Ames Public Library Strategic Plan
Today is 5/21/2013
The Agora of Our Community
The mission of the Ames Public Library is simple: We Connect You to the World of Ideas. Our public library connects people, through a variety of media, to vital information as well as the creative output of writers and artists who have given us inspiring literature, music and motion picture arts. Our library is a living space where people come together to experience the world of ideas not only through books but also through program presentations and group discussions. The ancient Greeks called such a community place an agora.
The strategic plan will guide our agora for the next three years. In a world full of rapidly developing technologies and ever-changing lifestyles, three years is our most realistic view of the future. This strategic plan lays the groundwork for future development of our library facility that is currently regarded as inadequate for the amount of activity Ames demands of its public library. In companion to this strategic plan, we have contracted with Library Planning Associates to determine what kind of facility should serve Ames for the next twenty to thirty years.
Our plan is based on community priorities, as expressed by leading Ames residents at community sessions held this past February, 2007. We have listed our goals within the text based on priorities as being primary, support or maintenance.
The format of the strategic plan may seem unique. It is formatted so it can be incorporated into our work flow, giving us a constant “to do”
list and a yardstick for the measurement of success. We state each
goal followed by the activities that will help us achieve that goal. Our “measures for success” set our standards for continued excellence. It
is our intent to maintain our reputation as Iowa’s most active public
library and community space, an agora that connects people to the
world of ideas.
Art Weeks, Director
