Planning

Community Engagement Plan Overview

Every few years, the Library District holds community conversations throughout Spokane County to ask a few questions and, more importantly, to listen. These conversations are not about the library. Instead, they are about what kind of neighborhoods residents and businesses desire to live and work in.

These public discussions share the collective knowledge of our citizens and reveal their hopes, dreams, and concerns. Often themes emerge that are shared across communities, which help shape the District’s strategic direction so that the services and materials provided by the library are best positioned for our communities.

Community engagement is our guide for making sure our work is both true to our mission and closely follows the needs and desires of our communities.

Community Engagement Plan for 2023–2026

Guiding Principles

Welcome the diverse members of our community and provide excellent customer service to all.

Champion intellectual freedom, literacy, and the importance of reading.

Provide open and equitable access to ideas and information in order to facilitate learning and the pursuit of knowledge.

Respect the integrity and confidentiality of all library customers.

Establish strong local partnerships in pursuit of shared community aspirations.

Deliver programs, services, and resources that are responsive to community needs and interests.

Promote civil discourse and interaction.

Approach opportunities and challenges with collaboration, creativity, and adaptability.

Be good stewards of public resources and public trust.

Strategic Priorities & Goals

Build Connections & Collaboration

People want opportunities and places to connect with each other in order to celebrate their local communities, know their neighbors, work together, and learn from one another.

The District will engage with partners and create learning activities, resources, and places—in person and online—for people to connect with each other.

Goals

• Prioritize opportunities for people to develop meaningful connections within their community.
• Build and cultivate collaborations to expand library services and link customers to needed resources and information beyond our library walls.

Champion Equity & Access

People want welcoming, inclusive environments and equal opportunities for everyone to succeed. They want to overcome divisions and build community.

The District will welcome everyone and provide equitable library services to our diverse communities.

The District will offer access to ideas and concepts that are responsive to the diverse information needs of the communities we serve to demonstrate our commitment to the principles of intellectual freedom and the customers’ right to choose materials for themselves free from interference.

Goals

• Offer access to library services, collections, and programs that are equitable and responsive to the diverse informational needs of the communities we serve.
• Provide opportunities to read and explore new ideas in multiple formats.
• Launch and sustain an Equity, Diversity, and Inclusion initiative to educate and equip staff with skills to provide equitable library service to our diverse communities.

Foster Curiosity & Learning

People want their community to thrive by supporting learning and growing at all ages and stages of life.

The District will create opportunities for community members to explore their interests, encounter ideas, and learn new skills.

The District will focus resources to support early literacy, school readiness, technological literacy that bridges the digital divide, and self-improvement skills to help customers reach their full potentials.

Goals

• Provide community members of all ages with opportunities to pursue lifelong learning and self-improvement and to build life skills.
• Support parents, educators, and caregivers with access to free opportunities, resources, and tools to help young people build the skills they need to flourish.

Pursue Excellence

People want a library that responds to their changing and unique information needs.

District staff want to strengthen collaboration as they work together to offer the best library experience possible.

The District will focus on encouraging innovation, improving processes, and engaging employees in order to pursue the District’s mission more effectively and efficiently.

Goals

• Continue to respond to community needs as they change.
• Evaluate and improve ways in which library services are delivered.
• Develop new ways for departments to share information and communicate with one another.
• Engage a workforce that is representative of the communities that the District serves.

DOWNLOAD: SCLD Community Engagement Plan 2023–2026 (PDF)