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Phoenix Public Library unveils 2026–2029 strategic plan after broad community outreach
Summary
Library Director Erin McFarland presented a 2026–2029 strategic plan built from more than 15,000 survey responses and over 5,000 comments, organized around four pillars: respond to community needs; champion collections and access; create inspiring spaces; and inspire lifelong learning.
Erin McFarland, director of the Phoenix Public Library, presented the system’s proposed 2026–2029 strategic plan, which library staff developed through extensive community engagement including surveys, focus groups, interviews and poster sessions.
McFarland said staff received over 15,000 survey responses and more than 5,000 comments, conducted 13 focus groups and 12 interviews with city leadership and stakeholders, and used a contracted vendor to analyze results and surface priorities. The analysis found strong community support for existing library services and emphasized access to both physical and digital materials, early literacy and workforce readiness.
The plan establishes four strategic pillars: responding to evolving community needs; championing better collections and access; creating inspiring spaces; and inspiring lifelong learning. Examples discussed include hiring the library’s first social worker to help frontline staff connect patrons to services, expanding book lockers and bookmobile services to serve library "deserts," and collaborating with city partners on future branch siting and College Depot outreach.
McFarland said library leadership will align staff performance goals to the strategic plan in 2026 and report progress in the annual report. Council members praised the outreach process and asked for concrete examples; McFarland cited in-person College Depot services at several branch locations while Burton Barr is under construction and said the library is pursuing potential future facilities using general obligation bond funding approved previously.
A community representative from the Saguaro branch alliance offered to partner with the library on outreach and programming.
