Introduction

Whitman County Library is committed to you, our customer. Since our inception as a library district in 1945 we’ve worked hard to provide quality library service while meeting the challenges of a large geographical area and limited revenue. We’ve worked diligently to meet customer’s traditional library needs while keeping pace with rapidly changing technology and information resources.

As we begin the new millennium, the library will focus on improvement and growth. We’ll strive for excellence; excellence in service, excellence in product. To reach this goal, library administrators and board members have developed a plan - our vision for the future. This plan sets forth the library’s goals and the steps we’ll take to achieve them.

Our strategic plan reflects the priorities that exist today and anticipates the needs of tomorrow.

The future of the Whitman County Library looks extremely bright. Thanks to a dedicated and hard-working staff, committed administrators and a strong Board of Trustees, the library is well positioned to meet its goal of Excellence in the New Millennium.

Sincerely,

Kristie Kirkpatrick                                           Ronald B. Webster
Director,                                                          Chairman,
Whitman County Library                                  Whitman County Library Board of Trustees

Our mission:

The mission of the Whitman County Library System is to provide the highest level of public library service in the most efficient and cost effective manner to all residents in our service area in the safest and most healthy environment possible. It is our aim to stimulate the connections between people and ideas, to encourage literacy, and to enhance opportunities for self education and recreation

Belief Statement

Whitman County Library adheres to and believes in:

·  Quality public service:  Service that is reliable, confidential, competent, accessible, respectful, courteous, understanding and responsive

· Insure first amendment rights by protecting library materials from censorship

· Intellectual Freedom

· Equal access and opportunity through equitable and universal service for all customers regardless of origin, age, background, or views

· Respect for diversity in the community

· Stewardship of public funds: effective and accountable management of fiscal matters

· Providing books and other library resources for the interest, information, and enlightenment of all.

· Services and library materials based on the needs and desires of the community

· Informed citizens are the foundation of a democratic society

· Cooperation among libraries and strong relations with local agencies and organizations

· Basic literacy and information literacy as critical life skills in our ever-changing world.

· Encouraging employees who are enthusiastic and willing to serve

· Providing a public meeting place that is available on an equitable basis

Our Service Roles

Quality service to customers

            The library staff is dedicated to meeting the needs of our customers by offering the highest level of customer service.  We will work to meet and exceed our customers expectations.

Popular materials center

            The library system features current topics and tiles.  These are materials that are in high-demand and come in a variety of formats for all persons of all ages.  These materials are designed to meet the entertainment and recreational needs of our residents.

Children’s door to learning

            The library system encourages the development of reading and learning in young children through our services and materials, fostering curiosity and self-education as a way of life.  Providing a variety of programs for young children of all ages creates a foundation for lifelong learning and a sense of community while reading, learning and visiting the fun.

Access to information and community referral

            Our libraries provide timely, accurate, and useful information for our customers.  With technological advances, the information we are able to provide is vastly changing.  From consumer and government information to community history and referral,  the possibilities are limitless.

Centers for lifelong learning

            The library supports our resident’s ability to learn and grow throughout their lifetimes.  We provide access to materials, programs and other resources that will serve in the learning of our residents, from birth to death.

Goals and Objectives

Goal I : Quality customer service

Objective a: Employees will always serve the public in a courteous, competent, and confidential manner. This will be accomplished through an ongoing training program that focuses on customer service, computer competencies and basic reference. Library policies and procedures will be regularly reviewed.

Objective b: Strong efforts will be made to regulate the size of employee workloads. Overworked employees have difficulty providing quality customer service.

Objective c: Accurate and timely evaluation of staff to see that quality performances are regularly noted and problems are quickly remedied.

Objective d: Quality customer service will become our motto and our way of life. It will be our top priority - always.

Goal II : Popular materials center

Objective a: The majority of the library materials budget shall be allotted for items that are most popular with library customers. We’ll “give them what they want.”

