2022 - 2025 Strategic Principles

Purpose

This document outlines guiding principles for the Palos Verdes Library District. It states the District’s values and priorities, and together with the Priorities & Goals, forms a Strategic Plan that gives guidance to staff when planning services, programming, events, and outreach. These principles depict a welcoming, forward-thinking library District and demonstrate our commitment to providing the highest quality library services with integrity, transparency, and accountability.

After months of talking to stakeholders including community members, library staff, Peninsula Friends of the Library members, community partners, and our own Board of Library Trustees, the library developed these Strategic Principles to reflect the values and priorities of our community and to provide a strong foundation on which to base the District’s operational goals and actions.

PVLD is more than three buildings and a collection of materials. When we think of why the library exists, why what we do is so important, and how we are uniquely positioned to contribute to our ambitious vision, a new mission statement emerges. It expresses our commitment to be a transformational organization that keeps inspiration and connection at the forefront.

Our vision statement expresses the desire we’ve heard time and again from our community and staff: to live and work in an environment that welcomes and embraces new people and ideas. While ambitious, it’s an idea worth working for and making a reality!

Values

These values show our community the commitment we have to fulfilling our responsibilities as stewards of their trust.

Community & Connections - We are a hub for people to create bonds and share ideas across the four cities of the Peninsula.
Trust & Accountability - We foster trust amongst our patrons and our staff by holding ourselves accountable for exemplary customer service, sustained financial stability, and a collaborative and supportive work environment.
Learning, Inspiration, & Imagination - We empower our community to be creative and continue growing at any age.
Equity, Diversity, & Inclusion - We honor our identities and histories — both individual and collective — to create a space that is welcoming for all.
 

Priorities & Goals

These statements express what PVLD will focus on to support its mission.

Build an equitable and sustainable future.

• Create a space for celebration and exploration of diversity, equity, and inclusion for all ages
• Enhance District facilities, technological infrastructure, and equipment across all PVLD locations
• Promote environmental sustainability
• Maintain a solid financial future for the District

Embrace a leadership role in the community.

• Build, grow, and sustain strong partnerships across all four cities on the peninsula, our surrounding communities, the PVPUSD, and other community organizations
• Seek new opportunities for community engagement and outreach
• Provide opportunities for community service through an engaged and robust volunteer program

Create opportunities for patrons to connect, create, learn and share.

• Curate the collections, create programming and develop outreach initiatives that align with community needs
• Collect, curate, preserve, and share the unique history of the Peninsula
• Publicize, promote, and market library collections, programs, services, and initiatives
• Collect and use data strategically to inform District services, programs, collections, outreach, and initiatives

Foster a communicative, supportive, and collaborative work environment.

• Create opportunities to develop staff resiliency, competency, and responsiveness to community needs
• Strive for a diverse workplace that is steeped in the principles of equity and inclusion
• Implement initiatives to develop PVLD's service orientation, as well as District-wide communication, transparency, and accountability
• Collaborate with the Board of Library Trustees to fulfill Trustee Roles and Responsibilities

Library Achievements

• Addition of ReCollect: New repository and community engagement site for local history content

• Diversity audit for adult fiction collection

• Website accessibility audit and upgrade

• New mobile app with improved interface, navigation, and usability

• Newly upgraded Study Room reservation system with mobile app integration

• Modernization of all building elevators

• Expanded volunteer recognition events and displays

• New community-wide events: Doors Open Peninsula, Annual Passport Fairs, PVLD Reads Together, Summer @ PVLD Picnic on the Peninsula

• Increased language-learning opportunities with Mango Languages

• Credit card acceptance added to public copiers at all branches

• World Languages book collection: new books recently added in Portuguese, Japanese, Korean, Tagalog, and Chinese 

• Bilingual Storytimes

• Upgraded Security cameras district-wide

• Continued Student Success Card Additions for all 3rd graders

• Ongoing PVPUSD / PVLD partnerships: PTA EDI, Ethnic Studies classes