A new long-range plan for the Choctaw County Library System (CCLS) has been approved and will move forward with implementation beginning this October. The planning process helped yield the strategic plan for the library that will expand services, offerings, and programming through September 2027.
A federal grant secured by the CCLS from the Mississippi Library Commission funded the seven-month long project of community needs assessment and creation of a plan to meet those needs. The formal strategic plan gained approval from the CCLS board in May.
“The library is part of the heart of Choctaw County, and this long-range plan will be the framework to help our library evolve and best serve citizens and our community,” said Cristin Chandler, library system director. “We are excited to launch certain aspects of it beginning with our new operating year in October.”
All Choctaw County residents were invited to become involved in the strategic planning process. Mail surveys and focus group meetings garnered voluntary participation from community leaders and residents of Ackerman, French Camp, and Weir earlier this year with some 100 residents as participants. The strategic planning process was led by Louisa Whitfield-Smith, a library consultant from Jackson with more than a decade of experience developing best practices at public libraries and two decades in community engagement.
“We were very pleased with turnout and discussions at the focus group level,” said Chandler. “We appreciated everyone’s ideas, opinions, and suggestions, and we believe we can improve our library for all people we serve.”
The new strategic plan encompasses three primary goals, the guidelines to achieve the goals, and the eventual measures of the success of the goals. They are:
Goal I: Promote lifelong learning through programming geared to all ages from adults to teens to children.
Forty-one percent of community participants requested adult programming and classes. To meet this need, CCLS will launch educational adult programming throughout the year at both library branches that addresses workforce-readiness skills like computer skills, resumé writing, and GED prep. CCLS will also expand adult social and recreational programming with at least 12 new programs annually geared toward adults.
Fifteen percent of community participants listed library programs as their preferred favorite. In response, CCLS will develop and launch new quarterly teen programs and continue popular children’s programs on multiple days a week with an expected 5% attendance growth yearly.
Goal 2: Expand access to CCLS services for all county residents, regardless of age, race, geography or disability.
Participants cited lack of community knowledge of library events. In response, CCLS will market new library card signups, increased program attendance, and digital collections use. The library seeks to increase cardholders by 5% yearly (ultimately seeking 40% of all county residents registered in five years) and increase digital circulation by 15% yearly. A new website will better highlight ongoing activities and online resources and increase online visits by 25% within two years.
Ten percent of community participants desire a bookmobile and/or expanded outreach. In particular, 60% of French Camp participants want expanded access, though this service or services for the homebound, which was also requested at Ackerman and Weir. CCLS will instead implement a pilot project for communities and households beyond current branches, seeking a more economical way to deliver books and materials to homebound residents and smaller communities. A “Pick up/Drop off” distribution site will be initiated in French Camp, the county’s next largest community. At least 20 participants and a 6-month patron satisfaction survey of at least 80% satisfaction are benchmarks to determine if CCLS can provide additional community partner distribution sites and expand the pilot project for outreach collections.
Twenty-one percent of participants request the library be more accessible with longer or adjusted hours. Data gathered will guide hours. Evening hours once a week at Ackerman will be added, and Weir hours will be redistributed. These hours will be advertised and hopefully yield a 20% increase in patron visits yearly.
Goal 3: Increase CCLS capacity to become better equipped to serve the people of Choctaw County.
This goal targets staff training development based on strategic plan goals in order to best carry out Goals 1 and 2. Additionally, a policy review process will identify, create, and board-approve new policies for implementation. Finally, the library board and staff will work with Friends of the Library and community partners to grow volunteer participation in programming and outreach collections by 5% yearly.
“We believe these three long-range goals and accompanying strategies will not only sustain our library for the future but will truly enable growth for longevity,” said Chandler.
For any questions regarding the library’s long-range plan, contact Chandler at (662) 285-6348 or email her at choctawcountylibrary@gmail.com. The library is available on Facebook@ChoctwCountyLibrarySystem.
