STRATEGIC PLAN
COMMUNITY + CULTURE + EARLY LITERACY + SUSTAINABILITY
About This Plan
Red Hook Public Library’s 2025-2030 Strategic Plan framework includes four Culture priorities: , Community , Early . Literacy , and Sustainability
Community Engagement
Building off of Red Hook’s Community Needs Assessment, the Library’s strategic planning committee developed a survey to collect feedback, insights, and statistical data from users regarding various aspects of library offerings, including services, resources, facilities, and the overall experience of users. In addition, the committee assembled two focus groups in 2024. The goals of the interview were to identify potential collaborations, concerns or obstacles; assess limitations and challenges in the community; understand communication and involvement preferences; determine priorities; and recognize the expertise and unique perspectives of local social service providers and other community leaders.
CULTURE
Create a positive and welcoming environment that focuses on patron experience.
Objective 1.1 : Train all staff and Board in inclusive customer service and cultural competency to ensure all patrons feel welcome, respected, and supported regardless of background, ability, or age. Objective 1.2 : Enhance physical and digital Library spaces to be more accessible, comfortable, and adaptable to support a range of patron's needs. Objective 1.3 : Establish regular feedback channels for patrons to share their experiences and suggestions for improvements and commit to acting on feedback to continually evolve Library services.
COMMUNITY
Cultivate partnerships and community connections that strengthen the Library's ability to offer services and provides opportunities for community organizations, businesses, and individuals to connect with the Library and each other.
Objective 2.1: Establish partnerships with social service, education, and other hyper-local organizations to co-develop programs that address shared goals. Objective 2.2: Establish mobile library service to reach neighborhoods with limited access to Library resources, providing books, digital resources, and programs that promote literacy, learning, and connectivity.
EARLY LITERACY
Provide children from birth to five with programs and services designed to ensure that they will enter school ready to learn, read, write, and listen.
Objective 3.1: Collaborate with early childhood education organizations to offer joint programs, share resources, and provide outreach services.
Objective 3.2: Offer programs that include visual, auditory, and kinesthetic activities to engage children of all abilities, ensuring inclusive and effective learning opportunities for children with diverse needs. Objective 3.3: Provide workshops and resources for parents and caregivers on literacy techniques, reading at home, and developmental milestones to prepare all Red Hook children for Kindergarten.
SUSTAINABILITY
Prioritize decision-making that balances the triple bottom line of environmental concerns, social equity, and economic feasibility.
Objective 4.1: Develop a decision-making framework that assesses new programs, projects, and partnerships based on their environmental impact, social benefits, and economic feasibility. Objective 4.2: Adopt green practices in Library operations, including energy-efficient lighting, waste reduction, and environmentally friendly materials, to minimize the Library’s ecological footprint. Objective 4.3: Offer workshops, seminars, and resources focused on sustainability, environmental justice, and social equity to raise awareness and support patrons to make informed, responsible choices.
Short- and Long-Term Action Steps
|Objective 1.1: Train all staff and Board in inclusive customer service and cultural competency to ensure all patrons feel welcome, respected, and supported regardless of background, ability, or age.|Objective 1.1: Train all staff and Board in inclusive customer service and cultural competency to ensure all patrons feel welcome, respected, and supported regardless of background, ability, or age.| |---|---| |Short-term Action Step 1.1|Provide biannual training on best practices for serving historically marginalized patron groups.| |Long-Term Action Step 1.1|Provide biannual training on best practices for serving historically marginalized patron groups.| |1.2 Enhance physical and digital Library spaces to be more accessible, comfortable, and adaptable to support a range of patron's needs.|| |Short-term Action Step 1.2|Conduct an accessibility audit of both physical and digital spaces to identify current barriers for patrons with disabilities, sensory sensitivities, mobility challenges, and language needs.| |Long-Term Action Step 1.2|Regularly review and refine accessibility standards, incorporating community feedback, emerging technologies, and evolving best practices to ensure the library remains responsive and inclusive.| |1.3. Establish regular feedback channels for patrons to share their experiences and suggestions for improvements and commit to acting on feedback to continually evolve library services.|| |Short-term Action Step 1.3|Include highlights and community comments in the monthly director's report.| |Long-Term Action Step 1.3|The Board will build a culture of responsive service, where acting on patron input is institutionalized and visible.|
|2.1 Establish partnerships with social service, education, and other hyper- local organizations to co-develop programs that address shared goals.|2.1 Establish partnerships with social service, education, and other hyper- local organizations to co-develop programs that address shared goals.| |---|---| |Short-term Action Step 2.1|The Board will establish a community relations committee.| |Long-Term Action Step 2.1|The Board will expand the community relations committee to include a community member advisor.| |2.2 Establish mobile library service to reach neighborhoods with limited access to library resources, providing books, digital resources, and programs that promote literacy, learning, and connectivity.|| |Short-term Action Step 2.2|The Library will map service gaps to identify underserved neighborhoods, transportation barriers, and target populations.| |Long-Term Action Step 2.2|The Library will expand services based on feedback and demand.|
Short- and Long-Term Action Steps
