The City of Santa Clarita is releasing its Santa Clarita Public Library three year Strategic Plan. Copies of the new strategic plan are now available at each of the three Santa Clarita Public library branches and online at SantaClaritaPublicLibrary.com

The 2015-2018 Strategic Plan highlights five service priorities for the library, including enhanced technology, facility improvements, programming for 21st century literacy, expanded opportunities for residents to use library resources for self-enrichment and increased access to tools needed for academic success.

The new plan builds upon the Santa Clarita Public Library’s 2011 to 2014 Strategic Plan, which saw the opening of the Old Town Newhall Library, a collection growth of 412,000 print, electronic and audiovisual items, and added 103,000 library card holders and 5,297 programs.

The 2015 to 2018 plan will focus on continuing the Santa Clarita Public Library’s high level of customer service while delivering new amenities and expanded programming to the community.

The Plan includes new and improved technology to provide residents with access to the digital world. The Santa Clarita Public Library’s website and online catalogue will be reassessed and improved for easier use, and learning opportunities for popular digital technology will be provided for all levels of experience. The library will also actively seek new emerging library technologies to benefit the community.

The Santa Clarita Public Library’s facilities will also be updated to provide additional welcoming spaces for patrons. The steps to enhance the current facilities will be determined in an all-inclusive Library Facilities Master Plan, which will assess space and refurbishment needs for current and future buildings.

“The new library strategic plan will offer more programs to provide greater opportunities for residents of all ages and literacy abilities to enhance informational, digital and family literacy. We will also conduct outreach to alert non-English speaking residents to new, free digital and audiovisual resources, including the English as Second Language (ESL) Family Literacy Program,” said Mayor Marsha McLean.

Providing residents with support for self-enrichment, library staff will develop as informed ambassadors with access to a wide variety of materials. In addition, the library will partner with community organizations to link library services to specific groups—bringing their expertise to patrons.

The library will furnish access to several tools needed for academic success of students grades K-12. Educators, students and their families, and para-education organizations, will receive information of all library resources and services available. A coordinated service for school partnerships will provide classroom book bags, school visits and increased communication between schools and the library. The Homework Help program will also be reevaluated and improved in order to serve additional students.

For more information about the Santa Clarita Library Strategic Plan for 2015-2018 or additional resources available at the Santa Clarita Public Library, visit SantaClaritaLibrary.com or contact the Santa Clarita Public Library at (661) 259-0750.