BUILDING
OUR
FUTURE
Strategic Plan
2012 – 2016
Adopted 10/03/12
Board of Trustees
For over 100 years providing children, teens and adults
the resources they need to explore topics of personal
interest and continue to learn throughout their lives.
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Table of Contents
Acknowledgments
3
Executive Summary
4
The Planning Process
4
Service Priorities
5
Service Goals, Objectives and Activities
6
Next Steps
6
Service Goals, Objectives and Activities
Goal 1: Materials, services, and programs for young children
7
Goal 2: Convenient and timely access to resources
7
Goal 3: Timely and effective assistance
8
Goal 4: Welcoming physical space
8
Goal 5: Information on community programs, services and activities
8
Goal 6: Resources for connecting the past and present
9
Goal 7: Digital technology and high speed internet access
9
Appendices
Appendix A. Community Vision Statements
10
Appendix B. Community Strengths, Weaknesses, Opportunities and Threats
11
Appendix C. Staff Assessment of Service Priorities
13
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Acknowledgements
The 2012-2016 Strategic Plan for the Greenwich Library was created jointly by a committee of
Library Trustees, Library personnel (staff and volunteers), stakeholders, and community leaders.
This living document would not be possible without their hard work and thoughtful input. We
offer a special thanks to Sara Dallas from the Southern Adirondack Library System who served
as a consultant and facilitator during this process. We also wish to thank our dedicated group of
friends and volunteers who make it possible to serve the Greenwich Community.
Cliff Oliver Mealy
President Greenwich Library Board of Trustees
2012 Greenwich Library Board of Trustees
Cliff Oliver Mealy
Jon Merrill
Susan Frisbee
Lisa Campbell
Joe Donohue
Margaret Jones
Paul Thurston
Planning Committee Members
Don Brooks
James Brown-Kinsella
Chris Copeland
David Doonan
Mary Ann Fowler
Rulyn Graves
Meghan Kubiak
Maureen Kinsella
Yonka Perkins
Shirley Renaud
Mary Ann Spezio
Jean Vanderwater
Anna Grom
Mindy Hewitt
Annie Miller
Deb Sgambelluri
Grace Skiff
Joan Lapham
Kirk Loe
Bettie Lyons
Jenny Lyttle
Karen Maiurano
Sandy McReynolds
Linda Mead
Celia Merrill
Daniel Minkel-Miller
Robert Page
Wallace Paprocki
Kathy Rapp
Brian Ruel
Theresa Scully
Roger Sherman
Susan Smith
Amanda Spickerman
Jon Stevens
Nate Sweet
Renee' Sweet
Betsy White
Karen White
Dawn Whiting
Jayme Wood
Warren Wright-Sedam
Greenwich Library Staff
Becky Wright-Sedam, Director
Nancy Battis, Assistant Director
Jane Dudley-Ruel
Andrea Grom
Friends and Volunteers
Patrice Abate
Lexxi Bain
Donna Barth
Suzanne Becker
Claudia Blackler
Mimi Boyd
Betsy Brander
Margaret Cartwright
Cathy Firman
Thelma Hack
Lisa Hayes
Stella Johnson
Pam Keniry
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Executive Summary
Over the past several years, the Greenwich Library has made a concerted effort to better connect
with and serve its community. In the past two years the Library has seen a 31.3% increase in
circulationi and a 44% increase in patrons. We have effectively used operating funds to make
substantial improvements to our infrastructure including upgrades in shelving, furniture,
computers, printers, facsimile/copy machine and wireless internet connectivity. We have used
our endowment to fund some much needed building projects including a new roof structure
covering the entry, multiple projects to address water seepage and humidity control in the
basement, construction of a Director’s office, re-routing ductwork in the basement to meet code,
and numerous projects to make the space more accessible for our patrons, staff and volunteers.
Our collection continues to expand and contract and become increasingly digitized as we adapt
to the changing needs and interests of our community. We have also formed a number of
partnerships with people and organizations in our community to offer programs and services for
members from pre-school age children to our most senior citizens.
The Strategic Plan for 2012-2016 continues these efforts with the objective to create a more
appealing, functional, efficient model of operation that serves Library customer needs going
forward. To keep up with growing demand for library materials and services, the ever- and
rapidly changing nature of publishing and information technology, and to maximize efficiencies,
the library’s Board of Trustees recognized the need to enter a new phase of long-range planning
to provide a framework for library operations, particularly those that provide a direct benefit to
users, over the next several years. We chose to use a collaborative planning model that relies
upon input from the public, library staff, administrators, and trustees. The process culminating in
this document took place during the first half of 2012.
The Planning Process
At its December 2011 Board meeting, the Library Director and Trustees were introduced to the
Public Library Association’s Strategic Planning for Results model of long range planning by
consultant, trainer, and library expert, Sara Dallas. The steps in the planning process included:
identifying community needs, selecting potential library service priorities to fulfill those needs,
setting goals based on the selected services, crafting objectives to measure progress toward
meeting goals, carrying out effective activities to meet measurable objectives, and identifying the
staff, collection, facilities, technology and financial resources required to carry out the activities.
In March and April of 2012, staff, board members, and a committee of community
representatives met to discuss the current state of the library and to envision our future direction.
Members of the community planning committee first met in March 2012. At that meeting, they
participated in a visioning exercise to imagine the ideal state of the community in five to ten
years (Appendix A). The community planning committee also conducted a situation analysis
where they identified the community’s strengths, weaknesses, opportunities, and threats
(Appendix B). Based on the vision statements and situation analysis produced at the meeting the
committee identified several service priorities for the library. The community representatives
placed an emphasis on service priorities that would support young readers, offer resources that
would stimulate imagination and allow people to know their community, and provide space and
technology that would help the community members meet with each other and connect with the
online world.
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Following that meeting, library staff reviewed the recommendations of the community planning
group. Given space and staffing limitations, and the excellent state of services provided to both
pre-school and school aged children, the library staff recommended combining creating young
readers and stimulating imagination into a single service priority focused on the lifelong learning
for patrons of all ages. The staff performed an analysis of the library’s strengths, weaknesses,
opportunities, and threats associated with the resulting four service priorities. The results of those
analyses (see Appendix C) were presented to the community planning committee when it
reconvened for a second meeting in April, 2012.
Service Priorities
At its second meeting, the community planning committee reviewed the library staff’s analysis.
The planning committee provided a tremendous amount of support for the library staff’s
recommendation to emphasize lifelong learning. The planning committee also recognized the
library’s efforts and gains associated with the other three service priorities and encouraged the
library to seek continuous improvement in these areas. The community planning committee
recommended the Board of Trustees adopt the following service priorities for 2012-2016.
Support Lifelong Learning – Satisfy Curiosity and Stimulate Imagination. Patrons will
have the resources they need to satisfy their curiosity, explore topics of personal interest
and continue to learn throughout their lives. Patrons will have timely and effective
assistance to find the materials, services and programs they desire.
Provide a Comfortable Space. Patrons will have safe and welcoming places to meet and
interact with others or to sit quietly and read and will have open and accessible virtual
spaces that support networking.
Know Your Community – Community Resources, Services and History. Patrons will
have a central source for information about the wide variety of programs, services and
activities provided by community agencies and organizations; and will have the resources
