Long Range Plan

Vision
The Memorial and Library Association of Westerly will provide a customer-driven library with friendly, capable staff dedicated to stimulating the intellect and imagination of the people.

INTRODUCTION
The Memorial and Library Association of Westerly owns and maintains two very different and important icons of life in this small town. The Library needs to embody all the information technologies of the future, and Wilcox Park must embrace the serenity of the slow pace of the past.

In addition to a technology center, the Library needs to provide a well-designed layout with easily accessible materials and clearly defined environments that facilitate different activities—quiet reading and research, group study, story hours and community programs.

Wilcox Park won an award in 1999 as an excellent example of a Victorian Strolling Park because of the original landscape design and the quality of the horticultural materials throughout its fourteen acres. At the same time, the Park’s open natural settings, paths and promenades attract joggers, strollers, sunbathers.

In the next five years, the Association will accomplish goals and objectives for both the Library and Wilcox Park.

Because Wilcox Park has a Master Plan, this document is limited to establishing goals and objectives for the library. They are designed to focus the efforts of the board and staff. The goals and objectives are intended to result in library content, services and programs that meet the needs of our community and maintain our position as one of the best libraries in the state.

Program: Children’s Services

Program Description: The Westerly Public Library considers children’s services a high priority. Appreciation of the Library at an early age can establish a life-long relationship that positively affects many aspects of a person’s development. Because of the vast changes in our fast-paced society, children are exposed to many competing sources of information and entertainment. Maintaining excellent services and programs for children and parents is, therefore, crucial to ensuring a strong bond with the community and its needs.

Goals:

1. To encourage in children the love of reading and the appreciation of libraries.
2. To provide programs for elementary and pre-school children which foster growth and learning.
3. To communicate and cooperate with local elementary schools.
4. To provide programs and services for adult caregivers of children.

Objectives:

1. Each year, to reach at least 20 new families with young children at risk and issue them new Library Cards.
2. To design and arrange, by 2007, the Children’s Room so that school age, pre-school children, staff and adults will be able to work comfortably in appropriate space.
3. To expand the parent/teacher collection with materials appropriate for teen parents, limited English-speaking parents/caregivers, low-income parents, and home school teachers/parents.
4. To continue to network, over the next five years, with other providers of services to children.

Program: Young Adult Services

Program Description: The Westerly Public Library provides materials, programs and assistance to young adults by staff members who understand their unique library needs. We also work with other community services to support the development of our young people as vital life-long Library users.

Goals:

1. To select fiction and non-fiction materials in all formats of interest to Young Adults.
2. To increase communication and cooperation with local middle and high school librarians and teachers.
3. To increase use of the Library and materials through book discussion groups and programs specifically for teens.
4. To provide access to online information to Young Adults.

Objectives:

1. To increase the size of the area to accommodate sixth-grade students.
2. To increase and promote the number of Young Adult programs.
3. To have a full time Young Adult Librarian by July 2005.
4. To provide two computers designated for Young Adults.
5. To maintain a Young Adult web page as part of the Library’s web page.

Program: Reference and Information

Program Description:
Reference and Information Services provide users with convenient, timely access to information needed for daily living and decision-making. The Library, in fulfilling this essential role, strengthens and contributes to the economic development and enhancement of the community.

Goals:

1. To provide current, accurate and useful reference materials and services in the best format.
2. To provide instruction in the use of reference materials to all users.
3. To provide access to information and materials not available at the Westerly Public Library

Objectives:

1. To continue to evaluate and select current reference sources that best meet the needs of our users.
2. To increase the reference materials budget by 10% by July 2005.
3. To continue to improve the web page and services available to at-home users.
4. To continue to offer basic instruction in the use of the Internet.
5. To offer more advanced workshops on using databases and research tools.
6. To promote Reference services to the community.
7. To increase the number of public-access computers in the Library to 20 by 2007.

Program: Circulating Materials

Program Description: Circulating materials are vital to attracting users of all ages and interest to the Library. These patrons will then have the opportunity to become familiar with the Library’s other services and programs. The available material will satisfy a wide variety of interests, and reflect the demands of users. The selection process for popular materials is dynamic while maintaining its focus of providing print as the primary medium.

Goal:

1. The Library will continue to provide, maintain and promote collections that reflect the best of classic and contemporary materials in a variety of appropriate media.

Objectives:

1. To increase circulation of popular fiction in all formats by 20% by June 2007.
2. To increase circulation of quality non-fiction in all formats by 10% by June 2007.
3. To increase the materials budget by 10% by June 2004.
4. To provide increased display furniture for print and audiovisual materials.
5. To increase the number of free passes to area museums.
6. To maintain a varied and extensive array of periodicals and newspapers.

