By Nancy Maron, President, Board of Trustees, Yonkers Public Library
This week, Yonkers Public Library launches its new “strategic plan.”
If you have been keeping an eye on the changes in the Yonkers Public Library over the last few years, you know that things have been moving fast. Since our last plan was written, we launched the Foundation for the YPL, navigated the onset of Covid and welcomed the new leadership team of Jesse Montero and Shauna Porteus, who along with the dedicated and talented staff, have kept up a rapid pace of creative upgrades throughout the system. When the world moves so quickly, having a “road map” is extremely important; this plan outlines the principles that will guide our growth over the next five years.
The 2023-2027 Strategic Plan was developed in consultation with input from thousands of Yonkersites across the city who shared thoughts in a survey or participated in interviews or focus groups. Jesse, Shauna and a team of 30 staffers undertook in-depth self-assessments of key areas including technology, spaces, and programs, developing detailed proposals for improvements throughout the system. Then our strategic planning committee came together to review this all.
The plan you will see is not just a “to do” list of things to fix or improve! As a strategic plan, it sets out an ambitious vision and defines some key areas that the YPL Board and staff agree should be prioritized. It includes a clear statement of our mission and articulates the principles that guide our work.
In the weeks ahead we will share more about what YPL has in store, but for now here are some highlights:
Our VISION
“Yonkers Public Library improves life in Yonkers for everyone by fostering literacy, culture, connection, and community.”
If you thought the library’s vision was to “make books available” or something more obvious, think again! YPL’s vision is ambitious and wide-ranging. When we think about what all our services have in common, it is that they make people’s lives better in some way. One person may love the library for the entertainment they find in movies, books, or live performances. Another may use the library to prepare for professional exams or learn about new career
opportunities; still others benefit from having the YPL as a central hub for many civic activities, like voter registration and early voting.
OUR STRATEGIC GOALS
These big ideas are what guide all day-to-day decision making at the library.
– Everyone Belongs Here.
When the planning committee sat down to look at what we had learned and what we wanted to accomplish, top of the list was making sure that everyone in Yonkers can take advantage of all that YPL offers. Branch Manager Aurora Cruz came up with the phrase that sums it all up: “Everyone Belongs Here.” To deliver on this goal, we will be improving our offerings in Spanish; addressing digital and physical accessibility issues; and creatively reimagining how big the YPL “footprint” can grow, even beyond the three great branch libraries we have. And to make sure everyone knows about all this, YPL has designed and is launching a new logo and website. More on this to come!
– Deliver an Exceptional Library Experience.
We want everyone who does engage with YPL to come away having found what they needed, learned something new, or otherwise enjoyed their experience with us! This means we’ll be looking at the systems that make the YPL function smoothly, and thinking about how our staff can continue to share their expertise and support with all who need it.
– We’re Your Partner for Life (YPL)!
We know that people rely on the library in different ways at different times of their lives. We want people to see YPL’s full range of offerings that can support them wherever they are, from parents of our very youngest Yonkersites who enjoy 1000 Books Before Kindergarten, to cultural events for our young adults, to programming that helps our seniors.
– Inspiring Staff, Inspiring Spaces, Inspiring Yonkers
People have long seen YPL as a reliable, steady presence in Yonkers, and that is a very good thing! But YPL is poised to be much more than that, as well. In the years ahead, YPL will continue its path to reimagining how to deliver its services, recruit and retain staff who make YPL the great place it is. We will reimage our physical spaces to be inspiring for all those who use them.
Stay tuned in the weeks ahead as we share some sneak previews of what YPL has in store, from the people at YPL making it happen.
See you at the library!
