Title
Phoenix Public Library 2026-2029 Strategic Plan - Citywide
Description
This report provides the Community Services and Education Subcommittee with an overview of Phoenix Public Library's (PPL) 2026-2029 Strategic Plan.
THIS ITEM IS FOR INFORMATION AND DISCUSSION.
Report
Summary
Over the past year, Phoenix Public Library collaborated with community members, library users, partner organizations, library stakeholders, and City of Phoenix leadership to create a library Strategic Plan for 2026-2029. The current Strategic Plan was designed for completion in 2023 and was extended to allow for a transition in library leadership.
The process began with the creation of an updated mission statement and identifying five core values to which work can be aligned. The new mission statement, "We empower our community with opportunities and resources to inspire and enrich lives," was distilled from an exercise the library's executive team completed and is reflective of the services Phoenix Public Library provides. The executive team then identified ten core values that epitomize how the library shows up in the community and library employees voted for the five they felt most deeply reflect the library's services. The following five values were selected: adaptability, inclusion, integrity, kindness, and making a difference.
Data Gathering
Next, a Strategic Plan Navigator Team, made up of library employees representing all levels and across the library system was established. A four-pronged approach to collecting the most diverse feedback possible to represent the entirety of Phoenix Public Library's users was developed, each Navigator was assigned to one of four subcommittees focused on a different data collection method. The four data collection subcommittees were: Surveys, Focus Groups, Stakeholder Interviews, and passive Poster Sessions. The survey was sent to all library cardholders, and a non-library user panel and received over 15,000 responses. Library staff conducted 13 Focus Group sessions with over 80 library cardholder and community partner participants in person across the library system and online. Passive Poster Sessions were available at all library locations and at community outreach events and gathered 3,349 responses on library priorities and top concerns. Staff conducted 12 interviews with City leadership and community stakeholders to identify priorities going forward.
Results Highlighted
After gathering input, a library contracted vendor analyzed the findings and provided focused insights to the Strategic Plan Navigator Team. What was overwhelmingly apparent in the results was the community's love for the library. Out of 5,783 comments made in the surveys, 95 percent were positive about the library, its customer service, and resources. The community feedback identified system-wide strengths in access to physical and digital materials, early literacy and youth programs, College Depot and workforce readiness, Culture Passes, Seed Library, and the welcoming, safe spaces provided. Many community members voiced a desire for more of what the library already offers, not necessarily looking for new initiatives and programming.
Looking ahead, community members anticipate rapid population growth, greater cultural diversity, economic insecurity, political polarization, and climate stress - all factors that elevate the importance of the library as a stabilizing and inclusive community hub. Residents also articulated strong aspirations for the future of the library, a library system that:
- Expands access through adjusted hours and broader geographic reach.
- Strengthens communication to raise awareness of underutilized resources.
- Balances tradition with innovation, offering both books and cutting edge tech.
- Reimagines facilities as community hubs with cafes, gardens, cooling centers, and flexible meeting spaces.
- Centers equity with bilingual services, programs for special needs, and culturally representative programming.
- Anchors resilience by addressing pressing community concerns from education and workforce readiness to safety, homelessness, and cost of living pressures.
The community envisions a library system that delivers knowledge, culture, and serves as a lifeline for stability, equity, and civic trust in a rapidly changing city and is keenly aware that Phoenix Public Library offers more than just books.
Strategic Plan Pillars and Goals
The library executive team created four strategic pillars. The pillars have goals and objectives to guide services and measure program success and initiatives from community feedback. The four pillars and goals established:
- Pillar One: Respond to the evolving needs of the community - 1. Leverage library spaces to prioritize community partnerships; 2. Make connections to foster a healthy community; 3. Identify community resources and align them with community needs.
- Pillar Two: Champion better collections and better access - 1. Assess library facility locations, identify library deserts, and bring service to those communities; 2. Align library operations with community schedules; 3. Expand and diversify outreach efforts; 4. Increase awareness and visibility of the library as part of the solution; 4. Reduce language barriers to library services and expand cultural responsiveness; 5. Create a collection that reflects the community and is accessible through a variety of formats.
- Pillar Three: Create inspiring spaces - 1. Improve accessibility and wayfinding; 2. Enhance physical flexibility of library spaces; 3. Foster community centered designs into new library spaces.
- Pillar Four: Inspire thriving minds and embrace lifelong learning - 1. Celebrate local identity and culture; 2. Recognize and reflect diverse community needs by providing access to a variety of high-quality programs and services; 3. Develop and facilitate programs and events to enable adults to fully enjoy life; 4. Develop and facilitate programs and events that educate and entertain youth ages 0-18; 5. Promote lifelong learning and the pursuit of higher education by providing free, personalized re-engagement and post secondary education planning services.
Next Steps
The library executive team is collaborating to establish objectives for each Strategic Plan goal and define metrics for success. Beginning in 2026, library supervisors will work to review standard performance goals and align them with Strategic Plan objectives. Library leadership will report progress in the Phoenix Public Library Annual Report published at the end of each fiscal year.
Department
Responsible Department
This item is submitted by City Manager Ed Zuercher and the Library Department.