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New library director outlines strategic‑plan work and recent program activity
Summary
Newly arrived Library Director Rachel Buell introduced her background, reported rising patron registration and recent high‑attendance programs, and previewed strategic‑plan next steps including staff surveys and requests for comparative staffing data.
Rachel Buell, the new director of the Englewood City Library, introduced herself to the board and described early priorities, recent patron and program trends, and the next steps for the library’s strategic planning process.
Buell, who joined the library after a long career in Colorado libraries including work at Denver Public Library, said she is focused on mission, vision and values work underway by a strategic‑plan task force. Staff and community surveys informed draft language for the plan; Buell said staff will receive a survey on proposed mission/vision wording and that the task force will return with a condensed presentation of key findings for the board.
Buell highlighted several operational notes: patron registration is up compared with the prior year; volunteers are being restructured and staff member Hannah Kinney is taking on some volunteer responsibilities; Allied Security is handling many incidents before staff need to intervene; and the library recently hosted a children's event on hatching chicks that drew about 80 attendees.
Board members asked the consultant group (Barry Dunn group, referenced) to return with a short presentation and requested comparative staffing benchmarks for similarly sized libraries. Buell said the strategic plan also surfaced strong community interest in collections, and the task force is refining language around the library’s role as a resource hub and connector.
The board directed staff to continue the planning process, survey staff on mission/vision drafts, and return with materials for review. No formal action was recorded in the transcript on the strategic plan itself; the matter remains in the development stage.
