Strategic Plan 2025 Year End Report
The Glenview Public Library’s 2025–2027 Strategic Plan, guided by community and staff feedback, focuses on building a more connected, informed, and engaged community. In its first year, the Library made measurable progress by increasing card ownership, reducing wait times for high-demand materials, expanding accessibility initiatives, and significantly growing engagement with emerging technology programs.
CONNECT
Focus: Enhance access to resources and services.
Goal: Identify and reduce barriers for non-users and new residents.
Ensuring convenient and practical access helps more Glenview residents use Library resources, strengthening the community and increasing overall value for residents.
Summary of accomplishments
- Defined what constitutes a “household in Glenview” and established a consistent method for calculating library card ownership.
- Implemented LibraryIQ to support data-driven decision-making around access and usage.
- Conducted the following research activities with priority populations to identify barriers to library access and use:
- Surveyed older adults
- Surveyed senior living facility staff
- Observed D34 meeting for families of students with disabilities
- Conducted a focus group with D34 families eligible for Title 1 support
- Reviewed LibraryIQ demographics data and community mapping
- Conducted a summer program survey for D34 families eligible for Title 1 support
- Evaluated student library card data and collaborated with D34 leadership to improve library card distribution and usage.
- Advanced teacher card outreach through direct engagement with school librarians, educators, and principals.
3-Year Targets:
Increase the number of households in Glenview with a library card to 70%.
2025 Progress: Increased to 65%.
Increase active library card users by 10%
2025 Progress: Increased by 1%.
Conduct at least 5 community research activities annually to gather feedback on barriers to access.
2025 Progress: Conducted 6.
Goal: Maximize existing assets to better meet patron needs
Making the most of our collections, spaces, and services ensures we deliver timely, relevant, and high-quality experiences that reflect how our community wants to use the Library.
Summary of Accomplishments
- Established methods to calculate hold times for new and popular print and digital materials.
- Completed a hold-time analysis study using New York Times bestseller data.
- Worked with vendors to improve processing efficiency.
- Used LibraryIQ to support collection analysis and identify circulation trends.
- Initiated large-scale picture book reclassification and face-out shelving work.
- Completed Youth Services Play Space and Lobby Cafe projects with minimal service disruption.
- Began planning second-floor study room project and collection moves.
3-Year Targets:
Reduce average hold times on new and popular materials
2025 Progress: Popular print titles reduced by 24.2 days and popular digital titles reduced by 20 days.
Increase circulation by 15% for the whole collection
2025 Progress: Decreased by 1.5%.
Note: 2025 included collection moves and reorganization that temporarily limited access to materials, impacting circulation.
Achieve 65% very satisfied ratings on the community survey by July 2027
2025 Progress: Achieved 87% on the annual check in survey.
Execute on space improvement plans to increase building visits by 5%
2025 Progress: Completed Youth Play Space and lobby renovations and increased building visits by 4%.
Goal: Improve opportunities for professional development and growth
Investing in staff growth builds a more knowledgeable, adaptable, and engaged team, directly improving service quality and the Library’s ability to evolve with community needs.
Summary of Accomplishments
- Integrated professional development conversations into staff performance evaluations to ensure all staff set at least one professional development goal.
- Conducted multiple staff focus groups on professional development needs and identified preferences for hands-on, in-person, team-based learning and increased cross-department exposure.
- Established next steps for structured training, including Staff Town Halls and manager training, and implementing a learning management system.
3-Year Targets:
Increase employee satisfaction levels for professional growth opportunities in the Library Capacity Survey by June 2027
2025 Progress: No increase.
Note: This year focused on gathering staff input and establishing a structured approach to professional development; these foundational steps position us for measurable improvements in the future.
Conduct annual staff check-ins to monitor progress on professional development
2025 Progress: Completed annual check-ins.
ENGAGE
Focus: Cultivate opportunities for social connections
Goal: Increase opportunities for people of varying abilities, ages, and backgrounds to build community
Creating opportunities for people to connect strengthens relationships, reduces isolation, and supports overall well-being across the Glenview community.
Summary of accomplishments
- Defined criteria for social connection programs and established a baseline for tracking attendance.
- Developed marketing and communications strategies to promote social connection initiatives.
