Laramie County Library System recently concluded its strategic planning process and has released a new strategic plan which includes revised vision, mission, and commitment statements to help the organization meet the needs of the Laramie County community. The strategic plan establishes a direction and vision for future library services, and allows the organization to purposefully plan for the continued expansion and progression of resources, collections, outreach efforts, and more.
Before beginning its strategic planning process, the library conducted a community and employee survey. The strategic planning team, which consisted of the County Librarian, Laramie County Library System board members, administrators, employee representatives, and representatives from the Laramie County Library Foundation, took the survey responses into careful account as they drafted the plan for fiscal years 2022 and 2023.
The plan, which was the result of three meetings that each lasted four hours, highlights five key focus areas that provide direction for library communications and marketing, outreach, collection development, financial stewardship, and equitable access. Each key focus area consists of specific goals for the organization to work towards.
Executive Director and County Librarian Carey Hartmann stated, “An organization that is adrift or static is incapable of improving. Since the late 1980s, Laramie County Library System has been diligent in strategically planning for the future. The library services and facilities we all enjoy today are the direct result of conscientious and thorough planning processes. As the impact of the pandemic continues to unfold, this strategic plan will help guide our decision making in how to effectively meet the needs of Laramie County over the next two years.”
A brief summary of the strategic plan and a more in-depth document can both be reviewed at LaramieCountyLibrary.org/strategicplans. Hard copies of the summary document can be found by visiting the Cheyenne Library at 2200 Pioneer Ave., Cheyenne, WY; the Burns Branch Library at 112 Main St., Burns, WY; or the Pine Bluffs Branch Library at 110 E 2nd St., Pine Bluffs, WY.
Laramie County Library System thanks all the community members who took time to provide feedback, and looks forward to working towards its new mission to “be a hub for engagement, literacy and learning, and lifelong curiosity and discovery” using the guidance of its new strategic plan.