Toronto Public Library Strategic Plan July 2012

Strategic Plan Toronto Public Library is creating a new Strategic Plan We want your input. 2

Context. 4th Strategic Plan since amalgamation in 1998 Sets priorities for the next four years Framework for the operating and capital budgets 3

. Demographics City of Toronto’s population 2,615,060 Fifth largest city in North America Growth rate of 4.5% since 2006 – five times the growth of the previous census but slower than GTA City of Toronto accounts for 43.2% of the GTA region’s population but has about: 39% of children 65% of low income children and 61% of families below the poverty line  53% of seniors  52% of immigrants  Key Facts 4

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Achievements of Our Last Strategic Plan. Five areas of focus 1.Engaging Toronto’s Diverse Communities 2.Addressing the Growing Income Gap 3.Expanding Access to Technology and Online Services 4.Supporting Creativity and Culture 5.Supporting a Sustainable Library 6

Achievements of Our Last Strategic Plan. Overall library usage increased 14.4% with significant increases in circulation (11.6%) and visits (17.9%) Expanded Ready for Reading, preschool literacy services with a strong branch based presence Greatly expanded youth services and youth involvement in library services Improved virtual services and increased digital content Expanded wireless service to all branches Established new cultural partnerships and enhanced the role of the library in providing accessible cultural programs 7

Ongoing Priorities from Our Last Strategic Plan. Excellence in customer service Econtent development and delivery Services for children in the middle years (ages 6-12) Services to older adults and seniors Online, self-service features Access to technology in library branches Continued focus on efficiency and improvement 8

Draft Vision for Toronto Public Library. Toronto Public Library will be recognized as the world’s leading public library, helping make Torontonians smarter, successful and resilient, through excellent and responsive service Words for consideration: Successful Resilient Responsive As the themes for the Strategic Plan are presented in the following slides, consider whether they support the achievement of this vision 9

Four Themes. 1.Grow a city of readers: Foster literacy and a love of reading as a first priority; support readers of all ages in improving print literacy skills and in discovering great stories and books 2.Develop a city of learners: Support lifelong learning as fundamental to economic prosperity, social cohesion, and civic engagement 3.Inspire, support and catalyze a city of innovators, entrepreneurs and creators of all ages: Spark experimentation positioning Torontonians to succeed in a global knowledge economy 4.Deliver excellent library service to Torontonians efficiently and effectively 10

Theme 1: The Facts. Grow a city of readers Foster literacy and a love of reading as a first priority; support readers of all ages in improving print literacy skills and in discovering great stories and books Why? Reading is the foundation of school and life success Poor literacy and numeracy skills limit Toronto's productivity and competitiveness Toronto children are generally engaged readers, but too many struggle and do not enjoy reading Girls outperform boys on school success and standard literacy tests – a growing achievement gap Rates of illiteracy will increase, impacting health and quality of life The current state of the ebook industry is making it difficult for libraries to keep up with demand for access to ebooks 11

Theme 1: The Goals. Grow a city of readers How? Bring the joy of reading to people of all ages as they learn to read, discover great stories and books, and connect with authors, illustrators, graphic novelists, comic makers and other readers Promote the value of reading as a strong foundation for life success Lead the way in providing wide access to ebooks and econtent for library users in Toronto 12

Theme 1: Priority Check. What do you think? Should Grow a city of readers be a first priority for the Strategic Plan ? What initiatives could the library engage in to support literacy/reading? 13

Theme 2: The Facts. Develop a city of learners Support lifelong learning as fundamental to economic prosperity, social cohesion, and civic engagement Why? In a knowledge-based society, lifelong learning is essential to economic prosperity, social cohesion and quality of life An innovative and creative workforce builds prosperity for all; youth are experiencing a difficult transition from school to the workforce; newcomers are underemployed and older workers are working longer and entering second careers To compete in a global economy, all Torontonians need to be more creative, innovative and productive Using technology is a fundamental 21st century skill for residents of all ages 14

Theme 2: The Goals. Develop a city of learners How? Provide easy access to knowledge in a range of formats, including information about Toronto's economy, history, communities and culture Support Torontonians through life’s transitions from home to school, school to work, work to second career, and retirement Help learners of all ages develop skills to access and use technology 15

Theme 2: Priority Check. What do you think? Should Develop a city of learners be a priority for the Strategic Plan ? What initiatives could the library engage in to support lifelong learning? 16

Theme 3: The Facts. Inspire, support and catalyze a city of innovators, entrepreneurs and creators of all ages Spark experimentation positioning Torontonians to succeed in a global knowledge economy Why? Cities like Toronto must compete in a global economy To be competitive, businesses must innovate and adapt quickly Access to public space encourages conversation and collaboration to foster new creative ideas Investment and effective use of technology increases productivity among all ages 17

Theme 3: The Goals. Inspire, support and catalyze a city of innovators, entrepreneurs and creators of all ages How? Create online library services with new and emerging technologies Animate library branches to encourage collaboration through great design, access to technology, and hours to support access by all 18

Theme 3: Priority Check. What do you think? Should Inspire, support and catalyze a city of innovators, entrepreneurs and creators of all ages be a priority for the Strategic Plan ? What initiatives could the library engage in to position Torontonians to succeed in a global knowledge economy? 19

Theme 4: The Facts. Deliver excellent library service to Torontonians efficiently and effectively Why? Residents tell us Toronto Public Library staff provide excellent customer service As Toronto grows in size, demand for library services grows and evolves Toronto’s population is aging and Toronto is home to a higher percentage of low income families than the GTA; at risk groups require targeted services The public sector is in a period of restraint; the library must develop new revenue streams to maintain services 20

Theme 4: The Goals. Deliver excellent library service to Torontonians efficiently and effectively How? Help the Toronto Public Library Foundation raise money to support Toronto having the best public library system in the world Work with community partners to explore new opportunities to deliver better services while keeping costs down Ensure easy access to help from library staff; give staff the tools and training they need to meet the needs of all Torontonians 21

Theme 4: Priority Check. What do you think? Should Deliver excellent library service to Torontonians efficiently and effectively be a priority for the Strategic Plan ? What initiatives could the library engage in to deliver excellent, efficient and effective library service to Torontonians? 22

Draft Vision for Toronto Public Library. Review the draft vision for Toronto Public Library now that you’ve heard about the Strategic Plan Do you agree with this vision? Toronto Public Library will be recognized as the world’s leading public library, helping make Torontonians smarter, successful and resilient, through excellent and responsive service Words for consideration: Successful Resilient Responsive Words you would suggest: A 23

Next Steps. Consultations with stakeholder groups, staff and public to take place throughout the summer/early fall Results of consultations to be presented to the Library Board in October

How to Comment. Website Comment forms in the library Answerline for accessibility and translation: Talk to staff in any library branch 25