The Board approved the Library’s new 2022-2024 Strategic Plan at the March 7 Board meeting. You are invited to download a copy and/or follow our progress on the Dashboard.
The Library’s Vision statement, Mission statement, and Core values make up the foundation of this plan. While the Mission Statement was not changed, The Board and Committee developed a new Vision statement and Core Values. They are:
VISION: The Iola Public Library: A welcoming destination that inspires our community.
MISSION: The mission of the Iola Public Library is to provide resources, services, and programs to meet the informational, educational and recreational needs and interests of the people of the community. The staff strives to give people what they want when they come to the library.
Core Values: The Iola Public Library embraces these values:
- Serving the community – Service
- Engaging with families, teens and children – Engagement
- Being a welcoming place for all – Destination
- Supporting the needs of readers – Literacy
- Being a dynamic, fun place – Participation
- Being a trusted community partner – Collaboration
I would like to thank Jim Minges, minges & associates, for facilitating the development of this plan and for the assistance of the Iola Public Library Board, staff, and Planning Committee: Mary Ann Regehr, Marilyn Logan, Tim Stauffer, Matt Rehder, Marcia Davis, Melissa Frantz, and Lesa Cole.
During this process, Jim Minges spoke with key community stakeholders, met with the staff and the board, and facilitated a community forum to gather input and ideas from Iola citizens about the Library and its role in the community. We also polled the community with a Customer Survey and used that input to guide our discussions. The strategic plan will guide growth and development of the library during the next several years.
Specifically, these are the strategic directions and goals we hope to accomplish between now and December 2024:
- The Library as Destination:
Become the destination for the community. - Communications and Outreach:
Ensure that the community is aware of the library and its service offerings. - Building and Grounds:
Provide the community with an excellent and welcoming library facility. - Partnerships:
Become a hub to meet community needs. - Funding and Staffing:
Secure adequate funding for staff, services, and programs.
Funding for these efforts came from Humanities Kansas’ Sustaining the Humanities through the American Rescue Plan (SHARP) grant provided by the National Endowment for the Humanities (NEH). This grant was intended to assist cultural institutions affected by the coronavirus as part of the American Rescue Plan Act of 2021 (ARP) approved by the U.S. Congress and signed into law by President Joseph R. Biden. NEH is providing funds to Humanities Kansas specifically for redistribution as grants to cultural organizations in need in Kansas.
If you have any questions, want more information about an initiative, or would like to partner with the library, please contact me at the Library: Sharon Moreland, Director, 620-365-3262 or by email at smoreland [at] sekls.org.
This information can be found permanently on the About Us page.