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Long-Range Plan,
2005 – 2009
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In 2004, the New Rochelle
Public Library Board of Trustees and administrative staff met to
review and revise the Library’s existing long-range plan that was
developed in 1999. Since that time there have been significant
changes both in the Library’s financial structure and in the
technology so essential to library operations. The Library has been
recognized to be a school district library and therefore is required
to
present its budget to the public for approval.
In 2003, the Library
gained title to the Main Library from the City of New Rochelle Council
and the Children’s Library is now a branch within the Library system.
It should be noted that the City of New Rochelle retains title to the
building housing
the Children’s Library, but the Library Board has full responsibility
for its management and operations.
Significant Accomplishments 1998 -
2003
The
last long-range plan, adopted in 1999, targeted five major goals:
· Enhance
the Library’s financial strength
· Renovate
the Main Library
· Promote
and encourage library use throughout New Rochelle
· Offer
an array of information technologies
· Develop
knowledgeable, technically competent and customer
focused staff
Accomplishments in the last five years include:
· Separation
from the City: ownership of building
· Approval
of Library Budget by Voters
· Establishment
of the Handelman Business Opportunity Center in 2001
· Creation
of a Local History Room
· Established
ESL program with Westchester Community College
· Newly
renovated cafe
· Introduction
of Wireless Internet access
·
Increase in training for the public on Internet and computers;
increase in number of
on-line databases
· Increase
in circulation and reference
The New Rochelle Public Library Board of Trustees sees the Library as
a vital component in making New Rochelle a better place to live and
work. We will continue to work with the City in ongoing efforts of
economic revitalization and education development and we will be a
champion of quality of life issues. Our development of this positive
image of
the Library should further encourage City residents to
become
the Library’s advocates.
A
revitalized, dynamic and readily accessible library will cause New
Rochelle residents to think differently about the Library. Everyone
in the community will feel that they have a stake in the Library and
ownership in its programs and services. Long-term, the Library will
serve specific geographic areas and/or particular interest groups with
programs and collections individualized to meet specific needs and
interest. The Library will also offer selected programs to
neighborhood associations or other community organizations.” New
Rochelle residents will come to the Library to interact with their
neighbors, enjoy cultural programming, receive assistance with
information technology, and borrow from a diverse collection.
To accomplish this, the New
Rochelle Public Library will cultivate support from
a combination of
private and public resources that will enable it to expand its
services and become an even more vital player in the
economic
revitalization of New Rochelle.
The New Rochelle Public Library
Mission
The
New Rochelle Public Library is a community resource
that
seeks to improve the life of every citizen in our city.
It is dedicated to encouraging learning in all stages of life,
to protecting intellectual freedom and to providing fair
and equal access to information.
A healthy
and vibrant public library is a critical partner
in a dynamic New Rochelle.
To preserve this role, the Library must offer:
·
A comprehensive collection that includes
retrospective
and current materials
· Up-to-date technology by which information
can be accessed
· A
wide range of community services and programs
tailored to a diverse audience.
· Professional,
knowledgeable and courteous service to our patrons
To accomplish this mission, the Library provides:
·
Current materials, technology and varied information resources
·
A well rounded program of community services
·
Professional, knowledgeable and courteous services to all
of its patrons
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Library Needs in the Current Environment
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While the New Rochelle Public Library has a
number of strengths that will support it as it attempts to redefine
its future, there are also a number of needs that must be addressed to
ensure that the Library has the basic building blocks to ensure the
successful implementation of
this long-range plan.
Needs include:
·Attention
to the overall collection to ensure that it reflects the
diverse interests of the community and that there is an ample supply
of materials to meet patron
demand
·Monitoring
surrounding parking to maintain the current number of spaces.
·Development
of a focused image campaign.
·Constant
evaluation of library programs to determine if they
accurately reflect current
community needs, interests and tastes
·Attention
to physical improvements that will make it easier for
people to use the Library
·Increased
staffing to provide the level of personalized service that will
allow everyone using the
Library to receive high quality, consistent
customer focused service
·Better
methods for increasing general community awareness about
the Library and what it has
to offer
Financial Strength --
Enhance the Library’s financial strength to ensure that it is capable
of providing programs and service that respond to the needs of the
community.
OBJECTIVES:
1.1
Increase the level of per capita support for the Library to equal to
the County median.
1.2 Support the New Rochelle
Public Library Foundation to help achieve its fundraising and
endowment targets for 2005-2009.
ACTION
PLAN:
·Develop
a working paper on a multi-year budget.
·Identify
sources of funding at the county, state and federal level.
·Monitor
state legislation affecting the level of funding for public
library programs.
Improved Facilities --
Renovate the main Library to create a more attractive, inviting and
easy to use environment for users.
OBJECTIVES:
2.2 Expand the auditorium
and community meeting rooms
2.3 Upgrade the bathrooms
ACTION PLAN:
· Work
with the New Rochelle Public Library Foundation to secure funding
needed
for Library
improvements
· Provide
new furniture for adult reading area on the first floor
· New
entrance from Lawton Street and onto Library Green
(would
need County approval)
Community Building --
Promote, encourage and support library use among all segments of the
New Rochelle community by working closely with all of the Library’s
patrons.
OBJECTIVES:
3.1 Consider the diversity
of New Rochelle’s population and offer library
programs to meet needs
3.2 Expand the
school/public library partnership to all school district
schools at all grade levels
3.3 Review the marketing
plan for the Library
3.4 Maximize the number of
hours the Library is open
3.5 Expand the nature,
variety and size of the collection
ACTION PLAN:
· Offer
library programs that focus on cultural themes
· Work
with the business community and emerging new population groups
to identify needs for
library service and design programs to specifically
meet these needs
· Establish
ad hoc citizen committees as the need arises.
These committees may have seven members on them with each
Board member appointing one member. These committees will work
with the Library Director, and the chairperson of the committee can
give reports to the Board on the committees’ progress.
· Library
Board members will try to be more visible to the public at city
and library events.
· Board
members will write reports to be included in the E-newsletter
Emerging Technologies --
Offer an array of information technologies that broaden content and
make library services more accessible to users
OBJECTIVES:
4.1 Maintain an up-to-date
technological infrastructure
4.2 Utilize adaptive
technologies to provide services to people
with disabilities
4.3 Expand the Library’s
access to a variety of content and media
ACTION PLAN:
·Identify
and employ new technologies
·Identify
adaptive technologies and secure funding to support
their installations in the
Library
·Work
with the Westchester Library System to identify online databases
and negotiate licenses
Staffing --
Support the delivery of
library services
with a
knowledgeable, technically competent, and
customer-focused
staff
OBJECTIVES:
5.1 Have sufficient and
appropriate staff needed to address growing demand
for evolving services
5.2 Have the resources and
a plan in place for providing staff training and
professional development skills, reflective of
the Library’s focus on
customer-service and information technology
5.3
Attract the most competent candidates in
the marketplace and retain
valued employees and strive to reflect the diversity of the community
is doing so
ACTION PLAN:
· Offer as competitive a compensation package as
possible
· Be
mindful of those areas that improve employee morale
· Foster
an open dialogue between employees and director
and employees and Board
· Invite
staff members to address the Board meeting regarding
their work, responsibilities and goals
· Establish
an employee recognition program
· Determine
the amount and type of staffing required to
provide high quality service
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