- Created and implemented the following social connection programs to foster patron engagement and build community:
- Puzzle Table in the Library
- Monthly Genealogy Group Meetings
- Monthly Knit & Purl Crafting Group
- Monthly TED Talks Discussion Program Series
- Speed Friending Events
- Intergenerational BINGO Program
3-Year Targets:
Develop at least 5 new initiatives annually that center on social connections and relationship building among diverse groups
2025 Progress: Developed 6 new initiatives.
Achieve a year-over-year increase in attendance at social connection programs
2025 Progress: Achieved a 2% increase from 2024.
Goal: Promote a sense of belonging and support for all
When people feel welcomed, represented, and supported, they are more likely to participate in community life and build meaningful connections with others.
Summary of accomplishments
- Developed and launched the following patron accessibility and inclusivity initiatives:
- Established early open hours to offer more sensory-friendly experiences.
- Presented teen vocational programming for high school students with disabilities.
- Launched a Spanish-language webpage.
- Began partner programming with D34 to welcome families eligible for Title 1 support.
- Launched the “You Belong at GPL” promotional campaign.
- Presented sensory-friendly Family Movie.
- Hosted community partner presentations for staff on disability awareness and community resources.
- Developed internal human-centric communication guidelines and developed an AI tool to support inclusive program description writing.
3-Year Targets:
Educate 100% of staff on community needs and cultural awareness
2025 Progress: Hosted community partner presentations during Staff Training Day on disability awareness and community resources.
Implement 3 or more patron accessibility initiatives annually that make the library a more welcoming place for diverse users
2025 Progress: Implemented 6.
Goal: Work at all levels to improve interdepartmental collaboration, trust, and support
Strong internal collaboration leads to more consistent, efficient, and responsive service, ensuring staff can better support one another and the community.
Summary of accomplishments
- Conducted staff surveys and focus groups to assess communication and interdepartmental collaboration.
- Established an IT Liaison Group to improve communication between departments.
- Began regular cross-department meetings.
- Implemented changes to internal communication practices based on staff feedback.
3-Year Targets:
Increase employee satisfaction levels on interdepartmental collaboration in the Library Capacity Survey
2025 Progress: No increase.
Note: Initial efforts focused on assessing needs and implementing new communication structures; continued emphasis on consistency and follow-through is expected to strengthen collaboration over time.
Conduct annual interdepartmental check-ins to gather feedback on cooperation, trust, and support
2025 Progress: Completed.
INFORM
Focus: Address evolving information needs of the community
Goal: Provide tools to help navigate the changing landscape of information and technology
Helping people understand and use emerging technologies empowers them to make informed decisions and fully participate in everyday life.
Summary of accomplishments
- Formed a cross-department workgroup focused on emerging technology and information literacy.
- Defined emerging technology and information literacy for library use.
- Established 2024 baseline counts for technology-focused programming.
- Completed an environmental scan of AI and information literacy offerings.
- Created AI-related programming and web content.
- Began developing AI governance processes and draft policy.
3-Year Targets:
Achieve year-over-year increases in engagement with content and services related to emerging technologies and information literacy
2025 Progress: Achieved an 8.5% increase in emerging technology and information literacy programs and a 275% increase in content engagement.
Goal: Raise awareness of resources, structures, and systems available to our community
Increasing awareness of and connecting people to the right resources at the right time helps residents take full advantage of available community services and support.
Summary of accomplishments
- Defined “online” and “in-person” resource referrals for tracking purposes.
- Identified community resource gaps and developed a curated list of community resources.
- Launched a community resources referral webpage.
- Strengthened outreach for Spanish-language resources through school partnerships.
3-Year Targets:
Develop at least 5 new opportunities to share community information with patrons
2025 Progress: Launched a community resource referral webpage.
Track and increase online and in-person resource referrals
2025 Progress: Increased referrals by 443%.
Goal: Improve communications to keep staff informed and aligned in their work
Clear, consistent staff communication supports more coordinated and effective service, leading to better experiences for the community.
Summary of Accomplishments
- Documented all existing internal communication channels.
- Conducted a staff survey on communication needs and effectiveness.
- Replaced in-person Fast Fives with consistent daily email updates.
- Implemented a weekly Director update email for broader alignment.
- Began research into best practices for an improved SharePoint framework.
3-Year Targets:
Evaluate the effectiveness of current internal communication channels and implement new or improved processes based on staff feedback to achieve an increase in employee satisfaction levels in the Library Capacity Survey
2025 Progress: Implemented two improved internal communications processes based on staff feedback and increased staff satisfaction.
