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2026-2031 STRATEGIC PLAN

LEARN, CONNECT. CREATE.

7.2026

FORWARD TO SPL STRATEGIC PLAN 2026-2031 Dear Scarsdale community members, Five years ago, with extraordinary community support, we proudly opened the doors to the renovated Scarsdale Public Library. Since then, the Library has fulfilled the vision of a 21st-century library, becoming a welcoming destination where residents of all ages come together to learn, connect, and create. From dynamic programs and cultural events to quiet study spaces and everyday opportunities for discovery, the Library has become an essential community hub and a vibrant part of daily life in Scarsdale. As our community continues to evolve, so too must the Library. To ensure that the Scarsdale Public Library remains responsive to community needs and continues to serve as a valued resource for generations to come, we are proud to share the result of that effort: the Scarsdale Public Library Strategic Plan 2026-2031. This plan was built with great care and shaped by many voices. Over the past six months, we listened closely to focus groups, stakeholders, community leaders, residents, Library Trustees and staff, gathering feedback to better understand what our community needs from its library today and what it may need in the future. We are deeply grateful to everyone who shared their perspectives and helped shape this work. The Strategic Plan affirms the Library’s commitment to being a welcoming place for all, a center for lifelong learning, a catalyst for creativity and connection, and a trusted partner in community life. It outlines how we will strengthen our role as a cultural hub, deepen community engagement, enhance our facilities and patron experience, and build the organizational capacity needed to serve our community effectively for years to come. Most importantly, this is not a plan meant to sit on a shelf. An accompanying annual operational plan will ensure it is practical, achievable, and action-oriented, while providing the flexibility to adapt as community needs evolve. We thank the Library staff, Library Board members past and present, the Friends of the Scarsdale Library, and Scarsdale Village leadership and staff for their dedication, partnership and support. Their collective commitment helps make the Library’s success possible and positions us to continue successfully serving the community for years to come. We invite you to explore the Scarsdale Public Library Strategic Plan and to see its vision come to life in the years ahead. Whether you visit to discover a new book, attend a program, connect with neighbors, explore new ideas, or simply enjoy our welcoming spaces, we hope you will continue to find inspiration, opportunity, and community at our Library. Learn. Connect. Create. Warmly,

Elizabeth Bermel Diksha Mudbhary Sitaula Director, Scarsdale Public Library President, Scarsdale Public Library Board

INTRODUCTION Scarsdale Public Library has long served as a welcoming, trusted, and deeply valued community resource. As Scarsdale continues to evolve, the library is well positioned to build on its strong foundation of excellent service, robust collections, engaging programs, and meaningful community partnerships while responding thoughtfully to changing needs, expectations, and opportunities. In 2026, Scarsdale Public Library partnered with Library Strategies Consulting Group to conduct a broad-based strategic planning process. The goal of this process was to better understand how residents, staff, board members, community partners, and other stakeholders experience the library today and what they envision for its future. Through multiple forms of engagement, the library sought to identify community aspirations, current service strengths, operational needs, barriers to use, and opportunities for growth. A Steering Committee, with representation from the Scarsdale Library Board, Friends of the Scarsdale Library, Library Staff, and members of the community met regularly to guide this work. The planning process included:

1,102 Scarsdale residents and 55 library staff completed surveys.

32 community members participated in focus groups.

Seven community leaders sat for interviews.

Library trustees and staff met for strategy and SOAR (Strengths, Opportunities, Aspirations, Results) sessions.

Together, these engagement efforts provided a comprehensive picture of Scarsdale Public Library’s role in the community. Throughout the feedback, several consistent themes emerged. Residents, staff, and stakeholders see the library as a welcoming community hub, a center for learning and connection, and one of the few shared civic spaces where people of all ages and backgrounds can gather. The community expressed a strong appreciation for the library’s staff, programs, collections, children’s services, meeting and study spaces, digital resources, and overall atmosphere. At the same time, the process surfaced important opportunities for the future. The resulting strategic plan is grounded in this extensive community input. It reflects a shared desire for Scarsdale Public Library to remain both aspirational and practical: a library that preserves what the community already values while adapting to meet future needs. The goals and strategies outlined in this plan are intended to guide decision-making, support resource allocation, strengthen organizational capacity, and ensure the library continues to serve as a vital hub for connection, creativity, learning, and civic life. Reviewed and adopted by the Library Board of Trustees, this plan provides a framework for the next phase of the Scarsdale Public Library’s service to the community. It is designed to be flexible, actionable, and responsive, helping the library measure progress, communicate impact, and continue building a library that reflects the needs, values, and aspirations of Scarsdale.

VISION & MISSION

VISION: Scarsdale Public Library is your essential community hub for learning, connection, and creativity. Learn. Connect. Create.

MISSION: We create welcoming spaces for all, innovate in response to community needs, cultivate the joy of learning, and connect people to enriching knowledge and experiences.

2026-2031 GOALS GOAL 1: Strengthen the library’s role as the cultural hub of Scarsdale

Position Scarsdale Public Library as a welcoming and essential hub where residents of all ages can gather, learn, connect, and participate in civic and cultural life.

GOAL 2: Community engagement

Deepen Scarsdale Public Library’s connection to the community by actively seeking opportunities to meet residents where they are, increasing awareness of library services, and building relationships that expand the library’s impact beyond the building.

GOAL 3: Facilities

Improve patron experience and accessibility to high demand spaces. Ensure Scarsdale Public Library’s physical spaces are welcoming, accessible, functional, and responsive to the community’s needs.