they need to connect the past with the present.
Connect to the Online World - Public Internet Access. Patrons will have high-speed
access to the digital world with no unnecessary restrictions or fees to ensure that
everyone can take advantage of the ever-growing resources and services available
through the Internet.
Goals, Objectives and Activities
Goals describe the benefits that patrons will receive from the library. They provide a framework
that will be used to improve the library’s organizational capacity, and to ensure that the library’s
limited resources are used effectively. We adopted seven goals to help us ensure we fulfill the
four service priorities. Goals 1-3 are associated with the service priority to support lifelong
learning. Goal 4 will help us continue to provide a comfortable space accessible to all living in or
visiting our community. Goals 5 and 6 are focused on the library’s role in helping people know
our Greenwich community. Goal 7 will help us provide access for community to an increasingly
digital world.
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Goal 1: Materials, services, and programs for young children. Young children (age five
and under) will have materials, services, and programs designed to ensure that they will
enter school ready to learn.
Goal 2: Convenient and timely access to resources. Patrons will have convenient and
timely access to the resources they need to satisfy their curiosity, explore topics of
personal interest and continue to learn throughout their lives.
Goal 3: Timely and effective assistance. Patrons will have timely help to find the
materials, services and programs they desire.
Goal 4: Welcoming physical space. Patrons will have a welcoming physical place to
meet and interact with others or work independently on personal projects.
Goal 5: Information on community programs, services and activities. Patrons will have
information about the wide variety of programs, services and activities provided by
community agencies and organizations.
Goal 6: Resources for connecting the past and present. Patrons will have the resources
they need to understand the history and traditions of Greenwich.
Goal 7: Digital technology and high speed internet access. Patrons will have access to
digital technologies (e.g., computers, printers, facsimile/copy, and internet) and the
assistance they need to use it effectively in their daily lives.
Each goal is supported by objectives, which describe the way that progress toward reaching the
goal will be measured. Objectives generally include such measures as increases in circulation,
program attendance, library visits, the number of reference and other questions answered, and
public reaction to and satisfaction with services provided. These measures will help the library
and the community assesses the library’s effectiveness. We plan to take advantage of readily
available data (e.g., SALS monthly Statistical Summary) and employ measures that produce
feedback to those directly providing the service. We also identified specific activities that could
help to meet the service goals and measurable objectives. The goals, objectives and activities are
described in detail in the pages that follow.
Next Steps
The Community Planning Committee set the service responses, while considering the impact on
the budget, including staffing. By adopting this Strategic Plan, the Board of Trustees is affirming
the goals and objectives presented in this plan. The plan will be distributed to key stakeholders,
including community representatives, Friends of the Greenwich Library, Southern Adirondack
Library System, and others, and will be made publicly available on the library’s webpage
http://www.greenwich-library.org. Library administrators and trustees will reallocate resources
as necessary in order to ensure that the goals and objectives outlined in the plan are achieved.
Progress made on achieving the goals and objectives will regularly be reported to the library’s
Board of Trustees and to the community.
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Service Goals and Objectives
Goal 1: Materials, services, and programs for young children. Young children (age five and
under) will have materials, services, and programs designed to ensure that they will enter school
ready to learn.
Objectives
Activities
1.1 The circulation of children’s’ picture and
board books will increase 15% annually
 Select, acquire, and process library
materials
1.2 The number of young children (age five
and under) attending a program in the
library will increase 15% annually
 Provide “read-alike” booklists on a variety
of topics
1.3 A minimum of 90% of parents and
caregivers surveyed will indicate that they
are satisfied with the library’s services for
young children
 Offer story times for babies, toddlers, and
preschoolers
 Present family-oriented programs
 Create displays of library materials
 Help young patrons and their caregivers
find and use appropriate library materials
 Provide active learning environments
 Promote programs in all media formats
Goal 2: Convenient and timely access to resources. Patrons will have convenient and timely
access to the resources they need to satisfy their curiosity, explore topics of personal interest and
continue to learn throughout their lives.
Objectives
2.1 The number of items in the collection will
increase 6% annually until we reach our
collection goal of 50,000 titles
2.2 Circulation of library materials will
increase 15% annually
2.3 Digitized circulation (e.g. ebooks, eaudios,
dvds) will increase 15% annually
2.4 The large print circulation will increase
15% annually
2.5 A minimum of 90% of “holds” placed by
library personnel will be satisfied
Activities
 Select, acquire, process, promote and
display library materials
 Provide “read-alike” booklists on a variety
of topics
 Promote programs in all media formats
 Market titles creatively using social media
 Teach all library personnel and interested
customers to use OverdriveTM (tool for
downloading electronic books and audio
files to mobile devices)
2.6 The number of registered borrowers will
increase 5% annually
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Goal 3: Timely and effective assistance. Patrons will have timely help to find the materials,
services and programs they desire.
Objectives
3.1 A minimum of 90% of patrons surveyed
will indicate they received timely and
effective assistance
Activities
 Create a survey station at the coffee bar for
immediate customer feedback
 Create signage to encourage patrons to
provide feedback
 Encourage library personnel to request
patron feedback after assistance is provided
 One week each quarter library personnel
tally patrons and requests for assistance
Goal 4: Welcoming physical space. Patrons will have a welcoming physical place to meet and
interact with others or work independently on personal projects.
Objectives
4.1 Library visits will increase 15% annually
4.2 Increase use of available meeting spaces
15% annually until goal of 75% utilization
is achieved
Activities
 Continue facility improvements to increase
accessibility
 Reconfigure basement to provide more
meeting and shelving space
 Maintain a clean clutter free environment
 Provide appropriate seating for all activities
 Create mechanism to record customer
feedback on the quality of the space
Goal 5: Information on community programs, services and activities. Patrons will have
information about the wide variety of programs, services and activities provided by community
agencies and organizations.
Objectives
5.1 New exhibits each month in the Hedbring
Community Room and the display cases.
5.2 Offer at least two programs each month by
the library and/or outside organizations
Activities
 Seek out, schedule and promote exhibits
 Recruit and train a program planning and
coordinating volunteer
 Increase collaboration with community and
outside groups serving all age groups
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Goal 6: Resources for connecting the past and present. Patrons will have the resources they
need to understand the history and traditions of Greenwich.
Objectives
6.1 Increase number of visits to Gill Room by
10% annually
6.2: Increase number of patron requests for
information by 5% annually
6.3 Offer at least 2 local history programs a
year for public hosted by Gill Room
Activities
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6.4 Increase number of Gill room items in the
New York Documentary Heritage website
collection from 10 to 20 items
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6.6 Scan and digitally catalogue items from the
Gill room collection

