REPORT TO COUNCIL
SUBJECT
Title
Review and Approve the Library Strategic Plan and Library Facilities Master Plan
Report
BACKGROUND
In 2025, the Santa Clara Public Library (“Library”) completed drafts of two key planning studies, the Library Strategic Plan and the Library Facilities Master Plan. The Strategic Plan, provides a clear 3-year vision of operational and service priorities. The Strategic Plan includes specific and actionable initiatives to guide staff work towards effective achievement of goals. The Facilities Master Plan, also based on strong community engagement and data analysis as well as professional facility and community assessments, provides a 20-year plan to guide the maintenance and capital investment decisions for the Library system.
Strategic Plan
The Library Strategic Plan is the result of considerable community engagement, which included 1,543 survey responses in English, Spanish, Chinese, Japanese and Korean, focus groups, interviews, and engagements with community, staff and the Board of Library Trustees. Further bolstered by analysis of demographic data and community needs, the Strategic Plan identified 3 key organizational priorities to focus and align Library efforts towards impactful improvements in service for the community.
Priority #1 is Increasing Community Connection. As a public service-oriented department, the Library listened closely to the feedback received from the community. Based on the feedback, the Library identified a need to communicate and collaborate more closely with library users and non-users to increase the impact of services and to reach more of the public. Objectives include increasing collaboration and partnerships with local schools and community organizations, and strengthening marketing and outreach to increase access. Stronger communication and partnership with the community is the primary path to bringing library services closer to the community we serve.
Priority #2 is Improving Capacity. The Library focuses on improvements to organizational structures, training, tools and policies to provide the best service with current resources, including prioritizing volunteer and staff development.
Priority #3 is Building a Stronger Today for a Better Tomorrow. This final priority focuses on specific changes and improvements to make now, in order to plant the seeds for strong development and growth in the coming 3 years. This includes developing processes and implementing technology to improve access to information and services, operate more effectively, and better measure and evaluate the use and effectiveness of programs and services. It also includes prioritizing the maintenance and adaptation of Library facilities to current needs, realized in part with the draft Facilities Master Plan.
Facilities Master Plan
The Facilities Master Plan is a data-driven analysis providing concrete recommendations for the short-, medium- and long-term maintenance and development of Library facilities to meet community service needs. Recommendations are based on data from facility review and demographic study. Recommendations are also informed by collaboration with the Community Development Department, Finance and the Department of Public Works. This input helped to keep Library system facility recommendations aligned with the needs and priorities of the City of Santa Clara as a whole.
Well-timed to inform use of Measure I funds, the Facilities Master Plan includes recommendations for renovations of existing Library facilities to align more closely with current service needs and community priorities. It also considers growth over the next 20 years, providing recommendations to help meet the community’s changing needs in terms of technology, meeting and gathering spaces. The Facilities Master Plan also details ways in which facility design can help support the implementation of service improvements.
The Facilities Master Plan also includes a recommendation for updating Library language in the City of Santa Clara General Plan. References to the Library in the existing General Plan is limited to a few outdated paragraphs outlining current facilities and possible future growth needs. The Facilities Master Plan proposes specific language and updates to the General Plan to make Library references more current and aligned with references to other related community services. General Plan recommended nexus language has been coordinated with and approved by the Community Development Department.
The Facilities Master Plan is not prescriptive but rather provides expert-informed recommendations and guidance for maintaining the Library system of the City of Santa Clara. The Plan encourages collaboration and cooperation to build support for public and private partnerships, joint-use and co-location, and alternative fundings as potential resources. Design planning and construction will still require Council approval.
DISCUSSION
This study session will update and inform Council of the goals, objectives and plans developed by the Library to work towards outcome-focused operational improvements in the Strategic Plan, written in a way to help guide Library leadership and staff with intentionality to provide better service to the community. It also provides a 20-year Facilities Master Plan for Council’s consideration. The 20-year Facilities Master Plan identifies the maintenance, renovation and growth needs that must be addressed to align with the City’s long term service goals for the community.
ENVIRONMENTAL REVIEW
The action being considered for this study session does not constitute a “project” within the meaning of the California Environmental Quality Act (“CEQA”) pursuant to CEQA Guidelines section 15378(b)(5), an administrative activity that will not result in direct or indirect physical changes to the environment.
FISCAL IMPACT
There is no fiscal impact associated with the preparation of this report or with the study session. The FY 2022/23 Adopted Budget included General Fund funding for the Library Strategic Plan ($250,000) and the Library Facilities Master Plan ($250,000) studies.
The Library Facilities Master Plan identified construction projects with a cost of over $55 million for existing and new facilities (2025 dollars) as well as ongoing costs for deferred maintenance and staffing that are currently unfunded. Measure I, approved by the voters in November 2024, includes funding of $9.0 million for the renovation/expansion of the libraries that could be used to fund a portion of the construction projects. Additional funding would need to be identified to support the majority of the recommended projects. Some of the potential funding strategies identified in the Library Facilities Master Plan include philanthropic support, public-private partnerships, the reallocation of the debt service funding for the Central Park Library once it is paid off in 2032, partnering with a developer, the evaluation of a future General Obligation bond option, a parcel tax, as well as the City’s General Fund.
COORDINATION
This report was coordinated with the City Manager’s Office and the Community Development Department.
PUBLIC CONTACT
Public contact was made by posting the Council agenda on the City’s official-notice bulletin board outside City Hall Council Chambers. A complete agenda packet is available on the City’s website and in the City Clerk’s Office at least 72 hours prior to a Regular Meeting and 24 hours prior to a Special Meeting. A hard copy of any agenda report may be requested by contacting the City Clerk’s Office at (408) 615-2220, email clerk@santaclaraca.gov or at the public information desk at any City of Santa Clara public library.
RECOMMENDATION
Recommendation
Approve the Updated Draft Library Strategic Plan and Library Facilities Master Plan in substantially the forms presented
Staff
Reviewed by: Patty Wong, City Librarian
Approved by: Jovan Grogan, City Manager
ATTACHMENTS
1. Library Strategic Plan and Facilities Master Plan Council Review Presentation 2026
2. Library Strategic Plan
3. Library Facilities Master Plan