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. T...
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