Promote holdings and services of Gill room
through press, web and other mechanisms
Seek grant and/or donations to facilitate
improving the condition of the Robert
Lowber piece (photograph displayed on
Smithsonian website)
Volunteers will attend training in
appropriate preservation methods
Continue to add images and documents to
the New York Documentary Heritage
website
Add scanned items to the catalog
Goal 7: Digital technology and high speed internet access. . Patrons will have access to digital
technologies (e.g., computers, printers, facsimile/copy, and internet) and the assistance they need
to use it effectively in their daily lives.
Objectives
7.1 Increase usage of adult computers by 10%
annually
7.2 Increase usage of Early Learning Stations
by 15% annually
7.3 Increase hits to the library’s website by
15% annually
7.4 Offer at least 2 classes per year on
computer-related topics
7.5 90% of web site users surveyed will rate
the library’s web site as informative and
easy to use
7.6 Staff will attend at least two classes
involving the use of technology per year
Activities
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Update website on an ongoing basis
Expand library’s social media presence.
Assist patrons of all ages who need help
with computers
Provide classes and/or handouts on using
computers and/or mobile devices.
Purchase new electronic resources, such as:
Audio & eBooks from Overdrive
Purchase updates for Early Literacy
Stations
Purchase updates for CASSIE computer
software management system
Survey users about the website and their
technology needs
Provide staff with information regarding
training opportunities
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Appendix A. Results of Visioning Exercise
During the March 8, 2012 meeting, the community planning committee identified the following
statements of vision for the Greenwich community.

