Cedar Rapids library is ready for the next chapter

The Cedar Rapids Public Library is a vital part of our city and every day helps to transform the lives of our citizens. The library is open to everyone. It is a community hub, providing unfettered access to information, technology, and a vibrant collection of books, music, movies, and more. It is a safe place in our community in which all people can come together to learn, gather, collaborate, innovate, and share, without judgement and without barriers.

Our library statistics tell a wonderful story of literacy, unity, and community-building in our city. We have seen record library usage since opening both the Ladd Library and the Downtown Library in 2013. We see thousands of people each month gathering in our civic spaces. We have the highest circulation in the state. We know that our community uses our libraries more than ever before and that the work being done each day is changing lives.

The Board of Trustees has worked with library patrons, staff, and key stakeholders to develop a new strategic plan which will lead us into the future. We have identified three objectives in which we feel the library can have the greatest impact: invest in young minds, transform lives, and engage and strengthen community. The library has a unique role in our city and looks forward to seizing the opportunity to make significant strides towards meeting these goals.

Beginning March 27, the library will be reducing hours, decreasing programs and purchasing fewer materials in order to meet a new budget that is notably less than prior years. The library staff and trustees examined usage numbers for circulation, door count, computer use, and program attendance to make these decisions. We also collected anecdotal evidence from staff, partners, and patrons. We have balanced significant reductions while minimizing impact to the public doing everything possible to reduce costs while not losing sight of the mission, vision, and values.

While these changes to library service do not come without an impact, they are not the end of our story. We are ready for the next chapter in library service in Cedar Rapids. We have already begun to identify new opportunities for community engagement. We continue to develop partnerships that will allow us to invest in young minds in significant and resourceful ways. While the number of programs we do may be reduced, the programs themselves will continue to be innovative, educational, and transformative.

A library is a reflection of a community. We believe that Cedar Rapids deserves to have a world class library for all citizens. With our strategic objectives in place, we believe that our impact on our community can be greater than ever before. We look forward to writing the next chapter of our story together.

Sincerely,

Cedar Rapids Public Library Board of Trustees:

Susan Corrigan

Jade Hart

Harriet Kalinsky

Hilery Livengood

Joe Lock

Susan McDermott

Randy Ramlo

Matthew Wilding

' Comments: mussmana@crlibrary.org