Manchester Public Library Unveils New Strategic Plan

The Manchester Public Library held an open house earlier this week to unveil their new strategic plan for the next three years.

Every public library in Iowa that undergoes the accreditation process every three years needs to have an up-to-date strategic plan – it provides them with a clear framework for making decisions and communicating their top priorities. The plan was developed over several months in collaboration with community members, the library board and staff.

Library Director Alison Hegland says their new mission is for the Manchester Public Library to serve as the center for community engagement, expression, wellness, communication and lifelong learning.

The focus group came up with three priorities:

1. Be the destination for artistic expression and community engagement.
2. Expand wellness opportunities.
3. Facilitate the development of a resource hub for the community.

From those priorities, the library board came up with several goals:

1. Provide seniors with a place to gather and learn together.
2. Provide everyone with opportunities to express themselves creatively.
3. Expand community knowledge of health and well-being issues and opportunities.
4. Collaborate with community partners to expand knowledge of resources within the community.

And from those goals, the library staff came up with several objectives:

1. Provide programming specifically for senior citizens
2. Update the library collection with items important to senior citizens
3. Provide visual and performance art programs for all ages
4. Update the library collection with items dealing with artist expression
5. Host a non-profit fair
6. Wellness programs for all ages
7. Update the library collection with items dealing with health and wellness topics
8. The Board of Trustees will develop a list of stakeholders to meet as a group and discuss the resources available.

The three-year plan runs through January 2028. During the previous fiscal year from July 2023 to June 2024, the Manchester Public Library offered 560 programs, which were attended by nearly 10,000 patrons. And while the circulation of physical items has lessened over the last few years, the circulation of digital items has gone up – with the number of public computer checkouts and use of public Wi-Fi also increasing.

photo and image courtesy of Manchester Public Library