Increasing our presence in under-served communities.
Creating opportunities for intergenerational connection.
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.
Equity, Diversity,
and Inclusion
Reaching those with disabilities and other access barriers.
Reflecting under-represented groups in our collections, staff, and services.
Partner with local agencies and organizations to support diverse communities.
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.
Children from
Birth to Five
Providing appealing spaces and engaging experiences.
Clarifying what they need and how to provide for those needs.
Empowering them to build relationships with the library and within their communities.
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.
BORROW
Assistive Devices
eBooks and Books
Movies
Audiobooks
DISCOVER
Legal Forms
Auto Repair
Homework Help
History & Genealogy
PARTICIPATE
Storytimes
Book Groups
Arts & Crafts
Meeting Space
CONNECT
Wifi
Printing
Computers
Job Search
We will continue to offer our traditional library services at our physical locations.
The Timberland Regional Library Strategic Direction for 2020-2024 was developed through community and staff participation with our Board of Trustees strategic planning committee. The Board of Trustees voted at their July 28, 2021 meeting to extend the Strategic Direction through 2024. Learn more about our Strategic Planning process.