In the last decade, demand for digital collections at Sewickley Public Library has grown by 600%, and the need for meeting spaces within the library has more than doubled with patrons utilizing technology offered at the library like SmartBoards and Meeting Owls.
Since its founding in 1873, the library has been dedicated to the mission of providing lifelong learning opportunities; but the landscape of informational access is rapidly evolving and with it, patrons’ needs.
The library has contracted The Ivy Group, Ltd. from Charlottesville, Va., to lead a collective strategic planning process to create visionary goals for how the library can best serve the community.
The teen department that welcomes young adults for after-school programs is located right next to its quiet study area where adults use computers and engage in quiet study and meetings. The first floor needs a redesign that will accommodate all the ways the library is growing and changing.
“Gone are the days of an entirely quiet library of transactional book checkouts. We are a space for collaborative learning and community engagement. We need spaces to suit all our needs: being quiet alone, quiet with others, loud alone, and loud while engaged together as a community,” says Ruth M. Neely, executive director. “There are so many opportunities for growth and change. We want to ask ourselves the right questions to create a unified vision for the community and a pathway for our library staff and leadership to execute that vision. I have confidence The Ivy Group will provide the framework for a dynamic and creative process that will yield a substantive result.”
In the weeks and months ahead, the library will share opportunities for patrons, donors, community members and partners to engage in a process that is expected to take four to seven months.
Founded by a teacher and a librarian in 1989, The Ivy Group is a privately held small business with 100% female ownership. They are members of the American Library Association and the Public Library Association. They have led more than 100 library projects across the country helping clients deliver responsive, aspirational services that foster positive change in their communities. Their truly collaborative approach begins with understanding a library’s mission and challenges creating insights they translate into tailored plans that enable a library and its community to shine. Their clients span the nation and include more than 100 academic, special and public libraries, as well as library agencies, state departments and support organizations.
In the meantime, the library is moving ahead with several building improvement projects, including reimagining its green space and creating a beautiful setting for outdoor learning, engagement and community gathering.
“We thank everyone for their patience during this transition as we create a more open and welcoming park-like experience,” says Neely. “We’re grateful to the Village Garden Club for their additional support until the long-term plan can be realized.”
Renovation to the Children’s Storytime room is also beginning soon thanks to support from The Friends of the Library. The room will be refreshed and enlarged bringing natural elements, accessible technology, and flexible furniture into a magical space that will encourage collaboration and peer interaction. The library expects the new Storytime room to reopen in February.
While Sewickley Public Library enjoys a cooperative relationship with the Carnegie Library of Pittsburgh and is part of the Allegheny County Library Association, it is otherwise independent — not part of a system and not a branch library. Donations to its annual fund are appreciated and continue to ensure its storied service as the oldest library in Allegheny County.
For more information or to donate, visit sewickleylibrary.org/donate.