A New Vision for Durham County Library

A New Vision for Durham County Library

I want to introduce you to the vision of Durham County Library – “Inspiring Lives, Transforming Durham”. This vision statement is a result of the collaborative work of the Executive Leadership Team along with customer service consultant Peter Anlyan. It’s also a reflection of staff feedback.

This vision statement provides an outward message of our resources having a positive impact on the many customers we serve. Additionally, it provides a direct message for staff of the work we do making a difference for our customers and each other. It reflects a message of where I want us to be: a destination place for the profession and an organization committed to inspiring others to a point of positive transformation; it’s about making lives better.

It’s a vision that staff can participate in each day and one that we can build on in the years to come. Our vision can best be upheld in collaboration with our priority goals, our mission, and our core values. It’s powerful to think of our work “inspiring lives, transforming Durham”.

During recent staff meetings, we discussed priority goals for the organization. Feedback on the priority goals has been very positive as many chimed in that they could see their respective roles at DCoL fitting into the various goal areas. I want to elaborate further with identifying phrases of relevant work in each goal area.

Priority Goals

  1. Literacy & Lifelong Learning – Offer resources and programs to promote literacy in all forms and for all ages as fundamental building blocks for academic and personal success.
  2. Bridging the Digital Divide – Create opportunities for equitable access to technology and technology education, thereby encouraging the participation of all in an increasingly digital society.
  3. Workforce Development & School Readiness – Strengthen the workforce by supporting effective education, training, and resources.
  4. Capturing the Culture of Durham – Promote Durham’s culture through programming and special collections, including the North Carolina Collection and the Selena Warren Wheeler Collection.
  5. Accountable, Efficient and Visionary Libraries – Grow an effective organization committed to continuous innovation, exceptional customer service, transparency, and fiscal responsibility.

Please give thought if there is anything missing from our priority goals, as it’s important to hear from members of our community. This is extremely important as in the months ahead the priority goals will become an integral part of a refreshed Strategic Plan with clear outcomes and measures. Each priority goal will become a strategic area of focus; in other words, the priority goal areas will become the library strategic plan and remain the same from one year to the next. What will change each year is the objective(s) under each priority goal and our outcomes and measures.

Our priority goals also align with our mission and core values. It is the mission of DCoL to encourage Discovery, Connect the community and lead in Literacy. We accomplish our mission each day as we interact with customers checking out materials, visiting our locations, and attending our programs. Our core values demonstrate the character of staff and our commitment to service excellence. It’s a reminder that we must uphold basic principles and work ethics to move forward.

  • Boldness
  • Accountability
  • Strategic
  • Integrity
  • Collaboration
  • Service

It’s an exciting time for Durham County Library! We have a lot to be proud of and a lot more to accomplish. As we embrace the difference we make each day, let’s remember our vision, mission, goals, and core values; combined, they are the driving force to the success of Durham County Library for our community.

Many thanks for your continuous support.
~Tammy

 
Photo by Tammy Baggett-Best

One reply to A New Vision for Durham County Library

  1. These look great! I hope that the “Lifelong Learning” includes non-verbal forms of literacy, such as the arts and gardening. These have a powerful transformative potential for across all ages for the members of our community.

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