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player ready...The La Grange Public Library will spend up to $17,577 on a consultant to help officials create a new strategic plan.
The library board hired Alabama-based Christiansen Consulting to assist them in the process at a cost not to exceed $17,577.
Executive director Jeannie Dilger said the board chose the firm, run by Harry Christiansen, because they believe he will be able to connect with patrons and the community to get their input about the library and how it operates.
“The board really liked the principal and his way of engaging people in conversation,” she said.
The new plan will be the library’s third strategic plan. The last plan was adopted in 2010.
The library will hold focus groups from 10 a.m. to 11:30 a.m. and from 7 to 8:30 p.m. Wednesday, May 18 and from 7 to 8:30 p.m. Thursday, May 19 at the library, 10 W. Cossitt Ave. It also will have a booth where feedback will be gathered from 10 a.m. to noon Thursday, May 19 at the La Grange Farmers Market, 53 S. La Grange Road.
Participants will be asked to give their opinions on the state of the library and to make recommendations.
Library officials also are asking people to respond to a community survey posted on the library website at lagrangelibrary.org.
Christiansen’s duties will including compiling the information gathered in the focus groups and from the survey, overseeing a two-day retreat in June where board members, staff and patrons will discuss the results, and writing the plan in August.
Dilger said the library has already received more responses than it expected to the community survey. It had set a goal of 400 and already has about 600, and welcomes more, she said. Besides being posted on the website, the survey was sent by email and the post office to randomly selected patrons.
The library also will study La Grange’s demographics, census information and its own statistics about how the library is being used.
The current plan outlined five objectives including to partner with other agencies and La Grange organizations to maximize resources, improve customer service and convenience, enrich collections and services, create awareness of the library and its services and provide a strong financial base to achieve the library’s mission and plans.
Board member Becky Spratford said some goals have been accomplished. For instance, to enhance convenience, the library put in place a self-hold area so patrons can pick-up their materials that are being held on their own, and instituted a self check-out kiosk.
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