St. Mary's County Library

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Strategic Plan

St. Mary’s County Library Facilities Master Plan, 2022

The goal of this master plan is to establish priorities and recommendations for the St. Mary’s County Library for the purpose of improving facility conditions to better support and increase library services, improve access for patrons, and to benefit the communities served.
View the Facilities Master Plan

St. Mary’s County Library Strategic Plan, 2020-2024

Guiding Statements

Our Vision: We inform and inspire.
Our Mission: We connect people with ideas and information in a diverse community, valuing opportunity and education for all.

Our Core Values and Guiding Principles

  • Education
    • Build collections that inform and entertain, promote the development of skills and life-long learning, and spark creativity
    • Ensure our collections are diverse, inclusive, and accessible to all
    • Support and defend our customers’ right to access information without judgment
    • Inspire a love of learning and foster wisdom
  • Service
    • Develop a friendly, knowledgeable, and responsive staff who anticipate and exceed our community’s diverse needs and expectations
    • Provide training and opportunities for continued employee growth
    • Embrace change and innovation
  • Community
    • Serve all members of our community, respecting our diversity
    • Seek creative community partnerships and welcome volunteers
    • Engage in joint efforts with regional and state library partners to achieve our mission
  • Integrity
    • Be accountable to the Board of Library Trustees and the citizens of St. Mary’s County
    • Be good stewards of funds and resources provided by St. Mary’s County, the State of Maryland, the Friends of the St. Mary’s County Library, and the St. Mary’s County Library Foundation
    • Be fair and ethical in all our dealings with customers and staff
    • Protect our customers’ privacy and preserve intellectual freedom
a mother and two children sitting on the floor reading a book
Area of Focus: Organizational Health

  • Goal 1: Promote a positive working environment
    • Create sustainable systems and processes that foster communication, teamwork, and collaboration
    • Seek opportunities to increase productivity and efficiency
    • Develop and enhance employee wellness and morale
    • Strive to retain employees and honor their achievements and contributions
  • Goal 2: Institutionalize the values of equity, diversity, and inclusion (EDI)
    • Provide inclusive programming, services, and resources for our diverse community
    • Develop policies and procedures to ensure equity, diversity, and inclusion across the organization
    • Continue to provide equity, diversity, and inclusion training and other opportunities to all staff
group of young children and adults surrounding a small pool filled with water beads

Area of Focus: Service to the Community

  • Goal 1: Develop and maintain a dynamic and current collection
    • Apply professional best practices to provide a collection that is current, responsive, diverse, and in excellent condition
    • Drive new models for accessing digital content, and publicly advocate for beneficial business models and formats to meet the digital content needs and expectations of our community
  • Goal 2: Enhance our programs and services
    • Meet the needs of diverse audiences with innovative programs and services
    • Continuously evaluate the effectiveness of our programs and services
    • Utilize strategic partnerships to reach community members

Area of Focus: Access

  • Goal 1: Improve access to collections, services, and programs
    • Work towards eliminating fines on all overdue materials
    • Explore options for services beyond the three Library locations
    • Expand library card access and opportunities
    • Ensure that collections, services, and programs are accessible to all
  • Goal 2: Renovate and/or repurpose existing spaces to meet changing needs
    • Continuously assess the current physical and technological needs of the Library and the community
    • Invest in multi-use or flexible spaces
    • Ensure that Library spaces are accessible to all
Area of Focus: Technology

  • Goal 1: Stay abreast of current and changing technologies to best serve the community
    • Ensure the highest level of computer and network performance
    • Introduce innovative technologies that exceed the expectations of our community
    • Monitor and respond to trends in technology
  • Goal 2: Provide access and training to address the digital divide
    • Address barriers to use of our public computers, WiFi, and other technologies
    • Continue to invest in technology and equipment for in-house use or borrowing
    • Tailor technology services and training opportunities for diverse needs
3d printer printing a grey cat

Area of Focus: Community Relations

  • Goal 1: Tell the Library’s story
    • Develop and continuously update a marketing plan
    • Host and participate in community events to expand our impact
  • Goal 2: Cultivate advantageous partnerships
    • Assess current and potential partnerships for alignment with the Library’s strategic goals and core values
    • Effectively allocate staff resources to partnership development and management
  • Goal 3: Proactively communicate with our community
    • Train staff in best practices in customer service
    • Empower staff to creatively address customer needs
    • Effectively use digital and print communications

For further details please contact the Director, Michael Blackwell at 301-475-2151 x5013 or mblackwell@stmalib.org

This strategic planning project was made possible in part by the Institute of Museum and Library Services (IMLS) through a Library Services and Technology Services (LSTA) grant.