Indianapolis Public Library Releases 2021-2023 Strategic Plan
The Indianapolis Public Library is pleased to announce its 2021-2023 strategic plan, approved by The Indianapolis Public Library Board of Trustees, establishing key values and strategic priorities as The Library moves forward.
“As we come out of a challenging year, there is no better time to solidify The Library’s mission,” said Judge Jose Salinas, Library Board President. “Feedback from patrons, community partners, and staff members helped us cement our core values and objectives for serving the community. We hope to meet the needs of every neighborhood in our city as we strive to be a center of knowledge, community life, and innovation for everyone in Indianapolis.”
The updated organizational values are racial equity, adaptability, communication, diversity, and inclusiveness. The Library believes equity intersects with all of these values and aims to be mindful of how intersectional identities impact the lived experiences of community and staff members.
The strategic priorities include approaching all operations through a lens of racial equity while enriching relationships with community partners. The Library will focus on five key areas of literacy: digital/technology inclusion, health & wellness, supporting educators, reading and writing, and financial literacy.
Tangible changes that were implemented with these values and priorities in mind include enacting a fine-free policy, designating a specific portion of our annual collection budget to African American, Latinx, and LGBTQ+ materials, and delivering at least 600 technology and computer training sessions annually to alleviate the digital and technology divide. As part of The Library’s efforts around racial equity, IndyPL will utilize an adaptation of the Government Alliance on Race and Equity (GARE) Toolkit. This Toolkit will help IndyPL integrate explicit consideration of racial equity in decisions, including policies, practices, programs, and budgets. All IndyPL staff members will participate in racial equity training over the next three years to understand why racial equity is critical to every aspect of library service.
The Library is eager to open three new Branch Libraries, reaching new service areas in West Perry and Fort Ben, and moving the Glendale location into a standalone building. The Library will also launch the Digital Encyclopedia of Indianapolis later this year, a collaborative project with the city’s major heritage and cultural institutions and The Polis Center at IUPUI.
“It will take multiple organizations working together to build an equitable and inclusive city, and The Indianapolis Library serves as a key anchor institution for this work,” said Mayor Joe Hogsett, who spoke about the launch of IndyPL’s Strategic Plan at a press conference on Tuesday. “Through new partnerships and initiatives, digital tools, programming, and new locations, this plan positions The Library as an instrumental community asset in providing access to several important resources for Indy residents.”
Nytes will be available to listen to feedback throughout the month of May, making stops at each Library location for informal conversations with patrons about the strategic plan and to answer questions.
“The Library provides opportunity for all to enjoy programs, services, and of course books that enrich the mind and inspire learning at any stage of life,” said Jacqueline Nytes, CEO of The Indianapolis Public Library. “We hope our new locations, partnerships, digital tools, and collection items will meet the needs of Indy’s diverse communities.”
The Indianapolis Public Library’s 2021 - 2023 Strategic Plan is available online, or you can grab a copy at your nearest branch.