New Berlin Library
Long Range Plan 2025-2029
Mission:
Connect New Berlin and the surrounding communities with resources that educate, inform, and entertain.
Long Range Plan:
The following Goals and Objectives emphasize five (5) key target areas: community and outreach, maximize collection use, lifelong learning, wellness and growth, adaptability, and welcome spaces. Each goal will help the New Berlin Library to address challenges and opportunities and ensure our long-term viability.
Goal 1: Community and Outreach
1. Connect people, neighborhoods and libraries.
Make the New Berlin Library a center for its community;
Explore and develop alternative models of access and delivery.
2. Use digital communication and social media to engage with the local community and beyond;
Bring library resources to places where people live, work and play by providing alternative
service options;
Continue to provide public outreach;
Continue to provide family-oriented programing;
Continue to promote programs and services.
3. Cultivate partnerships to connect community members with information and the library’s services.
Collaborate with community organizations and schools to support the interests and needs of our patrons in particular working with schools, to promote programs to encourage reading year-round;
Determine their areas of study throughout the school year and focus attention on those areas ensuring the best availability of resources.
Engage with local leaders to support community growth and development.
4. Support economic development.
Assist job seekers by providing employment resources both in print and online;
Increase the visibility of our library by working with local not-for-profits, municipalities, and other organizations.
Long Range Plan
Goal 2: Maximize Collection Use
1. Work to identify organizations that could benefit from the use of a library account.
Have several ongoing displays throughout the library featuring books and materials on specific topics to promote circulation, programs, special events, specific authors, etc.
2. Foster and enhance access to information and ideas.
Develop and provide engaging, inspiring and relevant resources for our community;
Provide equal access to all library resources;
Awareness of the availability of assistive technology devices;
Broaden the scope of the library’s collections by identifying non-traditional, loanable items that are of interest to the community and adding these items to circulating collections;
Develop a more streamlined way for patrons to suggest the purchase of new circulation items;
Continue to utilize and develop the talents of library staff.
3. Collect, preserve and provide local information, current and historical through the archives and museum collection.
Organize newspaper archives so they are easier to navigate.
Digitize photo archives and add historic Village of New Berlin pictures to website.
Make the library archives more accessible to the public.
Long Range Plan
Goal 3: Lifelong Learning, Wellness, and Growth
1. Foster an atmosphere of life-long learning, encourage a love of reading and promote opportunities for personal growth.
Establish the library as a primary source for information on life and learning. Provide programming that targets early childhood, health, digital and social/cultural;
Promote Early Literacy Services to develop lifelong readers and prepare children for school;
Explore the options for bringing back a children’s weekly story hour;
Position the library as a learning hub for creativity. Improve access and exposure to new and innovative technologies. Offer programs on STEM, that are innovative and foster creativity and exploration.
2. Advance and strengthen the library’s leadership role in the utilization of technology and expansion of digital literacy.
Adapt to new and changing technology to address community interests and needs;
Improve access and exposure to new and innovative technologies;
Institute a public computer technology maintenance plan, replace patron public computers on a five-year rotation;
Develop a plan to institute wireless printing for patrons;
Be a catalyst for innovation and idea sharing.
3. Encourage staff growth and development.
Develop an environment that ensures that our employees maintain a healthy and balanced life;
Continue to re-evaluate the current staffing model continually monitoring the need for staffing changes;
Increase awareness for professional development and new opportunities so that the staff maintains and enhances their skills;
Recognize staff opportunities;
Continue to encourage staff to bring forth new ideas to provide New Berlin and surrounding communities with a positive library experience;
Create a work atmosphere that invites ideas from the staff.
Long Range Plan
Goal 4: Adapt and Evolve to Ensure a Sustainable Future
1. Take appropriate measures ensuring the safety of the public and staff;
Provide support and resources during significant events;
Adjust library services to meet public and staff needs.
2. Promote the value of the library.
Strengthen advocacy and our presence in the community;
Determine the most effective communication strategy for reaching all members of the community;
3. Ensure fiscal responsibility.
Continue to practice due diligence and adopt/revise board policies for financial control;
Maintain transparency and accountability;
Develop a plan for a reoccurring appraisal of museum and archive artifacts to assure that insurance coverage is accurate;
Explore alternative funding opportunities.
4. Develop an adaptive and responsive culture of service.
Respond to public’s needs;
Recruit volunteers.
Long Range Plan
Goal 5: Provide a Welcoming and Inclusive Environment for All.
1. Position our libraries as welcoming places
Provide inviting environments for all members of the community;
Provide gathering spaces that encourage positive community interaction;
Create engaging and interactive spaces to inspire innovation and imagination.;
Create a green space on the south side of the library with plants to support pollinators and butterflies;
Renovate YA section so that is in more inviting to teens.;
Explore alternative options for oversized book storage;
Replace worn out white linoleum in community room with a more durable grade of linoleum in a more inviting and maintainable color;
Replace carpeting in circulation desk area to non-slip linoleum or tile.
2. Protect and preserve physical assets/building.
Adopt a building interior maintenance schedule;
Continue to execute regular building interior maintenance;
Make every effort to practice environmental stewardship to ensure a sustainable future.
3. Provide equitable and inclusive access.
Ensure ADA compliance;
Honor intellectual freedom;
Embody a culture of respect and recognition;
Listen to all voices;
Endeavor to create diverse collections, programs, events, and activities.
Approved: May 29, 2024
George Anderson, President
Darla Smith, Vice President
Donna Wells, Treasurer
Abigail Magrath, Secretary
Jill Robinson
Angelica Schmidt
Alan Fairbrother