2018-2021 Strategic Plan

In January and February 2017, the Library surveyed 19 different groups of stakeholders, including Leavenworth service and civic organizations, library users, library support organizations and City officials. Each participant received a list of 10 broad categories of library service and was asked to rank each service in order of importance to our community. 405 individual surveys were collected. The Library Board of Trustees then selected the first and second ranked services as the Library’s Primary and Secondary roles for 2018-2021. Developing specific activities and measures that fit those Roles was delegated to Library staff.

PRIMARY ROLE: CREATE YOUNG READERS
Children from birth to 5 will have programs and services designed to ensure they will enter school ready to learn to write, read and listen.
Initiative: Begin lapsit story hours for children 6 months to 3 years of age

Demonstrate effective reading activities appropriate for the very young

Activity: Develop weekly story time program for infants and caregivers using picture books, rhymes, songs and movement to develop early literacy skills and model them for parents/caregivers
Measure: Count attendance; Add additional session once attendance reaches 20 participants
TEAM: Youth Services

Initiative: Teddy Bear Story Time
Expand access to Story Times
Activity: Evening Story Time program for preschoolers and caregivers who cannot attend daytime programs
Measure: Weekly program attendance
TEAM: Youth Services
Initiative: 1,000 Books Before Kindergarten

Read any book to your child, finish 1,000 before kindergarten

Activity: Provide free 1,000 Books Before Kindergarten t-shirts to provide incentive and promotion
Measure: Use enrollment in first 6 months as benchmark, grow by 10% a year
Seek charitable assistance with cost
TEAM: Youth Services

Activity: Provide free book after each 100 books recorded on child’s reading log
Measure: Use enrollment in first 6 months as benchmark, grow by 10% a year
TEAM: YSS and YS staff

Activity: Invitation only event for children/caregivers who read a minimum of 200 books that year
Measure: Use enrollment in first 6 months as benchmark, grow by 10% a year
TEAM: Youth Services
Initiative: Outreach

Bring early literacy to the community

Activity: Identify daycares/preschools in the City of Leavenworth
Measure: Generate list of 50 locations by March 2018
TEAM: Outreach Services

Activity: Develop schedule of story time visits to daycares/preschools
Measure: Contact each location
Schedule visits to minimum of 5 different locations per week in 2018
Increase number of locations annually based on available resources
TEAM: Outreach Services
Emphasize early literacy on website
Make effective tools available 24 hours a day
Activity: Identify early literacy online resources and feature on Library website
Measure: Number of monthly page views
TEAM: Youth Services and Marketing staff
Activity: Promote local early childhood literacy organizations, their services and their events on Library website
Measure: Number of monthly page views
TEAM: Youth Services and Marketing staff
Activity: Develop online story times for Library website
Measure: One a month
TEAM: Youth Services and Marketing staff
Early literacy workshops using Every Child Ready to Read model
Help caregivers develop skills that help them bring literacy into their child’s daily life
Activity: Understanding Literacy Development in Infants through Preschoolers and How to Build Literacy Skills
Measure: Attendance
TEAM: Youth services will coordinate guest speakers from Early Childhood Development organization
Activity: Strategies to Build Literacy Every Day
Measure: Attendance
TEAM: Youth services will coordinate guest speakers from Early Childhood Development organization
Activity: Identifying and Preventing Early Literacy Problems
Measure: Attendance
TEAM: Youth services will coordinate guest speakers from Early Childhood Development organization
Activity: Incorporating Television, Computer Games and Play into Developing Literacy Skills
Measure:  Attendance
TEAM: Youth services will coordinate guest speakers from Early Childhood Development organization
Activity: Literacy Building Techniques for Reluctant and Developmentally Delayed Readers
Measure: Attendance
TEAM: Youth services will coordinate guest speakers from Early Childhood Development organization
Books for Babies
Activity: Distribute small bags with board book, library info and small toy to parents of newborns
Measure: Bag to each new family
TEAM: Youth services and Maternal Health coordinator at Saint Luke’s Cushing Hospital
Promote all programs
Activity: Promote program on website, social media and at Library programs for preschoolers
Measure: Use enrollment in first 6 months as benchmark, grow by 10% a year
TEAM: Program and Marketing/Youth Services
Activity: Promote program to network of service points for preschool children and caregivers
Measure: Develop brochure, distribute to all identified service points in 2018. Ex: LICC, Head Start, Health Department, Workforce Partnership.
Replenish as needed
TEAM: Program and Marketing/Youth Services/Outreach Services
Activity: Collect email addresses for participants and send customized communication focused on early literacy information, techniques, Library programs and resources
Measure: Monthly communication to all participant Use “open rate” in first 6 months as benchmark, grow by 10% a year
TEAM: Program and Marketing/Youth Services
SECONDARY ROLE: FAMILY LITERACY
Adults and teens will have the support improve their literacy
skills in order to meet personal goals and fulfill their
responsibilities as parents, citizens and workers
Literacy Tutors
Activity: Consult with local education leaders to explore possible collaborative efforts
Measure: Initial meeting January or February 2018, possible update meetings quarterly or biannually
TEAM: Director, Assistant Director, Program and Marketing Coordinator
Activity: Identify online adult literacy resources we can use
Measure: Select tool by February 2018
TEAM: Director, Assistant Director
Activity: Identify an online skills test to measure progress of participants
Measure: Patrons who successfully complete
TEAM: Director, Assistant Director
Activity: Solicit volunteer tutors
Measure: Attract 12 by March 2018
TEAM: Director, Assistant Director
Activity: Organize training for tutors
Measure: Train tutors by June 2018
TEAM: Director, Assistant Director
Activity: Organize tutoring for teens and adults
Measure: Launch program in July 2018
TEAM: Director, Assistant Director
Activity: Refer patrons who successfully complete all skills tests to Adult Basic Education at KCKCC
Measure: Adult Basic Education enrollment increase 5% per year
TEAM: Director, Assistant Director, KCKCC Adult Basic Education coordinator
Digital literacy classes

 Instruct on use of essential digital literacy tools including email, Office suite, online resources

Activity: Provide basic digital literacy training to users with limited skills
Measure: Attendance, growth in use of Library digital resources, direct feedback from users
TEAM: Assistant Director and Adult services staff
Develop emerging reader collections
Activity: Build a collection of books and other resources that will build teen/adult reading skills
Measure: Focused collection available by July 2018
Monitor circulation, increase by 5% annually
TEAM: Assistant Director