GOAL 4: Enhance organizational capacity

Strengthen Scarsdale Public Library’s internal systems, staffing, communication, and workplace culture to support excellent service and sustainable growth.

2026-2031 GOALS GOAL 1: Strengthen the library’s role as the cultural hub of Scarsdale

Position Scarsdale Public Library as a welcoming and essential hub where residents of all ages can gather, learn, connect, and participate in civic and cultural life.

Context: Community feedback affirmed that residents see Scarsdale as a highly engaged, intellectual, and

connected community, and they view the library as a natural extension of that identity. Focus group participants described the library as a community connector, cultural bridge, and “third place” where residents can gather, learn, and participate in shared civic and cultural life. This goal builds on that strong foundation by continuing to center reading, discovery, lifelong learning, inclusion, and community connection.

Strategies: 1 Continue promoting reading, discovery, and lifelong learning. 2 Ensure wide access to books, materials, programs, and services that are responsive to community needs. 3 Prioritize programs and experiences that bring residents together and reflect the library’s role as a community hub.

2026-2031 GOALS GOAL 2: Community engagement

Context: Community input demonstrated residents want a more connected Scarsdale, while also recognizing

limits around space, time, staffing, and resources. Focus group and leadership discussions pointed to outreach, marketing, and partnerships as practical ways for the library to extend its impact, increase awareness of existing services, and bring the library outward into schools, Village events, senior programs, cultural organizations, and other places where residents already gather. This goal responds to the need for better coordination, stronger visibility, and collaboration.

Strategies: 1 Deepen partnerships - Prioritize partnerships that align with the library’s mission and extend community impact without duplicating services. 2 Outreach - Focus outreach in locations and with audiences where the library can have the greatest impact. 3 Marketing - Strengthen responsive communication and marketing so residents are more aware of programs, services, partnerships, and community impact.

2026-2031 GOALS GOAL 3: Facilities

Context: Community members who provided feedback consistently expressed appreciation for the Library’s

renovated facility and at the same time highlighted the growing variety of new ways in which residents envision the Library continuing to expand. Given financial and physical constraints, the focus will be on optimization rather than expansion. This goal focuses on making the best possible use of existing spaces, improving the patron experience, and exploring practical access and usability improvements within available resources.

Strategies: 1 Explore safe and accessible use of the library for all visitors. 2 Balance and maximize facilities use - Ensure library spaces support a balance of quiet study, collaboration, programming, technology, staff work, and informal gathering. 3 Explore conducting a space assessment study (document where people are at various times of day) to evaluate how current library spaces are being used and identify opportunities to improve flexibility and functionality.

2026-2031 GOALS GOAL 4: Enhance organizational capacity Strengthen Scarsdale Public Library’s internal systems, staffing, communication, and workplace culture to support excellent service and sustainable growth.

Context: Library Board and staff SOAR (strengths, opportunities, aspirations, results) sessions and the survey

of staff highlighted SPL’s strong staff culture, welcoming service, and high-performing team, while also identifying opportunities to improve communication, coordination, workflows, staff development, policy clarity, and operational efficiency. Leadership discussion reinforced that doing “more” is not sustainable without attention to staffing, internal systems, and realistic implementation. This goal recognizes that a strong internal foundation is essential to delivering excellent public service and carrying out the strategic plan in a sustainable way.

Strategies: 1 Strengthen internal communication and coordination across departments. 2 Continue to support staff learning and development through ongoing training, professional development, interdepartmental awareness, and opportunities to build skills. 3 Continuous policy review - balance policies and operational realities while continuing to enhance patrons’ experience. 4 Explore technology that supports efficient, responsive service, including tools that streamline material handling, reduce repetitive tasks, improve workflow, and strengthen staff capacity to meet patron and operational needs.

Acknowledgments Thank you to the community members of Scarsdale who provided their input in this process. 32 community members participated in focus groups 7 community members, partners, and leaders sat for interviews 1,102 people responded to the community survey 55 Scarsdale Public Library staff members responded to the survey and/or participated in SOAR sessions.

Scarsdale Public Library Board of Trustees 2026-2027

Scarsdale Public Library Strategic Plan Steering Committee

Diksha Mudbhary Sitaula, President Erika Rublin, Vice President Stephanie Wechsler, Finance Officer Xing Wang, Secretary Jennifer Fischman, Trustee Scott Gerwin, Trustee Anne Janiak, Trustee Melissa Mazer, Trustee Betty Pforzheimer, Trustee

Elizabeth Bermel, Library Director Catherine Callegari, Assistant Library Director Roberta Stein-Ham, Administrative Assistant Erika Heinzelman, Marketing Librarian Diksha Mudbhary Sitaula, President, Board Xing Wang, Secretary, Board Robert Jeremiah, Past President, Board June Deng, Co-Chair, Scarsdale Chinese Association Alex Marshall, Village Manager Stephen Shallo, Deputy Village Manager Daniela Retelny, Co-President, Friends of Scarsdale Public Library Rachel Moseley, Board President, JCC Mid-Westchester Randy Guggenheimer, President, Scarsdale Historical Society

Elizabeth Bermel, Scarsdale Public Library Director

Scarsdale Public Library 54 Olmsted Rd Scarsdale, NY 10583 (914) 722-1300 www.scarsdalelibrary.org

PREPARED BY

LEARN, CONNECT. CREATE.