Children and teens, although quite different from each other, together make up a very important group of users and potential users of the Boston Public Library. The principle that captures this states:

“The BPL fosters the love of reading and skills in critical and creative thinking among children and teens – from early literacy through mature readership – by offering a slate of services that provide academic support and intellectual growth.”

Listed below are a series of potential outcomes the library would like to accomplish in the coming months and years related to this principle. We’d like to know what you think are the most important of these outcomes. Pick three from this list and include them in a comment so we can take your thoughts into account. In addition, as you read through these outcomes, if you think there’s something missing in the discussion of children and teens, please suggest an additional outcome for us to add. More principles and outcomes will be posted next week.

• BPL is committed to all teen/children’s spaces being safe, thoughtful, innovative, and creative; foster interaction, technology, study space, collections, programs and comfortable furniture: fun things that kids/teens want
• Online study primers created for kids on all public computers
• BPL focuses on life skill and information literacy for kids
• Provide scholastic support
• Real focus on early literacy programs (i.e. Reading Readiness, etc.), including age appropriate multi-lingual collections and collaborates with schools on this issue.
• Literacy is for all ages, intergenerational approach
• Offer volunteer opportunities or internship programs to get youth interested earlier
• The BPL respects and protects the privacy of younger users
• Youth Services system-wide coordinator – or both teen and children coordinator step up offerings for teens
• Youth are welcomed everywhere
• Homework assistance is continued
• Regular story times in every branch
• Teen Advisory Boards ensure youth leadership/direction
• Established goals to build sustainable programs with local teachers/schools in walking distance of branches
• Commit to sufficient teen/children librarians to allow them time to develop relations with youth. Add para or librarian costs for youth services.
• Separate spaces and resources for children and teens.

Center of Knowledge refers to all the information held by the library in our various collections and digital resources, and how we serve researchers, students and lifelong learners.  The BPL is a center of knowledge that serves researchers, lifelong learners, and the intellectually curious through its incomparable collections, digital resources, and access to other scholarly networks. Listed below are a series of potential outcomes the library would like to accomplish in the coming months and years related to this principle.

We’d love to hear what you think are the most important of these outcomes for the library to focus on.  Please pick three from this list and include them in a comment so we can take your thoughts into account.  In addition, as you read through these outcomes, if you think there’s something missing as it relates to the statement above, please suggest an additional outcome for us to add.  More principles and outcomes next week!

• BPL creates and maintains an online space for users to contribute their specialized knowledge to enhance services

• Collects community-responsive/reflective collections that are the appropriate size and creates fun and exciting displays to highlight different parts of the collection

• Maximize the use of existing collections and collect in formats and topics that will be used (and not in those that won’t)

• Engage in civic education, and espouse democracy to create an informed citizens

• BPL creates a link between our cultural heritage and our collections by growing them as appropriate, sharing them among libraries, and focusing on specialties

• Encourage the role of librarians as community resources and professionals, and also as leaders

• Be known  as the go to place for tech skill learning (entry level) for the public

• Ability to make appointments with subject specialists in person, online, and by phone

• Continue to gather and dispense info from City of Boston on daily, weekly, monthly events useful to customers i.e. education, jobs, life skills

• Support and resources for lifelong learning and adult educational literacy

BPL Collections are the focus of this next Compass Principle.  The BPL is committed to the on going development and preservation of its distinctive special collections, which provide citizens from all walks of life with access to their common cultural heritage. Listed below are a series of potential outcomes the library would like to accomplish in the coming months and years related to this principle.

We’d love to hear what you think are the most important of these outcomes for the library to focus on.  Please pick three from this list and include them in a comment so we can take your thoughts into account.  In addition, as you read through these outcomes, if you think there’s something missing as it relates to the statement above, please suggest an additional outcome for us to add.  More principles and outcomes next week!

• Focus on collection strengths; fill gaps in existing collections

• Focus on cultural heritage as it relates and is important to the non-researcher

• The BPL is a key destination to visit and experience not only for artwork and museum-like qualities, but for vast and deep collections

• The BPL is committed to the preservation of the City’s local history and therefore will identify and develop appropriate collections in neighborhoods

• Collaborate with larger public community (in-house and online) to help describe collections and provide new information

• Develop collection profiles that clearly and quickly identify holdings and ease serendipitous discovery — even place in the catalog

• Allow closed stacks materials to circulate

Another Compass Principle developed last fall states, The BPL exists to serve and sustain communities that foster discovery, reading, thinking, conversing, teaching, and learning, in accessible, sustainable, and welcoming facilities throughout the City, as well as with an engaging online presence. Listed below are a series of potential outcomes the library would like to accomplish in the coming months and years related to this principle.

We’d love to hear what you think are the most important of these outcomes for the library to focus on.  Please pick three from this list and include them in a comment so we can take your thoughts into account.  In addition, as you read through these outcomes, if you think there’s something missing as it relates to the statement above, please suggest an additional outcome for us to add.  Next week we’ll be back with another principle and list of outcomes.

• Campaign to update or renovate furnishings all locations
• All locations comfortable, clean, inviting and safe
• Partnerships focused on serving as venue for other organizations, unique activities
• Allow liquids, coffee, in certain/more areas system-wide
• Develop RFP model for programs and partnerships.  Each year BPL announces desired programming and seeks partnerships to support planned slate
• BPL will bridge divides,  including technology, language, age, gender and different communities
• BPL will provide collaborative opportunities to foster connections/relationships with local schools, businesses and improve coordination with city agencies such as – Boston Housing Authority, Boston Public Schools, Boston Centers for Youth and Families, Do It
• BPL will spend time developing and fostering online communities through its catalog and social media
• Web pages for branches highlighting their spaces, programs, staff, etc.
• Big new signs for branches designating the branch name
• Make sure all locations have clear sight lines – avoid shelves taller than people
• Focus on collection strengths; fill gaps in existing collections
• Focus on cultural heritage as it relates and is important to the non-researcher
• The BPL is a key destination to visit and experience not only our artwork and museum-like qualities, but our vast and deep collections
• BPL is committed to the preservation of the City’s local history and therefore will identify and develop appropriate collections in neighborhoods.
• Collaborate with larger public community (in-house and online) to help describe collections and provide new information
• Develop collection profiles that clearly and quickly identify holdings and ease serendipitous discovery – even place in catalog
• Allow closed stacks materials to circulate

Work is progressing nicely on the library’s strategic planning process.  We have been holding a series of staff meetings throughout the month of May to engage the staff and get their input.  In addition, we are holding public roundtables asking interested community members to weigh in on the library’s draft outcomes for the coming years.

Outcomes, also called goals, will reflect the programs, services, initiatives that the we hope to accomplish in the coming months and years.  The outcomes are organized by Compass Principle, and we are currently asking members of the public and the staff to prioritize the outcomes they feel are the most important for us to focus on.

We would also like those of you who may be reading this blog to weigh in as well.  Every few days I will post all the draft outcomes aligned with a specific principle.  Please read through these draft outcomes and let us know what your top three most important outcomes are in a comment.  Of the outcomes listed, what three do you most want to see accomplished.  In addition, if you think of an outcome you feel the library should be focusing on is not listed, please let us know.  As always, if you have any additional questions, contact us at compass@bpl.org.

Watch for the first list of outcomes to appear later this afternoon!  And thanks for your help.