DonateMission
The Library is a vital resource. We create opportunities for lifelong learning, meaningful connection, and discovery for all. We offer outstanding collections and services to meet the evolving interests and needs of the Arlington community.
Vision
The Library is a trusted resource that empowers community members of all ages to learn, thrive, and create a vibrant Arlington.
Read the full Strategic Plan
Strategic Plan, 2022 – 2026
Goals + Strategies
GOAL 1: Ensure Programs and Collections Evolve to Better Meet Residents’ Needs
STRATEGIES:
a) Diversify and expand program offerings for teens, tweens, and adults, including exploring options for intergenerational or family events
b) Expand co-creation of programs and events, using community expertise and partner resources more fully
c) Reevaluate and balance physical and digital/downloadable collections, in keeping with sustained and projected usage trends
d) Expand nontraditional collection offerings at both branches, with acquisitions responsive to current and emerging needs within the community
e) Take a leadership role in the community to offer services and resources that spark conversation and critical thinking around issues facing Arlington
GOAL 2: Increase Library Access for and Use by All Community Members
STRATEGIES:
a) Regularly reevaluate and where possible expand hours of operation – with specific attention to weekends, Thursdays, and Fox Branch Library
b) Review current program and event offerings to ensure they are available at varied times for working families and other target audiences
c) Develop and implement a marketing plan, with a focus on increasing use and awareness among underserved audiences and non-users
d) Direct additional staff time to targeted outreach efforts toward underserved populations
e) Work towards broader representation of marginalized populations among library staff, leadership and support groups
f) Provide diversity and inclusion training to foster a more welcoming environment
g) Partner with the Arlington Public Schools to increase the number of schoolchildren with library cards and expand use of library services by children
h) Explore and advocate for community options addressing challenging parking and transportation issues, to promote more equitable Library access for all residents
i) Further grow the resources and accessibility of the website as the Library’s third branch
GOAL 3: Transform Library Spaces to Improve Services and Better Meet Residents’ Needs
STRATEGIES:
a) Develop an action plan for incremental and long-term physical upgrades at both libraries to better serve and support people of all abilities and build towards the “Reimagining Our Libraries” vision, as resources allow
b) Revisit strategic questions regarding the “Reimagining Our Libraries” plan for new construction at Fox and an addition at Robbins to ensure that all investments are attuned to the community’s forecasted needs
c) Promote all capital projects, and work with library support groups to advance these initiatives through community connections and advocacy
Community Survey Summary
As part of the community engagement phase of the planning process, an online and print questionnaire was administered in June-July 2021. Read the summary
Land Acknowledgement
We acknowledge that the Town of Arlington is located on the ancestral lands of the Massachusett Tribe, the tribe of Indigenous peoples from whom the Colony, Province, and Commonwealth have taken their names. We pay our respects to the ancestral bloodline of the Massachusett Tribe and their descendants who still inhabit historic Massachusett territories today.