TO: City Council
THROUGH: Steve Powers, City Manager
FROM: Chuck Bennett, Mayor
SUBJECT:
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Announcing Mayoral appointments to the Library Strategic Plan Steering Committee.
Ward(s): All Wards
Councilor(s): All Councilors
Neighborhood(s): All Neighborhoods
Result Area(s): Welcoming and Livable Community
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ISSUE:
Mayoral appointments to the Library Strategic Plan Steering Committee.
RECOMMENDATION:
recommendation
Information only
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SUMMARY:
The Steering Committee will guide the Library’s Strategic Planning project, serving as a sounding board at key milestones and decision points. The Steering Committee will meet to consider reports and a draft Library strategic plan for the next five years of Library service. Staff expects to bring the new strategic plan before the Council in the Fall of 2021.
To tap into the wealth of experience and background knowledge held by engaged citizens the Steering Committee is comprised of members of:
• Salem City Council
• Salem Public Library Advisory Board
• Salem Public Library Foundation
• Friends of Salem Public Library Board
• Teen Advisory Board
• Human Rights Commission
• Center 50+ Advisory Commission, and
• Salem Parks and Recreation Advisory Board
• Salem Library staff
The steering committee is expected to meet several times throughout the project. Committee meetings will be open to the public.
FACTS AND FINDINGS:
The Mayor has appointed:
• Salem City Councilor, Virginia Stapleton
• Library Advisory Board Chair, Lois Stark and Katherine Daniels, Vice Chair
• Salem Public Library Foundation Executive Director, Kate Van Ummersen
• Friends of Salem Public Library Board Chair, Carol Voeller
• Teen Advisory Board Social Co-Coordinator Cady McManus and Piper Martin, Teen Advisory Board Secretary
• Human Rights Commissioner, Mike Watters
• Center 50+ Advisory Commission, Sandy Kinney
• Salem Parks and Recreation Advisory Board member, Keith Norris.
• Salem Public Library Staff Librarian and Oregon Library Association EDI Task Force Co-chair, Alma Plasencia
BACKGROUND:
Funding for the Library’s Strategic Plan was approved in the FY 20-21 budget. In February 2021, a selection committee chose the strategic planning firm Coraggio Group to gather and synthesize information gathered from Library statistics and reports as well as stakeholder engagement and information gathering via community survey, 1 on 1 interviews, and focus groups. Library Advisory Board members have already begun doing research into Strategic Planning and Library staff have met with Coraggio to talk through timelines and share background information such as State Statistical reports.
The first session for the Steering Committee to meet will be a 3-hour Equity Lens Workshop for the project. According to the RFP response from Corragio “The purpose of this three-hour work session is to better understand SPL’s recent equity journey and to develop an equity-lens for the project. This equity-lens will serve the basis for our equity-centered strategic planning process and inform how we approach both stakeholder engagement and the development of the strategic plan. This equity-lens workshop will be co-facilitated alongside one of our existing diversity, equity, and inclusion collaborators. “
Coraggio will guide the Steering Committee and Library staff through three phases, Get Clear (data/information gathering and synthesis), Get Focused (sessions to delve into the data and create the plan) , Get Going (a running start at plan implementation.) The Steering Committee members will provide vital insights through all phases.
Attachments:
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