Read. Learn. Create. Deliver. TORONTO PUBLIC LIBRARY STRATEGIC PLAN 2012–2015 Read. Learn. Create. Deliver. TORONTO PUBLIC LIBRARY STRATEGIC PLAN 2012–2015 TORONTO PUBLIC LIBRARY TABLE OF CONTENTS Board Members Councillor Paul Ainslie Ms. Lindsay Colley Councillor Janet Davis Councillor Sarah Doucette (Mayor’s Designate) Mr. Michael Foderick (Chair) Mr. Kevin McGuire Mr. Cameron Mackay Councillor Cesar Palacio Mr. Ross Parry Councillor Jaye Robinson (Vice Chair) Executive Summary ................................................................ 6 Mr. Kenneth Stewart Ms. Andrea Tagalakis Vision. Mission. Values. .......................................................... 8 Mr. Benjamin Wulffhart Senior Staff Priority Areas and Goals ....................................................... 10 Jane Pyper, City Librarian Anne Bailey, Director, Branch Libraries 1. Context and Trends .............................................................. 12 Vickery Bowles, Director, 1.1 Social and Demographic Trends ....................................................12 Collections Management & City-Wide Services 1.2 Education and Literacy Trends .......................................................13 Ron Dyck, Director, 1.3 Lifelong Learning Trends ...............................................................16 Information Technology 1.4 Technology Trends ..........................................................................19 & Facilities Linda Hazzan, Director, 1.5 Economic Trends ............................................................................21 Communications, Programming & Customer Engagement 2. Priority Areas and Goals ...................................................... 24 Larry Hughsam, Director, Grow a City of Readers ...........................................................................24 Finance & Treasurer Develop a City of Learners .....................................................................28 Dan Keon, Director, Human Resources Catalyze and Connect a City of Innovators, Linda Mackenzie, Director, Entrepreneurs and Creators ...................................................................30 Research & Reference Libraries Deliver Excellent Library Service to Torontonians Katherine Palmer, Director, Efficiently and Effectively .......................................................................34 Policy, Planning & E-Service Delivery Toronto Public Library Foundation Heather Rumball, President Appendix A: Library Services and Trends ................................. 38 3.1 Collections .............................................................................................38 3.2 Information Services ............................................................................39 3.3 Access to Computers, Wireless and Other Technology .....................40 3.4 Programs ...............................................................................................41 3.5 Branch Network and Service Delivery ................................................42 3.6 Operations and Funding .....................................................................46 3.7 Toronto Public Library Foundation ......................................................49 Appendix B: Public Consultation Process .................................. 50 Grow a City of Readers .................................................................................51 Develop a City of Learners ...........................................................................52 Catalyze and Connect a City of Innovators, Entrepreneurs and Creators ........................................................................53 Deliver Excellent Library Service to Torontonians Efficiently and Effectively .............................................................................54 Strategic Plan Consultation Process .............................................................55 All Strategic Plan Consultation Participants ................................................56 End Notes ................................................................................... 57 EXECUTIVE SUMMARY Read. Learn. Create. Deliver. Toronto Public Library will be recognized as the world’s leading library by informing and inspiring Toronto and its communities, making us all more resilient, more knowledgeable, more connected and more successful. TORONTO PUBLIC LIBRARY’S Strategic Plan of residents’ needs and priorities for library 2012-2015 is the library’s fourth strate- service now and in the future. gic plan and it was developed through Libraries are busy places where people an extensive public consultation process, of all ages and backgrounds come to read, under the leadership and oversight of the study, borrow materials, and use Wi-Fi and Toronto Public Library Board. The plan de- public computers with Internet access. They scribes how Toronto Public Library services are neighbourhood hubs, offering safe and will contribute to and enrich the economic, welcoming places in the community for all social and cultural life of Toronto. ages, but especially for children and youth. The strategic plan identifies priorities for Services are provided through a network library services that are responsive, innova- of neighbourhood, district and research tive, efficient and sustainable.B alancing and reference branches. City-wide services current unmet demands with future needs, include mobile library services, bookmobile the plan will be used as a framework for de- and deposit collection services. The library’s cision making, supporting the management online resources further extend access to and administration of library services. It also collections and services. supports development of capital and oper- In 2012, there were 19 million visits to the ating budgets based on an understanding library’s 98 branches. Over 32 million items On a typical day there are: • almost 60,000 visits to Toronto Public Library branches and • 50,000 visits to the Toronto Public Library website. 6 Read. Learn. Create. Deliver. Toronto Public Library Strategic Plan 2012–2015 torontopubliclibrary.ca/theplan were borrowed and there were 26 million research firm, The Strategic Counsel, to con- virtual visits to the library’s website. duct a survey of Torontonians to understand To develop the plan, the library undertook their awareness and usage of and priorities extensive research, including an environ- for library service. See Appendix B for more mental scan which analyzed demographic, details about the consultation process economic, political and social trends in To- The Toronto Public Library Board recog- Approval, ronto and across Canada. An internal scan nized the importance of building on the Measurement and considered current services, usage trends achievements of the library’s Strategic Plan Accountability and best practices in libraries and other or- 2008-2011 and identified strategic areas for Key performance ganizations. continued focus in the new plan. These ar- indicators and The environmental scan also identified key eas include focused service development for annual reports are strategies of the City of Toronto, the Prov- children (6-12 years), enhanced services for developed and ince of Ontario and other service providers older adults and seniors, continued expan- tracked each year to determine how the library can align with sion of self-service features online and in and new measures these organizations and work in partnership branches, and the integration of new tech- will be introduced to achieve common goals. nologies into library service delivery. through this new As a result of this process, staff developed The draft priority areas and goals were plan. draft priority areas and goals which were then refined, incorporating the results of used as a framework for community con- consultation. The Strategic Plan 2012-2015 Key Performance sultation to understand residents’ needs and was approved by the Board at its meeting on Indicators include: priorities for library service, both now and in November 29, 2012. • Activity (use) per the future. The library’s vision, mission and The plan outlines four priority areas and capita service values were also reviewed. 15 goals for service development and part- Input was sought from community part- nership development to leverage resources • Cost per capita ners, agencies, school boards and other and improve services. Key partners include • Cost per use education partners, from the mayor and city the City of Toronto, community and cultur- • Library users as a councillors, and from City and library staff. al agencies, the education sector and the percentage of the In 2012, more than 2,000 residents par- Toronto Public Library Foundation. To en- population ticipated in the consultation process, which sure accountability, annual work plans and • Percentage included in-branch and online surveys, 49 reports with achievements related to the of residents consultation sessions, 15 blog posts, and strategic plan are reported to the Library reporting high four Twitter chats. In addition, Toronto Pub- Board annually and are made available on satisfaction with lic Library engaged a third-party market the library’s website. library services Who uses the Library: • 72% of Torontonians used the Library in 2012 • one in six visited at least once a week. torontopubliclibrary.ca/theplan Toronto Public Library Strategic Plan 2012–2015 Read. Learn. Create. Deliver. 7 VISION. MISSION. VALUES. The Vision Toronto Public Library will be recognized as the world’s