Sewickley Public Library officials are seeking the community’s input for a broad strategic plan that will help shape the future of patrons and staff at 500 Thorn St.
They are launching a community survey through May 12.
Everyone is welcome to take part in the free online survey.
Executive Director Ruth Neely said she wants to hear both from people who do and do not currently use the library.
“We’re very intentionally calling it a community survey and not a library survey because we want everybody to fill it out,” Neely said. “Whether it’s somebody who uses the library every single day or somebody who lives in the region but has never stepped foot in the library. We want to hear from everybody.
“Our goal is to learn about what services we might be able to offer. Where we might be able to direct our resources that would significantly impact the community.”
Bigger plan
Community survey results will be used as part of a strategic plan in development with Virginia-based marketing agency The Ivy Group.
Headquartered in Charlottesville, the company has a lot of experience working with libraries and partnered with more than 100 communities across the country, according to its website. Neely said The Ivy Group was chosen out of seven candidates for the project due to such extensive work.
Some of its clients include the Des Moines Public Library, San Antonio Public Library, Queens Library and the Cedar Rapids Public Library.
Library staff and library board surveys were done in March. Interviews with several community leaders also are part of the process.
Neely declined to name the leaders to be interviewed as well as overall plan costs.
The Ivy Group’s first meeting at the library took place March 28.
Neely described the meeting as a brainstorming session outlining library strengths and weaknesses as well as examining needs and trends in Allegheny County.
Among the items discussed was an increase in food insecurity and how the library could partner with other nonprofits to address those concerns.
The library will be closed May 29 so representatives can meet with library officials and discuss activities to date.
The firm is expected to deliver a final plan to the library by the end of July.
The strategic plan is expected to be posted on the library’s website in the next few weeks following that report.
Neely said the report likely will identify three to five areas to focus on, as well as recommended actions and projected milestones.
Kati Doebler, a member of the library board and Quaker Valley School Board, said she hopes the planning will serve generations to come.
“The library is more than a place for books, but rather, it’s a vital hub for discovery, creativity and connection across all ages,” Doebler said April 23.
“We are so lucky to have such a talented, well-resourced and engaged partner in our community.
“We’re excited to be working with The Ivy Group to help us develop a thoughtful and forward-looking strategic plan for the library’s future. Community input is a key part of this process. … Our goal is to ensure that the library remains a vibrant, welcoming and responsive resource for years to come.”
Developing a strategic plan was on the list of things to do when Neely was first named executive director in 2023.
Neely said she received a lot of support from the library board, which also was instrumental in the marketing firm screening process.
“It’s really a big-picture thinking exercise of where does the library want to go and what trajectory do we want to be on in the next three years, five years, 10 years and beyond,” Neely said.
“Libraries in 2025 can be so many different things.”
Past year at the library
The library offered about 1,300 programs last year with nearly 34,460 participants.
Neely said about 500 people stepped through library’s doors on a daily basis.
Materials borrowed included more than 245,000 books, 11,300 audio books, 42,700 movies, 4,200 music albums, 5,200 print magazines, 42,600 ebooks and magazines and 46,700 digital streaming sessions.
The library also provided more than 2,000 craft kits.
The provided items and materials equated to about $10.67 million in savings for patrons, according to library documents.
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The library’s budget was about $1.52 million. That included $1.069 million for personnel, $181,400 for library materials and programs, $191,200 for building maintenance and projects and $78,000 for office expenses and professional fees.
Income included $550,000 from the Quaker Valley School District, $390,500 from foundations and grants, $264,700 from the Allegheny Regional Asset District, $126,000 in gifts and donations, $62,500 from the state, $55,500 from the Friends of the Sewickley Public Library and $17,500 in miscellaneous revenues.
More than 100 new donors were added to the donor list last year.
The library has 12 full-time staffers and about 33 part-timers.
Neely said a new capital campaign may spring up from the survey should there be a strong demand for a particular service or program. The strategic plan also is expected to bolster more grant-writing efforts.
The library is open from 9 a.m. to 9 p.m. Mondays through Thursdays, 9 a.m. to 6 p.m. Fridays, 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Saturdays and from 1 to 5 p.m. Sundays.
More information about the library is available at sewickleylibrary.org.