prepare staff at each location so that they can answer 75% of patron questions regarding e-media and personal devices at time of question and have the skills and tools to follow up with all questions asked within 24 hours.
Implement a public training schedule ensuring that regular technology classes offer free learning opportunites on library software and computer devices.
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Build Collections
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Review our collections policies and revise as needed and expand the scope and diversity of future collections to be reflective of our community.
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Measure Our Impact
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Deliver content and formats that are appealing to customers as evidenced by survey feedback and usuage data gathered annually.
Implement data benchmarks and outcome-based service measures for all applicable library services.
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Goal III Promote an Orginazational Culture that Embraces Our Values
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Recruitement And Retention
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Implement practices and retain individuals with the talent, skills, and commitment needed to excel in library staff positions.
Develop a library workforce reflective of community diversity.
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Culture of Learning and Innovation
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Develop, implement and evaluate comprehensive professional development program for staff at all levels.
Increase the number of staff opportunities to share learning and to recognize and celebrate individual, team and orginizational achievements.
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Effective Communication
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Launch a plan to develop, implement and moniter internal communication strategies.
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Goal IV Provide Extraordinary Customer Service Experiences
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Service / Utilization
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Increase NPL cardholders to 70% of the county by population.
Increase public service hours throughout the Library system and open all branch locations seven days a week.
Increase customer access to high demand items by decreasing wait times to 40% of new material.
Define customer service core competencies and incorporate in staff training program.
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Access
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Prioritize and identify costs as well as funding sources to digitize Special Collections and Archives.
Develop a formalized plan to ensure equal access for customers with disabilities.
Engage our patrons using web tools related to Library access and measure return on the investment annually with the goal of matching industry trends and respected peer libraries.
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Goal V Lead the Library Profession in Developing and Implementing the Practices in Leadership, Administration and Stwerdship
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Resource Development
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Achieve Metro funding levels of $50 per capita. Partner with the Nashville Public Library Foundation to increase our offerings of innovative programs, services and materials through private funding opportunities.
Research and increase grants and awards annually.
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Facilities / Technology
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Implement a facilities maintenance plan to ensure that allLibrary locations meet standards for safety, security, cleanliness and good repair.
Create a Master Facilities Plan to define our long-range facility needs.
Revise our Public Technology Plan to ensure the Library is investing in technology to meet current and emerging needs.
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Internal Process & Systems
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Review and reorganize all Library policies and procedures and update as needed to reflect and support implemention of best practices.
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Board Development
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Provide increased opportunities for board member leadership and engagement through initiation of a formal board Development Program.
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