Issue link: https://lpl.uberflip.com/i/812631
P L A N O F S E R V I C E 2 0 1 7 - 2 0 2 1 Welcome Vic Mensch Board Chair The board of the Lethbridge Public Library has been engaged in the strategic planning process for a number of months. The staff, under the leadership of CEO, Terra Plato, have been collec ng and organizing informa on for the board, and have been ac vely engaged in discussions with the board to project what library service will be focused on for the next five years. It is important for the LPL board that the library be the main source of informa on for Lethbridge residents. Over the past years the library has focused on taking an innova ve approach to library service by developing partnerships with a number of different organiza ons within the city. It is essen al to maintain and improve our primary partnerships with the City of Lethbridge as well as Chinook Arch Regional System as well as expanding other partnerships. Society's needs are constantly changing and the library needs to adapt to these changes which means an increasing focus on innova ve thinking. The strategic planning process is designed to provide a road map for the library staff. Because there is always a degree of uncertainty in our world, strategic road mapping helps to manage that uncertainty, giving goals to work towards. Built into the strategic plan is an assessment plan assis ng in collec ng informa on about the effec veness of the strategic plan and the ini a ves. It is important that the library has a strategic plan enabling the CEO and senior managers to iden fy the most valuable opportuni es for innova on and make the right decisions about where to invest me, money, and other resources. Projec ng library service with a five year window to the future means that board and staff need to draw informed conclusions about the impact different changes will bring to the community; changes in the present technology as well societal changes and changing economic reali es in our province. It is important to consider what the best- prac ces are in the delivery of library service in order to best serve our community. There is a constant need to understand the needs of the community, to constantly be vigilant in what services to provide for our patrons, and to be nimble enough to adapt when circumstances dictate the necessity of a change. The strategic planning process has been a valuable exercise for the board; we are grateful to Terra Plato and her staff who have provided all the important and relevant data for the board to be able to make good strategic decisions. The Lethbridge Public Library is well-posi oned to move into the next five years of library service to provide high quality library service to the Lethbridge community. My thanks to the board and staff for a job well-done!