As you settle into a new year and try to honor New Year’s resolutions, the Bozeman Public Library is right in step with you. Our resolution this year — and every year — is to bring our Library customers the very best in library services and materials. We are already actively setting and meeting goals to be even more valuable and relevant to our thriving community as we plan for the Library’s future.

Take a moment to think about how the Bozeman Public Library positively impacted you, your family, or maybe a friend or colleague this past year. Then reflect on the many ways a public library can benefit a community — checking out a book only scratches the surface.

Consider that our Library:
Provides over 40 desktop and laptop computers for free public use
Provides an average of more than 4500 public computer sessions monthly
Holds free computer classes and offers help with other electronic devices
Has a strong emphasis on early literacy with parent workshops, in-house experts, and over 15 programs weekly for kids, averaging 1,802 participants a month
Answers over 2,000 reference questions monthly
Hosts cultural music and art programs, Chess Club, Lego Club, and other events for families
Averages over 1,200 people through the door daily, with a one-day high of 1943 in summer 2013
Has an impressive online presence with over 20,000 web visits a month and over 2,600 Facebook likes, and
Averages 90 meeting room bookings by the public per month.

Even with the success outlined above, the Library still wants to better meet the community’s needs and growth trends, wants to serve our patrons more efficiently, and always wants to do this with a smile.
To help us accomplish this, last year the Library staff and volunteer boards (Trustees, Foundation, and Friends) hired nationally-recognized, über library consultants Peter Pearson and Sue Hall from Library Strategies (www.librarystrategiesconsulting.org) to take us through a rigorous strategic planning process. Part of this tremendously rewarding activity included gathering input from a diverse group of community members, City staff, business leaders, and educators from Montana State University and the Bozeman School District. We know that, in order to succeed in our drive for excellence, we need input from our community. They all dedicated a full day to help develop the Library’s 2013-2017 Strategic Plan (found at http://www.bozemanlibrary.org/media/downloads/strategicplan.pdf).

PLANNING FOR THE FUTURE
We know that Bozeman is a special place and that the quality of life here is superb. One of the symbols of Bozeman’s commitment to a high quality of life is its beautiful public library building. The decision to support free access to information and cultural enrichment for the public by a community is laudable; the ability to make that commitment a daily reality is a sign of a community’s success. The Bozeman Public Library Board of Trustees understand that planning for the future is key to maintaining a strong public library, so they supported Library administration and staff in working with the Bozeman Library Foundation to make the strategic planning process happen. The plan is a blueprint to the Library’s next 18 months to five years. It’s a living document that we will review annually and adjust as needed. In the meantime, it serves as a planning guide for Library staff, Trustees, supporting boards, and volunteers from the public.

Our strategic planning consultants reviewed the input of the 68 Bozeman community members who attended a Community Visioning Session last March and arrived at five key goals:
The Library will be an Information Epicenter for businesses, educational institutions, cultural organizations and other nonprofits to expand economic growth and quality of life in Bozeman
The Library will increase its Marketing and Public Awareness needs by designating staff to let visitors and residents know the value of the Library as a community resource
The Library will maximize its use of current space and create new space and access points for expanded outreach to the public
The Library will continue to provide the highest quality programs and services in early childhood literacy
The Library will enhance and expand collaborations with existing and new partners

Next, the consultants worked with the Foundation and Friends board members, who spent additional hours on their own plans. All three sets of coordinating plans will be used collaboratively to provide a strong foundation for the Library to grow services, outreach, and facilities. Bozeman is growing. It’s important that the Library plans to grow, as well. The Foundation will embark on endowment building, among other things, to help the Library realize its long-term goals.

THE STAFF’S ROLE
The final piece of the strategic planning puzzle is the staff implementation. The Library staff members have each chosen an area within the five key goals listed above to focus expanded efforts on to keep moving the plan forward. Our Department Heads and the Foundation Director each head up a team of Library staff who are developing work plans and timelines to implement the five goals. Our staff know our customers, our community, and our needs. They know what our Library users are asking for and are working hard to meet those needs through our new Strategic Plan.

We can say with excitement that the Library is ready to launch to the next level of keeping pace with our growing population, of meeting the constant demands of new technology, and of assisting all of our patrons from youngest to oldest. Look to the Library for helping to maintain Bozeman’s high quality of life, to work with businesses boosting the economic engine, and to provide even more services to meet the trends you are telling us about.

People often tell our Library staff that the Bozeman Public Library was the deciding factor in choosing whether or not to move to Bozeman. They tell our staff that the Library was an indication of what Bozeman values, so they knew it would be a fine town in which to raise a family or start a business venture. We are proud to be one reason that Bozeman is an extraordinary place to live. Join us as we grow! The future is here and, with your ideas and help, your Library will be ready to embrace it.

Susan F. Gregory recently celebrated her second year as director of the Bozeman Public Library, and Paula K. Beswick has been director of the Library Foundation since 2007. They are both thrilled to be working together at the Library.