JDL Strategic Plan 2021-2022

The goal of Jackson District Library over the next two years is to support our community’s success and growth throughout the effects of the COVID-19 coronavirus and beyond. To accomplish this, JDL will focus on the core strategic goal areas of Learning, Connection, and Access during 2021-2022.

Goals

The promotion and support of Learning and literacy have been a cornerstone of JDL’s mission since its inception. Over the next couple years, JDL will prioritize programming designed to reduce information poverty, to build resiliency through play, and to build reading skills for both children and adults; providing tech help and digital literacy instruction for patrons; and enhancing the collections and materials needed to support lifelong learning.

JDL will promote Connection within our community to ensure that patrons have access to the resources they need for success and to combat the effects of isolation and loneliness. JDL will prioritize sustaining and building partnerships with community groups, including schools, community non-profits, and cultural organizations. JDL will also focus on programming and the promotion of resources designed to build community and interpersonal relationships and expand patrons understanding of how and why to connect with community resources.

Providing Access to resources is a hallmark of library services. JDL will focus on providing access to educational and entertaining resources while maintaining a high level of safety for patrons and staff through virtual programming, home delivery of materials, increased access to internet and to computers and related devices. JDL will continue to work to remove barriers and to create a uniform high standard of user experience across all our locations and platforms. JDL will promote diversity, equity and inclusion and work to ensure that the library is a warm and welcoming resource for the entire community.

This plan was derived from conversations with JDL administrative staff and managers, a series of Innovation Space discussions with front-line JDL staff, and through a community survey conducted in October 2020. The survey received over 450 responses. A Harwood analysis of the survey responses suggests that the community wants JDL to increase library access while continuing to focus on keeping patrons safe. JDL may do this by increasing our virtual services; specifically those related to the economic and social isolation challenges Jackson residents currently face. JDL should also recognize the importance of internet access and work with community partners to increase internet access throughout the county.

Strategic Actions

JDL will divide its work into COVID and post-COVID phases; roughly planned to align with 2021 and 2022, and described as Year 1 and Year 2. The leads for each strategic action are those working in specific organization areas and will be charged with overseeing an initiative, but all or most of JDL will be engaged in seeing each through to success and completion.

Definitions

Adult Literacy tutoring will continue and expand from its pilot program launched in 2019, and develop a virtual component for Year 1. Additional in-person capacity to offer tutoring will be developed for Year 2. Public Services staff under the supervision of the Adult Services Coordinator will lead this project.

The Bookmobile will launch in early 2021 as an expanded service offered through the Community Engagement Department. For Year 1, the Bookmobile will be used for promotional, delivery, and holds-pick-up services, to be expanded to full mobile-JDL- Branch services for Year 2.

The effort to Build Community Partners will continue in Year 1 with an initial Community Engagement effort to identify which community organizations will best meet the immediate needs of the community, led by the Community Services Coordinator. Any necessary new partnerships will be explored, and passed on to Public Services staff as appropriate. Over Years 1 and 2, JDL will build and maintain these relationships, and develop effective procedures for connecting patrons with these community resources.

JDL will explore options to Circulate New Materials during Year 1. This will include the potential for STEM and other learning resources, as well as additional technologies. Collection Services and IT will lead this project, with input from Public Services staff.

JDL will continue to offer and improve upon major Community Events; virtually through Year 1, with the hope to return to in-person events for Year 2. These projects will continue to be led by the Youth Services Coordinator and/or Community Engagement Department respectively.

JDL will work to build Engaging Spaces throughout all JDL locations, beginning with renovations and/or improvements to BRO, EAS, SAR and SPT in Year 1, and proceeding through Year 2 with refresh work at other branches as well as planning for major work at CAR. This work will be led by the Director’s Office and Facilities Department.

Work on Equity, Diversity and Inclusion (EDI) will focus on making sure that JDL is a welcome environment for our entire community. EDI efforts will include an assessment of the collection for adequate representation, staff education, and continued exploration of inclusive recruitment and marketing options. EDI actions will be led by the Director’s office, and include staff from across JDL departments.

Expanded Internet Access to meet the immediate needs of the community will be a Year 1 focus. Led by the IT Department, this work will explore and implement options for increased Wifi access outside traditional library spaces.

JDL will move to a Fine Free circulation policy wherein patrons will not be charged fines for returning materials past their due date. The Director’s office will oversee this work, in concert with the Circulation Coordinator, IT and Collections Services.

Home Delivery services will be expanded as a Year 1 initiative under the guidance of the Adult and Youth Services Coordinators to get library materials in the hands of patrons without the need to visit the library in person.

JDL will launch a Library Card Drive to promote the library and increase the number of JDL card holders by the end of 2022. This work will be led by the Marketing department with substantial support from Public Services staff.

The community continues to express a need for Tech Help. Expanding JDL’s capacity to help patrons with personal devices will be a Year 2 initiative to ensure that a library user can walk into any library in the county and get help setting up and using their personal tech and/or using JDL technology. This work will be led by the Customer Services Coordinator in cooperation with Public Services staff.

JDL will continue to strive for a Uniform Customer Service Experience across the county, ensuring that the same warm and welcoming experience will be had at any JDL location. This initiative will include staff training, facilities improvements, and the standardization of visual elements, procedures, and collections. This work will be led by the Director’s office and include staff from across JDL departments involved in training, marketing, operations, and facilities.

Virtual Programming will be expanded as a Year 1 initiative and include programs designed for patrons of all ages. Led by the Adult and Youth Services Coordinators and Community Engagement Department, this work will include staff from all Public Services locations.

JDL will arrange the actions required to meet stated goals under the following headings of Adult Services, Youth Services, Community Engagement, Collections Services, and Operations. These designations describe the type of work to be done, rather than the currently named departments.

Adult (AS) and Youth Services (YS) actions are initiatives designed to foster Learning, Connection and Access to those respective audiences within traditional library spaces. These actions will largely be accomplished by Public Services staff, with input from the respective JDL Coordinators.

Community Engagement (CE) actions are initiatives designed to foster Learning, Connection and Access outside of traditional library spaces and are largely accomplished by Public Services staff, with input from the Community Engagement Department.

Collections Services (CS) actions are designed to steward library materials that ensure Learning, Connection and Access for the Jackson County community. This work is largely accomplished by the Collections Services Department, with input from Library Administration and Public Services.

Operations (Ops) actions are the running the library; actions designed to support the work of providing our community with Learning, Connection and Access. Operations involves all of JDL, including the Collections Services, Facilities, Finance, Human Resources, Information Technology, Public Services, and Marketing departments.