Library Strategic Planning Update Workshop

October 15, 2011

Contact: Douglas Smith, Deputy Director, 510-981-6195

The Berkeley Public Library is announcing an upcoming opportunity to provide input into the services and programs the Library will provide over the next two years. The Library's Strategic Plan, a collection of specific goals and activities developed in response to an extensive community outreach process, is being updated and expanded to span the period remaining while the Branch Library Improvement Projects are being completed. This is an exciting time for the Berkeley Public Library. The popularity of the Library and its services is growing. As you know, the Library is a hub of community activity where citizens find knowledge, free programs for kids and grownups, career and small business assistance, computers, and of course free books, movies, music, downloadable audio, and other materials. In the past year, 1.3 million visits were made and approximately 2 million items were borrowed from the Library. Through its innovative services, programs, and collection the Berkeley Public Library staff wishes to represent the breadth of the community’s interests and needs.  Good planning helps make this possible! During the current economic recession, libraries across the country are seeing upsurges in use as people borrow what they cannot buy, attend programs that don’t require an outlay of cash, retool for a new career, hunt for new jobs, or simply enjoy a welcoming place to be. The Library will keep on striving to be an institution that builds local value through the collective social capital that comes from residents coming together and enjoying their shared resources.

When: Wednesday October 12, 6:30-7:30pm, at the beginning of the Board of Library Trustees' regular meeting.

Where: Berkeley Public Library South Branch, 1901 Russell Street @ MLK

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