Westminster Public Library unveils draft five-year master plan; council adoption planned for April

Westminster Public Library staff presented a draft 2025–2030 master plan to the Inclusivity Board on Feb. 12 and said they will take the plan to City Council for adoption in April.

The plan matters because it is the library’s road map for services, accessibility, facility improvements and outreach for the next five years.

Lehi (Library staff) told the board the draft updates the library’s mission and vision and groups priorities into five focus areas: expanded outreach, enhanced services and resources, improved facilities, increased awareness and organizational development. “Our new mission statement, proposed as a gateway to discovery, lifelong learning, and a welcoming community for all,” the staff member said, describing an accompanying aspirational vision.

Lehi said the draft grew from a late-2024 community engagement effort that included surveys, listening sessions and a community retreat. The plan compares Westminster’s collections and services to similar-sized Colorado libraries and proposes initiatives such as expanded mobile services, language-access improvements to collections and programming, dedicated teen spaces at Irving Street Library and upgrades to technology and layout to reduce crowding.

The draft also highlights staff support and training needs, including resources for staff who encounter patrons with mental-health or crisis needs. “How do we provide [staff] support when sometimes they’re seeing fairly intense situations?” Lehi asked, summarizing community input that staff need additional training and mental-health resources.

On facilities, staff said both libraries (including the leased College Hill Library location) are roughly 25–30 years old and that recommendations range from layout changes to exploring additional service-delivery outlets such as kiosks, partnerships with private businesses or a third physical location. Staff noted the College Hill Library is a city-operated facility leased from the community college under a longstanding intergovernmental agreement.

Lehi said about 60% of the draft’s content comes from the community survey and listening sessions and that consultants helped synthesize the input into actionable focus areas. Staff said the draft remains subject to final administrative review before presentation to City Council.

Board members asked how the library plan aligns with the Parks, Recreation & Libraries (PRL) vision process; Lehi said the library team deliberately timed its work to take account of the PRL planning effort and used PRL data to inform recommendations. Lehi said the PRL vision plan would go to council in late March and the library master plan would follow in April.

Staff said the draft will be refined as City Council and administration review it. Lehi offered to share the plan materials with board members who did not have printed copies and asked that the board send feedback in the coming weeks.