New Ulm Public Library is developing a five-year strategic plan to help set and prioritize goals that reflect the New Ulm community. A committee of seven people meets monthly to brainstorm and create a plan that we expect to implement in late 2023. The committee consists of four library staff members, two Library Board members, and one community member. If you are interested in joining the committee, please contact me at 507-359-8331 or aide@tds.lib.mn.us.

The committee’s work has focused on foundational items; namely, mission, vision, and values statements. Our working mission statement is, “New Ulm Public Library inspires and invites learning, imagination, discovery, and connection.” Our working vision statement is, “New Ulm Public Library advances literacy, enriches lifelong learning, empowers civic engagement, and fosters cultural awareness.”

Our working values statement is “New Ulm Public Library values

• Service – We provide helpful, reliable, and consistent service in a positive and welcoming environment.

• Respect – Every person we serve receives equal access to information and materials.

• Trust – All library staff members serve with honesty, transparency, and accountability for their actions.

• Compassion – We strive to understand the needs of those we serve, to appreciate their challenges, and to respond with kindness.

• Innovation – We investigate, explore, and experiment to provide the best and timeliest services that our members need and request.

• Curiosity – We encourage our staff and those we serve to learn and to grow as individuals and as citizens.”

Now we’re seeking your feedback on these statements. You can stop by the library and write your feedback on the posters in the hallway outside of the children’s room, or you can visit www.newulmlibrary.org and choose the “We want your feedback!” link in the Public Library News section of our home page. You can also share your thoughts on our programs and services through these methods. We want to know more about your vision for your public library.

The strategic planning committee’s next step will be to write goals, objectives, and activities, creating a road map for where our community would like the library to go in the next five years. Stay tuned, and please join us, as we continue to strategically plan for your public library’s future.

New Ulm Public Library is located at 17 North Broadway and is open Monday-Thursday from 9:30 a.m.-8 p.m. and Saturday-Sunday from 9:30 a.m.-5 p.m. We look forward to seeing you at the library.