“There is not such a cradle of democracy upon the earth as the Free Public Library, this republic of letters, where neither rank, office, nor wealth receives the slightest consideration.” - Andrew Carnegie
I first encountered Andrew Carnegie when I was 13 years old during a trip with my mother to her hometown of Dunfermline in Scotland. His name or likeness was everywhere. Carnegie was a local-born boy who had done the town proud by rising from very humble beginnings to become a steel baron in America. He remembered his roots, investing his wealth to provide a massive park, recreation facilities, a library and a concert hall to make fresh air, exercise, the arts and learning more readily available to anyone in his hometown, regardless of rank or privilege. Years later when I became a librarian, I learned he had, with that same intent, funded so many of the public libraries in the U.S. Since then, I’ve adopted a bit of that ‘hometown pride’ so many Dunfermline residents have for him.
This is the reason we chose his words above on democracy and public libraries to lead into Santa Cruz Public Libraries’ newest Strategic Plan. In some ways this plan is an evolution of the previous strategy and will guide our work through the next three years. This plan embodies our “North Star” vision of transforming lives and strengthening communities by balancing core programs and services with innovations that reflect our institutional values of lifelong learning, intellectual freedom, and, as Carnegie points out above, our foundational role as a public good freely accessible to all. Through surveys, interviews and focus groups we gathered ideas and insights from our communities, staff, partners, and stakeholders across Santa Cruz County, as well as peer libraries in California and beyond. Your feedback supported the creation of goals and projects that align with the four components of our updated mission: access, information, connection and inclusion as well as the flourishing team culture necessary to support those goals. The theme that was underscored in every conversation along the way is that you, our Santa Cruz communities, love and support your libraries. You rely on us not only for books and information, but also for the meaningful connection and life enrichment we provide through programs and meeting spaces. Our service to you is in fact a relationship, one that we must nurture with care and respect. While we cannot be all things to all people, nor will we be perfect in every instance, the next three years give us an opportunity to celebrate and innovate in programs, collections, services, and partnerships that impact more people’s lives in measurable ways. In doing so, we honor your support, deliver on our North Star commitments, and position Santa Cruz Public Libraries for a strong future in the years to come. We are grateful to each of you who helped inform our strategic goals and look forward to welcoming you to our branches, outreach partnerships and digital spaces to partake of our work as we round out this decade.
Christopher Platt
