“The mission of the Kingston Library is to be a vital center in our diverse community that inspires lifelong learning and empowers our citizens by providing free and equal access to information, ideas, books, and technology.”

A Letter from Our Director

Margie Menard, MLS

In 2018, Kingston Library embarked on a strategic planning process in order to better align the library’s goals and direction with the needs of the Kingston community. A team made up of board members, Friends of the Kingston Library group members, and staff engaged in the American Library Association’s Libraries Transform Communities: Turning Outward initiative. Turning Outward is a step-by-step process developed by The Harwood Institute for Public Innovation. It entails taking steps to better understand communities; changing processes and thinking to make conversations more community-focused; being proactive to community issues; and putting community aspirations at the forefront of long-range planning. Kingston Library engaged in this initiative to join in bringing about positive change in our community.

Over several months, Kingston Library’s Turning Outward team held a series of Community Conversations throughout Kingston. During these conversations, participants were asked to share what they want their community to be; what challenges they face in realizing these aspirations; and what changes are needed to overcome them. The following pages represent the translation of the comments made during these conversations into goals that Kingston Library will work toward to support those community aspirations.

Our Approach to Developing our Long-Range Vision for the Library

Our Long-Range Planning Committee leveraged a thoughtful approach centered on four key stages outlined here at a high-level:

  1. Listen to the Community – We gathered information from a variety of sources including, but not limited to:
      • Kingston Community Conversations
      • Library Patrons, Staff, and Trustees
      • Research on what other leading libraries are doing
  1. Create a Long-Range Strategic Vision – Based on what we heard; we formulated a vision of where the library should be in 3 to 5 years.
  2. Formulate Annual Objectives – We recognize that achieving our Long-Range and Strategic Vision is a journey, so we focused on what we will aim to achieve in the next 12 to 18 months to move us towards that vision
  3. Evaluate our Progress – Strategic planning is an ongoing process, so we plan to revisit and revise our plan and objectives at least annually, in order to stay aligned with the evolving needs of our patrons and the Kingston community.

Our Long-Term Strategic Objectives

The following are our long-term strategic objectives, with the following pages providing our supporting goals (2019 – 2020) that will help us move towards achieving our stated objectives

Objective 1: Establish the Kingston Library as a trusted center of information connecting the Kingston community with relevant resources for education, enrichment, empowerment, and entertainment

Objective 2: Provide well-designed experiences for all who connect with the Kingston Library by focusing on building and service plans that prioritize patrons and users of the library

Objective 3: Create a culture prioritizing diversity and inclusiveness of all members of the Kingston community in every aspect of the Library’s operations

Objective 4: Promote the Library as central to the activities of all citizens of Kingston, and a place to engage and connect with others in the community as well as the larger world

Objective 5: Align the Library’s efforts with the ongoing growth and progress of our community, and foster active and open communications with local leaders and organizations

Objective 1

Establish the Kingston Library as a trusted center of information connecting the Kingston community with relevant resources for education, enrichment, empowerment, and entertainment

Supporting Goals:

  • Build an adequately funded collection in all formats that is effectively managed by professional staff
  • Develop and retain staff with the appropriate balance of training, experience, and education to most effectively service the Library’s patrons and connect them with relevant resources
  • Identify leading organizations within the Kingston Community that the Library is not currently connected with. Establish relationships and foster discussions as to how the Library can become a trusted partner to those organizations

Objective 2

Provide well-designed experiences for all who connect with the Kingston Library by focusing on building and service plans that prioritize patrons and users of the library

Supporting Goals:

  • Refresh the Library’s Master Plan for physical plant updates and improvements and create a schedule to keep the document up to date
  • Provide easy and effective access points to the Library and its services, including but not limited to the Library’s website and its physical signage
  • Develop and appropriately fund a technology plan that allows patrons to connect with and leverage new and emerging technologies
  • Re-evaluate space planning and allocation to prioritize the patron experience and support the community’s evolving needs
  • Create an attractive and well-maintained space for our patrons, both indoors and outdoors

Objective 3

Create a culture prioritizing diversity and inclusiveness of all members of the Kingston community in every aspect of the Library’s operations

Supporting Goals:

  • Seek to partner with local organizations with leading diversity initiatives, and establish a role in promoting their efforts within the Kingston community
  • Be responsive to changes and observed trends within the local community
  • Recruit a diverse pool of candidates for the Board of Trustees
  • Actively source programming and services from minority-owned businesses and minority-led organizations

Objective 4

Promote the Library as central to the activities of all citizens of Kingston, and a place to engage and connect with others in the community as well as the larger world

Supporting Goals:

  • Develop and continue an outreach program throughout the city, including programs at offsite locations and library-branded materials for distribution and sale as well as promotional material for upcoming library events.
  • Develop and execute an overall communications strategy to promote the Library’s initiatives thereby allowing Library trustees, administration, and staff to spread consistent and on-point messages about the great things happening at the Library.

Objective 5

Align the Library’s efforts with the ongoing growth and progress of our community, and foster active and open communications with local leaders and organizations

Supporting Goals:

  • Maintain relationships with local lawmakers
  • Maintain an awareness of City of Kingston efforts and programs through establishing regular communication cadences with City Hall Officials, and actively look to identify ways in which the Library could play a role in promoting or facilitating that programming
  • Establish new Library programming to allow citizens to learn about what different city leaders do in Kingston in addition to areas of special interest.