Russell Library committee keeps 5‑year strategy, plans outreach and sets follow-up meeting

The Russell Library Strategic Planning Committee met on April 24, 2025, and concluded the library’s existing five‑year strategic plan remains generally valid while agreeing to refresh community outreach and present a condensed public summary of the plan. The committee also elected Andrew White as chair and scheduled a follow‑up meeting for May 15 to set a timeline and assign tasks.

Andrew White, who was nominated and approved as the committee’s chair during the meeting, said the agenda would include review, renewal-process planning and setting a meeting schedule. "Do we think that the existing strategic plan remains valid?" White asked as he opened the new‑business discussion. "That is, particularly the goals, the strategy, and the goals set forth in the plan—do they continue to serve Russell Library and the Middletown community, well?"

Committee members broadly supported retaining the high‑level goals, describing the work as a revision rather than a rewrite. Eamon Rosneski, who convened the meeting, said the plan still spoke to community needs and framed the current work as an update rather than a fresh start. Several members emphasized that the plan’s aims—strengthening community ties, creating a safe and welcoming destination, fostering a thriving local economy and promoting lifelong learning—remain relevant in the post‑COVID environment.

Jennifer, chair of the governance committee, urged additional outreach to smaller Middletown neighborhoods that might use the library less, noting earlier engagement sessions were sometimes focused more on facilities than on services. A staff member told the committee they would provide raw data and reports from Margaret Sullivan Studio, including results from two sets of six community engagement sessions (April and October 2024) and a community survey of "just over 700" respondents, so members could use that evidence to shape outreach.

The committee discussed equity and the plan’s language about anti‑racist practices. A committee member asked whether the organization had moved further along since the last plan. A staff member described operational steps taken since 2020, including intensive staff trainings and a change removing the strict master's‑degree requirement for some entry‑level positions to broaden recruitment, and said those measures had been intentionally incorporated into operations.

Members agreed the plan should be easier for the public to digest. Several suggested a condensed one‑page or short (page 4‑style) summary for public posting, with the full document and background materials available for reference. "It would be enough for them to digest," one member said of a shorter summary, while keeping fuller materials online.

On process, the committee agreed it did not need to reengage a consultant for a wholesale rewrite and could handle the update internally, but asked staff to prepare a timeline and task list. The committee set a special meeting for May 15 (start time discussed between 5:00 and 5:30 p.m.; staff indicated they would confirm logistics and Zoom setup) to finalize the work plan and schedule.

At a glance: actions taken at the April 24 meeting included unanimous approval of the June 27, 2024 minutes (motion by Jennifer, second by Sarah), election of Andrew White as chair (motion by Eamon Rosneski, second by Sarah), a motion to table agenda item 5 (unfinished business) until the next meeting, and adjournment after the group set the May 15 special meeting.

The committee closed by thanking the new chair; members asked staff to circulate the engagement data and a draft meeting agenda ahead of May 15.