All members of the community will benefit from better partnerships among community
groups and agencies

Families will choose to live in Greenwich to raise their children because it is a safe and
welcoming community

Parents will have the resources they need to raise healthy and active children

Children will get the education they need in order to lead productive lives

Youth will be prepared for productive lives and personal growth through personal mentors
and opportunities through school

Teens will have access to the youth center and the library so that they will be safe after
school

Teens will have an alternative sports activities outside of school (e.g., cycling team)

Greenwich Senior and Youth will share a community center that will meet their social and
recreational needs

Residents will be healthier as a result of the library and YMCA working together to educate
people on healthy eating and exercise

The business community will thrive because people will shop and do their business locally
rather than drive to Saratoga or other communities

Farmers will be sustainable because they will have access to labor

Everyone will foster leadership diversity within Greenwich
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Appendix B. Results of Situation Analysis for Greenwich Community
During the March 8, 2012 meeting, the community planning committee identified the following
strengths, weaknesses, opportunities and threats for the Greenwich community.
Strengths
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Everybody knows each other and watches out for each other
Good emergency response teams
Greenwich is beautiful and pedestrian friendly; community garden
Talented residents
Affordable and centrally located; easy access to Albany, Troy, Glens Falls, Bennington
Interfaith/ecumenical ministers are collaborative and cooperative; strong outreach
Civic organizations (Elks, Masons, Lions, VFW, American Legion, Knights of Columbus)
Community is diverse and welcoming
Good schools, with a good music and athletic programs
Weaknesses
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No mass transportation, people either have to drive, bike or walk
Not enough parking for the demand
Too much focus on athletics
Community is not ethnically diverse
Lack of employment in town, especially for youth; limited opportunities for learning trades
Need to find a way to pull in people who don’t belong to churches or civic organizations to
encourage involvement in community (caroling; parades; Whipple City; open house tour;
garden tours)
Opportunities
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Have a full facility YMCA
Expand access to Broadband via wireless for the broader area (outside village)
Expand ACC into 4 year college, strengthen employment, etc.
Expand the radio station in the youth center to promote events, conduct interviews, promote
musicians and support emergency response
Encourage people with horses to come to Greenwich, look to horse trails
Library should become a resource for answers, add another telephone line; train volunteers to
answers questions (seniors perhaps)
Promote the dog training facility in Easton near Christ the King Spiritual Life Center
Consider promoting the extensive snowmobile trails
Encourage more businesses – entrepreneurs and incubators, connection with RPI patents &
development to get into agri-business (insulation…)
Taking H & V sludge and making compost
Expand parking (potential for former Wally’s restaurant)
Farmers bring crops to NYC
Encourage the grow local/buy local, farmers to area markets and restaurants
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Consider tours of cheese and meat raising farms
Expand or develop a cooperative for beef farmers (agri-business opportunities)
Work with the Chamber and area realtors to have a Welcome Wagon for people moving into
the area
Build a movie theater
Take advantage of the Riverfront (e.g., ice cream, paddle capability, access to riverfront, bike
path, rollerblade, Thunder Mountain, connect through high school, walk through town, bike
through town)
Malta is growing and may bring new people into community
Threats
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Cost of fuel
Uncontrolled growth – can the current infrastructure support it?
The lack of local employers and job diversity in Greenwich may hamper growth
The budget cuts at school will affect student learning
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Appendix C. Results of Situation Analysis for Greenwich Library
The library staff reviewed the material produced during the March 8, 2012 community planning
committee and identified strengths, weaknesses, opportunities and threats for the Greenwich
Library for each of the service priorities.
Support Lifelong Learning – Satisfy Curiosity and Stimulate Imagination
Residents will have the resources they need to satisfy their curiosity, explore topics of personal
interest and continue to learn throughout their lives. Residents will have timely and effective
assistance to find the materials, services and programs they desire.
Strengths
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High library circulation and use
Substantial and growing collection
Currently done well for all age groups,
reading interests and reading levels
Strong connection with schools
Weaknesses
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Opportunities
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Continue to grow collection
Order extra copies with demand
Increase digital content
Reach out more to community to create
new partners and programs
Building size
Collection budget
Staffing
Threats