Objective b: The library, its collections and services, shall be aggressively promoted throughout the county. To be a popular materials center, we need to be popular.

Objective c: The library will keep abreast of new and popular trends in reading and entertainment. Those deemed appropriate shall be added as part of our popular materials center.

Goal III : Children’s door to learning

Objective a: The library will offer quality children’s programs and materials. Instilling a love of libraries and reading inspires our youth to read for pleasure and education.

Objective b: The library will support the parent resource center and its goals. We will purchase quality material and support classes and programs that benefit parents and children throughout Whitman County.

Objective c: The library will host special events, programs and classes to benefit our youth. We’ll support events and activities that stimulate young minds and broaden horizons.

Objective d: Offer computer access so children of Whitman County have access equal to that of urban youth.

Objective e: Work closely with local school librarians and teachers to support the educational needs of our children and support the programs being taught.

Objective f: The library’s materials and services for children will be promoted aggressively so that all youth in Whitman County benefit.

Goal IV : Access to information and community referral

Objective a: Provide the community access to the new technologies that enable them to locate information. Keep abreast of changes in technology and apply those to the library district to facilitate our customer’s access to information.

Objective b: Develop and maintain adequate training for library staff who assist patrons in their search for information. Computer and reference training are vital to the staff who assist our customers.

Objective c: Continue to strengthen ties and collaborative efforts with other agencies. These relationships increase our effectiveness, conserve finances and improve our access to information and our ability to offer community referral.

Objective d: Search for the best method of serving our rural patrons. As technologies change, so may the way our patrons are best served. Build a library without walls.

Objective e: The library will provide a repository of local history and assist patrons in basic genealogy searches. New material will be added as it is made available. 

Goal V : Centers for lifelong learning

Objective a: Commitment to maintaining quality collections of large print books and audio materials. Keep abreast of materials or formats that serve our aging or disabled population.

Objective b: Where possible the district will offer access to satellite classes, educational and other public programs and will provide public meeting space. All of these are means of encouraging learning throughout one’s lifetime.

Objective c: The library will provide outreach services to those who cannot patronize the library due to physical difficulties.

Objective d: When possible, the library will offer classes, workshops and presentations that meet the needs of county residents.

Development of the strategic plan

During the past decade, Whitman County Library has suffered from a revolving door of directors in the top administrative position. Seven people have filled this position to lead the library through the 1990’s. Thanks to the dedication and hard work of library staff, Whitman County Library was able to provide decent library service during this turmoil. What they lacked was direction.

Keenly aware of the turmoil within the library, the Board of Trustees made the decision to hire a long time staff member as library director in 1998. This provided the library a much needed stability and allowed the district to begin planning for the future.

Thus began the process of strategic planning. Key to the planning process were the desires and opinions of Whitman County residents. Residents were polled in 1997 and again in 2000. Survey findings along with those of our ad-hoc funding committee were analyzed.  Results from a marketing study performed by students from Washington State University were studied. Staff surveys from 1997 and 2000 also contributed to the process. Also key to the process, were the findings of two published documents that help map the future of libraries. These are:

            Designing our future : a statewide plan for Washington Libraries

            Buildings, books, and bytes : libraries and communities in the digital age

Finally, the Whitman County Library Board of Trustees studied the findings and helped develop the district’s plan for the future, Excellence in the new millennium.

This plan was designed as a guide for the future. Our goal was to provide a flexible framework that gave us direction as well as room for modification and growth. To insure that the plan is implemented and regularly evaluated, annual review of the document will occur each spring. The Board of Trustees and library staff will review all aspects of the strategic plan. Goals and objectives for the previous year will be evaluated. Goals and objectives for the coming year will be formulated. In this way, we can insure that the library is working to meet our vision for the future.

The Whitman County Library strategic plan, Excellence in the new millennium was adopted by the Library Board of Trustees on May 3, 2000.