Program: Community Activities Center

Program Description: The Westerly Public Library with its outstanding facility and landmark location is well suited to a role of community activities center. In the heart of the community, the building includes a 120-seat auditorium, a large meeting room overlooking the park, and an art gallery. Office and tutoring space is provided to Literacy Volunteers of Washington County.

Goals:

1. To continue to present educational, informational, and cultural programs of interest to all age groups.
2. To continue to provide an accessible place for cultural, educational, and civic activities.
3. To cooperate with local efforts in community enrichment and development of the arts.

Objectives:

1. To cooperate with the Friends of the Library in their monthly program of activities.
2. To offer programs in cooperation with organizations such as the Dante Society, The Westerly Historical Society, Musica Dolce, etc.
3. To increase outreach programs, such as “Books with Wings” and programs at the Bradford Community Center, Pawcatuck Neighborhood Center and Watch Hill Memorial Library and Improvement Society.
4. To continue to make the Hoxie Gallery available to local artists.
5. To continue to provide space to Literacy Volunteers of Washington County.
6. To continue to provide storage space to the Westerly Historical Society.

Program: Special Collections

Program Description: Special Collections includes local history and genealogy materials as well as rare books, manuscripts, and artifacts in the Vault (sometimes called the Red Room).

Goals:

1. To implement conservation measures to protect the materials.
2. To display the artifact collections the Library owns.
3. To promote the use of the Special Collections.

Objectives:

1. To hire a part time professional with a background in special collections and preservation.
2. To evaluate the artifact collections of the Library to determine their best use, display, preservation or disposal.
3. To catalog all uncataloged materials both print and artifacts.
4. To find a larger area within the library to house the collection.
5. To provide additional display furniture throughout the library.
6. To begin putting our collection into a digital format that will preserve our valuable original documents and make them available online.
7. To increase the number of hours the Local History/Genealogy Room is open to the public.
8. To encourage local residents to donate materials to the collection in accordance with the Association’s gift policy.

Program: Wilcox Park

Program Description: Wilcox Park, at the center of the town of Westerly, is available for the enjoyment of the entire community. Its open natural settings, paths and promenades attract joggers, strollers, sledders and sunbathers. Annual events like the “Summer Pops Concert” and “Shakespeare In The Park” make use of the meadow’s natural amphitheater. Many memorable weddings and public and private ceremonies have also taken place using the beautiful backdrop of the Park.

Goals:

1. To develop long-range conceptual guidelines for Wilcox Park.
2. To complete, maintain and disseminate an inventory of trees and shrubs.
3. To improve the Park’s infrastructure.
4. To continue the restoration and maintenance of the Park’s historic structures.
5. To maintain the current well-groomed condition of the Park.
6. To offer environmental and horticultural programs for the benefit of all age groups in the community.
7. To promote the use of the professional staff as a horticultural resource for the community.

Objectives:

1. To start a capital campaign to implement park master plan.
2. Develop a replacement program for individual specimens to ensure well-organized and balanced growth.
3. Develop a maintenance plan for the Park’s special elements—Lily beds, Friend’s Perennial Garden, Class of ’38 Garden, Columbus Garden, and Urn Gardens.
4. Provide signage for plantings.
5. Improve the Park’s current power system.
6. Upgrade and expand the Park’s water distribution system.
7. Continue working with the Town in their repair of the culvert.

Administrative Issues

Goals:

1. Continue support of the Library’s Materials Selection Policy and ALA’s Bill of Rights and the Freedom To Read Statement.
2. Provide on-going, adequately funded staff training and development opportunities
3. Encourage further staff excellence by a competitive compensation program.
4. Ensure that the library and its services are available to the widest number of people.
5. Create a strong, organized, on-going volunteer program.

Objectives:

1. Educate the Board, staff, and public on intellectual freedom issues.
2. Schedule in-house staff development programs.
3. Encourage staff attendance at regional and national conferences.
4. Fund appropriate courses for staff development.
5. Maintain the current number of hours open to the public. Sixty-five hours a week October through May and sixty-one hours June through September.
6. Provide outreach services.
7. Maintain a program of recruiting and training volunteers.
8. Encourage communication between administration and staff.

CONCLUSION
The Director will provide an annual assessment of the progress of the Long Range Plan at the July meeting of the Library Committee. Approved by the Library Committee, June 17, 2003 Adopted by the Board of Trustees, July 22, 2003