Strategic Plan
Objectives for Year Two of the Library's Strategic Plan
Objective: Reimagine the Central Library
Project Leads: Director / Assistant Director, Customer Experience
Key deliverables and responsibilities:
Comprehensive data review
Collect and analyze data related to all aspects of library including distribution of staff time and patron use, such as time spent on the public floor and engagement with identified communities of interest.
Lead: Assistant Director, Technology & Strategic Direction / Central Library Manager
Deliverable: Report on summary findings and recommendations (FY26)
Deferred maintenance cost assessment
Collaborate with Facilities and Real Estate Management (FRM) to identify and quantify the costs associated with deferred maintenance at the Central Library.
Lead: Assistant Director, Operations
Deliverable: Cost assessment report (FY26)
Small scale capital renovation plan and ongoing implementation
Identify, prioritize, and begin implementation of small-scale improvement projects aimed at enhancing safety, security, and overall visitor experience.
Leads: Assistant Director, Customer Experience / Assistant Director, Operations / Central Library Manager
Deliverable: Prioritization and implementation plan (FY26)
Collocation opportunities
Investigate potential partnerships and collocation opportunities with external organizations.
Lead: Director
Deliverable: Ongoing briefings with City of Dallas leadership
Strategic goal alignment:
Reduce Barriers to Access
Provide Inspiring and Welcoming Facilities
Make Community Connections
Communicate the Library’s Value
Create Opportunities for Learning and Discovery
Objective: Implement a Regional Service Model
Project Leads: Director / Assistant Director, Customer Experience
Key deliverables and responsibilities:
Development of evaluation model
Design a comprehensive assessment framework incorporating traditional library metrics, demographic analysis, and facility data to generate regional model recommendations.
Lead: Assistant Director, Technology & Strategic Direction
Deliverable: Recommendations (FY26 Q1)
Community engagement strategy
Facilitate stakeholder input sessions to gather feedback on library usage and inform the regional model.
Lead: Library Executive Team
Deliverable: Meetings with MLB, Friends, and other stakeholder groups (FY26 Q2)
Definition of public service offerings and staffing model
Establish baseline service expectations for regional hubs and branches, including hours of operation, programming standards, and outreach targets. Develop a detailed transition plan for staff whose positions may be impacted by structural changes.
Lead: Assistant Director, Customer Experience
Deliverables: Updated organizational chart and expectations for offerings at different types of branches. (FY26 Q3)
Deferred maintenance cost assessment
Collaborate with Facilities and Real Estate Management (FRM) to identify and quantify the costs associated with deferred maintenance.
Lead: Assistant Director, Operations
Deliverables: Summary of outstanding maintenance costs (FY27)
Capital improvement and small-scale renovation plan
Identify and prioritize small-scale improvement projects aimed at enhancing safety, security, and overall visitor experience. Determine buildings prioritized for next bond opportunities and capital improvements.
Leads: Assistant Director, Operations / Facilities Manager / Assistant Director, Customer Experience
Deliverable: Furniture, Fixtures, and Equipment Plan and priorities for future bonds (FY27)
Green space partnerships and projects
Identify and prioritize available library-owned green space improvement opportunities. Leverage partnerships with city and non-profit organizations to develop pocket parks and tree planting.
Lead: Assistant Director, Operations (FY27)
Strategic goal alignment:
Reduce Barriers to Access
Provide Inspiring and Welcoming Facilities
Make Community Connections
Communicate the Library’s Value
Objective: Enhance Safety Across Library Locations
Project Leads: Assistant Director, Customer Experience / Assistant Director, Operations
Key deliverables and responsibilities:
Incident reporting system revision
Update incident report templates and protocols to ensure consistent documentation to improve response to and use of data.
Lead: Assistant Director, Customer Experience
Deliverable: Revised incident reports and guidelines for tracking, responding, and reporting (FY26)
Code of conduct and suspension continuum review
Update the Library’s Code of Conduct to ensure clear guidelines that enhance safety. Refine the suspension continuum matrix to align with revised conduct policies. Collaborate with the City Attorney’s Office to ensure that all policy documents are legally sound and provide necessary protection for staff and the City of Dallas.
Lead: Assistant Director, Customer Experience / Assistant Director, Operations
Deliverable: Updated Code of conduct documents and City Attorney Office approvals (FY26)
Security staffing implementation
Deploy enhanced security staffing based on FY26 budget allocations, ensuring coverage aligns with identified facility needs in collaboration with city security forces.
Leads: Assistant Director, Operations / Assistant Director, Customer Experience
Deliverable: Updated security assignments and post orders (FY26)
Strategic goal alignment:
Provide Inspiring and Welcoming Facilities
Develop Future-Ready Staff
Reduce Barriers to Access
Objective: Provide data-driven, community responsive programming
Project Leads: Assistant Director, Customer Experience
Key deliverables and responsibilities:
Create priority programming
Develop coherent communities of interest that align with the needs and interests of the residents of Dallas to create cross-unit working groups and expectations.
Lead: Programs and Partnerships Manager / Assistant Director, Customer Experience
Deliverables: Data-supported identification of user groups and implementation of priorities (FY26)
Create and implement vision for youth services
Strengthen programs for children and families with emphasis on educational outcomes and closing the opportunity gap for Dallas’ youth.
Lead: Programs and Partnerships Manager / Youth Services Manager
Deliverables: 3-year plan for strengthening and growing programs, services and outreach for children and youth (FY26)
Vision for Central library programming
Develop unified vision and plan for programming delivered by staff and partnerships based at the Central Library.
Lead: Central Library Manager / Programs and Partnerships Manager
Deliverables: 3-year plan for strengthening and growing programs, services and outreach for communities of interest served by the Central Library (FY26)
Strategic goal alignment:
Create Opportunities for Learning and Discovery
Make Community Connections
Communicate the Library’s Value
Objective: Right-size the collection for the needs of the community
Project Leads: Assistant Director, Technology & Strategic Direction
Key deliverables and responsibilities:
Reduce shelving space across the system
Evaluate physical materials needs and shelving capacity to identify locations where shelving could be reduced to free up community space.
Lead: Assistant Director, Technology & Strategic Direction
Deliverable: Identify locations where shelving could be reduced (FY26)
Develop long-term, data-driven spending model for physical vs. e-material
Develop purpose statements for physical branch and Central unit collections, study usage trends, and develop a plan to balance neighborhood need and collection usage.
Lead: Assistant Director, Technology & Strategic Direction / Collections Manager
Deliverable: 5 year spending plan (FY27)
Develop plan for sunsetting of material type
Identify collection types that are becoming obsolete and work to open community space by reducing special material shelving.
Lead: Collections Manager
Deliverable: Reduce types of materials collected and shelving (FY26)
Increase access to collection materials
Explore methods for delivering access to Library materials through innovative technologies. Develop system-wide plan to address language access for library materials.
Lead: Assistant Director, Technology & Strategic Direction / Collections Manager
Deliverable: Recommendations on opportunities for technology-driven materials access and world language materials plan (FY26)
Strategic goal alignment:
Cultivate a Vibrant Materials Collection
Provide Inspiring and Welcoming Facilities
Reduce Barriers to Access