New Muskego library director outlines year-end gains, presents 2026 action plan first read

The Muskego Public Library director presented a compact year-end review and the first-read 2026 action plan at the Nov. 18 board meeting, highlighting usage trends, outreach successes and several initiatives for trustees to vet before final approval next month.

The director said OverDrive digital checkouts were up 10.7% year over year while other streaming services and Hoopla saw declines after contract changes. She reported meeting-room use was down roughly 17% and attributed part of that drop to calendar disruptions earlier in the year; staff have begun targeted efforts to restore bookings. The director underscored that Friends of the Library now provide the majority of program funding; she said Friends funded more than 90% of programs in 2025.

The 2026 action plan (first read) pulled priorities from the 2023 strategic plan. Trustees discussed potential uses of underutilized space for a makerspace or makers-cart, shade and accessibility improvements at the amphitheater, and a study of fines and their equity and revenue consequences. The director said she will research fines data and usage impacts and return with evidence to inform a board decision.

The meeting also introduced Anne Henderson as the new administrative assistant; Henderson said, "I've been here since November 3," and summarized her background as a former school librarian. The director said Henderson will sit in on meetings and act as secretary for the board.

Next steps: trustees asked staff to refine the 2026 action plan and return for approval at the next regular meeting; director will also forward the fine-research and any supporting data to trustees ahead of the vote.