|3.1 Collaborate with early childhood education organizations to offer joint programs, share resources, and provide outreach services.|3.1 Collaborate with early childhood education organizations to offer joint programs, share resources, and provide outreach services.| |---|---| |Short-term Action Step 3.1|Provide quarterly mobile story times.| |Long-Term Action Step 3.1|Connect with Northern Dutchess hospital to create early literacy resources for new parents.| |3.2 Offer programs that include visual, auditory, and kinesthetic activities to engage children of all abilities, ensuring inclusive and effective learning opportunities for children with diverse needs.|| |Short-term Action Step 3.2|Connect with Dutchess County's ThinkDifferently team to audit accessibility of children's programming.| |Long-Term Action Step 3.2|Expand services to offer sensory friendly programming for children.| |3.3 Provide workshops and resources for parents and caregivers on literacy techniques, reading at home, and developmental milestones to prepare all Red Hook children for Kindergarten.|| |Short-term Action Step 3.3|Form a kindergarten-readiness working group.| |Long-Term Action Step 3.3|Develop kindergarten-readiness programming and resources to ensure that every child enters school ready to read, learn and grow.|
|3.1 Collaborate with early childhood education organizations to offer joint programs, share resources, and provide outreach services.|3.1 Collaborate with early childhood education organizations to offer joint programs, share resources, and provide outreach services.| |---|---| |Short-term Action Step 3.1|Provide quarterly mobile story times.| |Long-Term Action Step 3.1|Connect with Northern Dutchess hospital to create early literacy resources for new parents.| |3.2 Offer programs that include visual, auditory, and kinesthetic activities to engage children of all abilities, ensuring inclusive and effective learning opportunities for children with diverse needs.|| |Short-term Action Step 3.2|Connect with Dutchess County's ThinkDifferently team to audit accessibility of children's programming.| |Long-Term Action Step 3.2|Expand services to offer sensory friendly programming for children.| |3.3 Provide workshops and resources for parents and caregivers on literacy techniques, reading at home, and developmental milestones to prepare all Red Hook children for Kindergarten.|| |Short-term Action Step 3.3|Form a kindergarten-readiness working group.| |Long-Term Action Step 3.3|Develop kindergarten-readiness programming and resources to ensure that every child enters school ready to read, learn and grow.|
|3.1 Collaborate with early childhood education organizations to offer joint programs, share resources, and provide outreach services.|3.1 Collaborate with early childhood education organizations to offer joint programs, share resources, and provide outreach services.| |---|---| |Short-term Action Step 3.1|Provide quarterly mobile story times.| |Long-Term Action Step 3.1|Connect with Northern Dutchess hospital to create early literacy resources for new parents.| |3.2 Offer programs that include visual, auditory, and kinesthetic activities to engage children of all abilities, ensuring inclusive and effective learning opportunities for children with diverse needs.|| |Short-term Action Step 3.2|Connect with Dutchess County's ThinkDifferently team to audit accessibility of children's programming.| |Long-Term Action Step 3.2|Expand services to offer sensory friendly programming for children.| |3.3 Provide workshops and resources for parents and caregivers on literacy techniques, reading at home, and developmental milestones to prepare all Red Hook children for Kindergarten.|| |Short-term Action Step 3.3|Form a kindergarten-readiness working group.| |Long-Term Action Step 3.3|Develop kindergarten-readiness programming and resources to ensure that every child enters school ready to read, learn and grow.|
|4.1 Develop a decision-making framework that assesses new programs, projects, and partnerships based on their environmental impact, social benefits, and economic feasibility.|4.1 Develop a decision-making framework that assesses new programs, projects, and partnerships based on their environmental impact, social benefits, and economic feasibility.| |---|---| |Short-term Action Step 3.1|Adopt the sustainability policies as outlined in the Sustainable Library Certification initiative.| |Long-Term Action Step 3.1|Implement the Sustainable Library Certification Initiative decision-making framework.| |4.2 Adopt green practices in library operations, including energy-efficient lighting, waste reduction, and environmentally friendly materials, to minimize the library’s ecological footprint.|| |Short-term Action Step 3.2|Update facilities plan with a sustainable lens.| |Long-Term Action Step 3.2|Establish an annual sustainable audit of Library facilities.| |4.3 Offer workshops, seminars, and resources focused on sustainability, environmental justice, and social equity to raise awareness and support patrons to make informed, responsible choices.|| |Short-term Action Step 3.3|Update all event pages and resource guides for our sustainable- based programming to include a section on environmental justice and social equity.| |Long-Term Action Step 3.3|Establish partnerships with both Town and Village to increase awareness and generate support for their climate smart initiatives.|
|4.1 Develop a decision-making framework that assesses new programs, projects, and partnerships based on their environmental impact, social benefits, and economic feasibility.|4.1 Develop a decision-making framework that assesses new programs, projects, and partnerships based on their environmental impact, social benefits, and economic feasibility.| |---|---| |Short-term Action Step 3.1|Adopt the sustainability policies as outlined in the Sustainable Library Certification initiative.| |Long-Term Action Step 3.1|Implement the Sustainable Library Certification Initiative decision-making framework.| |4.2 Adopt green practices in library operations, including energy-efficient lighting, waste reduction, and environmentally friendly materials, to minimize the library’s ecological footprint.|| |Short-term Action Step 3.2|Update facilities plan with a sustainable lens.| |Long-Term Action Step 3.2|Establish an annual sustainable audit of Library facilities.| |4.3 Offer workshops, seminars, and resources focused on sustainability, environmental justice, and social equity to raise awareness and support patrons to make informed, responsible choices.|| |Short-term Action Step 3.3|Update all event pages and resource guides for our sustainable- based programming to include a section on environmental justice and social equity.| |Long-Term Action Step 3.3|Establish partnerships with both Town and Village to increase awareness and generate support for their climate smart initiatives.|