Budget constraints
Provide a Comfortable Space
Residents will have safe and welcoming places to meet and interact with others or to sit quietly
and read and will have open and accessible virtual spaces that support networking.
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Strengths
Dedicated and flexible space – facilitates a
wide variety of functions with no concern
of noise or traffic with collection areas
Additional space in basement for meetings
Dedicated space for children
Space within the library for quiet meetings,
reading, computer work and reflection
Opportunities
Make space more accessible to all
community members
Increase hours of operation
Facilitate use of community room outside
of normal library hours
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Weaknesses
Building size
Quality and comfort of seating
State of repair of flooring in entry, foyer
and community room
Threats
Budget constraints
Additional unseen problems with physical
structure
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Know Your Community – Community Resources, Services and History
Residents will have a central source for information about the wide variety of programs, services
and activities provided by community agencies and organizations; and will have the resources
they need to connect the past with the present.
Strengths
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Weaknesses
Central location, flexible space
Collection of newspapers/magazines
Gill Room – repository of local history
Resources and qualified people
Webpage/Facebook page
Strong children’s programming/story times
Garden
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Limited parking
Staffing issues, too many part time people
Space for community information
1 phone line/ 1 fax line
Knowledge needed to design website
Staff ability to deal with some issues
Additional staff training needed
Opportunities
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Threats
Would make the library an invaluable part of
the community – a community hub
Alter community view of library; increase
library influence; voter support of budget
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Possible agency “turf”
Budget reallocation
Privacy issues
Connect to the Online World - Public Internet Access
Residents will have high-speed access to the digital world with no unnecessary restrictions or
fees to ensure that everyone can take advantage of the ever-growing resources and services
available through the Internet.
Strengths
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Virtual access 24/7
Copier, Fax service, Wireless Access
Public Computers (children and adults)
Support from the JA Staff
Computer use classes
Staff has some computer skills
Downloadable content
Computer management software
ensures equal time on computer
Weaknesses
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Opportunities
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Teen volunteers to teach and train
Training for staff and patrons
Make databases more accessible
Information literacy training important
Library staff computer knowledge is
limited
Are computers and computer
workstations handicapped accessible?
No way to currently measure wireless
use
Databases can be difficult to access
Easy accessibility to all information
online?
Threats
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Handicapped accessibility
Need more space for computers
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i
In looking at the Long-Range plan and also thinking about putting up the
Annual Report for 2010 on the web page (we already had 2011 on the web page),
I discovered a discrepancy with the Circulation Statistics.
SALS provided an annual report for 2010 that only went from 11/1/09 to
10/31/10, which I didn't realize when I used the report to complete the
annual report to the board in January. In early 2011, SALS came out with the
full-year statistics so that we could submit our annual report to the state.
The upshot is because the statistics only went to October in the statistical
report I thought was full-year, the numbers were higher for annual
circulation in 2010 than I thought, which I corrected in the paper but
neglected to correct in my annual report to the board (from a 14% increase to
a 16.9% increase). This affected the percent increase for the following year,
as I was using the first reported number from October, so the circulation for
the second year increased 14.4% instead of the 17% reported. The actual
increase should have been recorded as a 31.3% two-year increase.
Circulation:
2009
2010
30,303
35,415
2011
40,517
Percent change: 2009 to 2010: 16.9%
2010 to 2011: 14.4%
Actual 2 year increase: 31.3%
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