Report from the Long Range Planning Steering Committee

September 10, 2009
Multi-Purpose Room
9:00 am 

Present:  Josie Pizer, chair, Anna Kaplan, Martin Sokol (10:00am). Absent with notice: Janet Eshaghoff.

Also Present:  Jane Marino, Library Director; Laura Weir, Library Assistant Director.

Chair Josie Pizer called the meeting to order at 9:30 am. At the request of the Committee Chair, Library Director Jane Marino had put together an ad-hoc staff committee to advise the trustees on the issue of Long Range Planning.  The members of the committee produced a document that was distributed at the meeting.  A copy is attached.

The staff committee held a lengthy and productive meeting on August 24 and identified five primary goal areas.  Director Marino described their discussion and conclusions to the committee.  The five goal areas are:  physical space, service to patrons, technology, education, community outreach.  Each supports the mission of the library and each is important to the future of the Library and its impact on the community in different ways. 

A discussion ensued among those present on these goal areas. The goal area of physical space named objectives that would enable the library to be a center for lifelong learning, to be as flexible and accessible as possible, to provide a safe and secure environment, and provide and define specialized space for diverse age groups.

The goal area of service to patrons named objectives that would create innovative services and programs, embrace the diversity of its community and develop a Friends of the Library group.

The goal area of technology named objectives that would enable the library to stay ahead of the technological curve by keeping current with emerging technologies, realigning staff and providing educational support for those emerging technologies and trends, and monitor and change  programs to reflect the needs generated by the current social  climate.

The goal area of education named objective that would focus educational opportunities on both public and staff; for the public on the library itself and how it services the community and for the staff to enable it to best serve the public. The Chair of the committee will follow-up on a patron's suggestion to investigate the ESL programs being offered at the Clover Drive Adult Center. She will also contact our Town Councilwoman, Kitty Poons, to help develop liaison with the Spanish-speaking community.

The committee also discussed the importance of strengthening and extending our relationship and involvement with the Great Neck Schools and doing a needs assessment about how much information the library has about required reading and reading for  pleasure for both teens and adults.

The goal area of community outreach named objectives that would promote links to the community through a new department called Community Outreach, through technology such as stand-alone kiosks and traditional venues such as bookmobiles and remote programming.