Objectives/Action Items

• All staff is confident in their community engagement skills.
  • Created advocacy and engagement staff training documents to assist with expanding their knowledge of community engagement techniques.
• Staff and Friends of the Library groups work together to establish deeper community connections through advocacy practices promoting library programs, resources, and services.
  • Communicated and/or met with Friends of the Library groups across the district about building a strong advocacy foundation for TRL.
  • Created an advocacy and engagement playlist for staff on BizLibrary platform.
• Physical library buildings are welcoming, safe, and accessible.
• Library buildings are open at times most convenient for their communities.
  • Open Hours review completed, including patron input, and new Open Hours established.
• Mobile Services department created to reach communities farther from existing library buildings. Completed.
• Establish 3 new service points in highly populated, underserved communities.
  • Opened Olympia Westside demonstration location. Completed.
  • Plans are underway for a future demonstration location in Hawks Prairie (February 2022).
• Improve access to the internet in all library locations.
• Hold Community Conversations across our service area to gain a better understanding of the needs of our community members. Moved to 2023 due to COVID pandemic restrtictions.

Objectives/Action Items

• Staff training plan developed and executed. Completed.
• Ensure facilities, programs, and virtual content are accessible to people with disabilities.
  • Implemented closed captioning. The TRL Program Manual completed and includes EDI best practices and standards, introduced to staff for 2022 (and future) implementation.
• Hire EDI Manager to create long-term strategies to increase diversity internally and move TRL to be an inclusive and equitable organization for staff and patrons. Completed - Hired August 2021.
• Launch staff Mentorship Program geared towards promoting diversity and inclusion.
• Create Diversity Statement to be included in all Job Descriptions.
• Increase staff engagement around EDI issues through staff discussions and conversations.
• Promote EDI-related training for staff at varying levels.
• District Manager, EDI to actively participate in the intensive YWCA Training: “Commit to Anti Racism and Liberation in Our Community”.
• Develop and implement EDI strategies, aimed at ensuring that everyone shares the responsibility and opportunity for embracing TRL’s commitment to creating a more equitable, diverse and inclusive environment for our staff and patrons. Strategies will include key principles from the afore-mentioned program.
• Implement a 2022 Celebrations Calendar intended to promote diversity, inclusion, and cultural awareness. 

Objectives/Action Items

• Picture books are reorganized for young children to more easily locate topics of interest. Completed – Picture Book City established in every library.
• Staff is knowledgeable about and confident in early learning skills and services.
  • Completed. The Youth Services Learning Pathway and Early Learning Mentorship Program content created, currently uploading to online staff learning platform, and staff assignment to be scheduled throughout 2022 training schedule.
• Implement 1000 Books Before Kindergarten program to encourage the development of early literacy skills. In process. Restructured content to support intended age group and will launch in 2022 as Grow a Reader.
• Launch youth space and toy selection guides for staff planning to ensure youth spaces support the development of youth birth-5.
• Relaunch staff Early Learning Mentorship Program to ensure that new staff is knowledgeable and confident in providing library services to youth birth-5 and their caregivers.
• Launch the Birth-5 Community Engagement Initiative to learn what caregivers and youth-serving organizations need, which will support planning for future library services.
• Begin developing the Since Time Immemorial kits in collaboration with local tribal members in order to help young children learn more about Washington tribes.
• Launch Raise a Reader program to encourage early literacy development. 
• Develop the Birth-5 (Early Learning) TRL webpage to provide information and activities for caregivers and teachers.