“I have used the library extensively since I was five years old. I love the library. When I walk in I know I am going to walk out happy. The best feeling is when I have a fresh stack of books in front of me and I read the flaps deciding which to read first.”
— Online survey response
The Des Moines Public Library has proudly served the city of Des Moines since 1866, and will continue to serve you far into the future. As we recognize our longstanding commitment to the community, it is with great excitement that we turn now to the future.
It has been an honor to work with staff, our Board of Trustees, city officials, local partners and stakeholders, and the patrons we serve to create this future-focused strategic plan for the next four years at the Des Moines Public Library. At its core is our dedication to meeting the evolving needs of our changing communities. The priorities and commitments reflected in the following pages were born out of listening sessions, focus groups, surveys, and conversations with the people who matter most: our library users.
Our strategic plan centers around four areas that reflect our deep commitments to our mission and vision and core values:
Community Customer Experience Culture Core Operations
Throughout this process, we learned that the library means something different to everyone who walks through our doors or logs into our services online. But we also learned that many had no idea of the myriad services and offerings available to them. We will strive to inform our communities of all that we have to offer that can enrich their lives, help find solutions to their problems, and more.
We will strive to offer thoughtful, popular programming designed to highlight literacy and civic engagement. We will work with our invaluable community partners like DMPS to ensure every child has access to reading materials so they can develop a love of books. We will continue to offer the state’s best selection of materials – both physical and digital. Our community engagement team will continue to meet patrons where they are, while we also provide safe, welcoming, accessible spaces for all who walk through our doors.
These are just a few of the many ways we will confidently navigate the years ahead. Thank you for your continued support and dedication, and we look forward to serving you.
— Susan A. Woody, Director
The Library Board of Trustees is comprised of five central Iowans who volunteer their personal time. Members are appointed by the Mayor of Des Moines and approved by the City Council. The autonomous board meets monthly to set policies and guide the library’s administration.
FY25 Trustees:
Tim Hickman, President
Isobel Osius, Vice President
Jessica Cezar, Secretary
Kimberley Strope-Boggus
Drew Kelso
Susan A. Woody, Director
Jon Hobbs, Deputy Director
Jennifer Tormey, Technical Services Supervisor
Tim Paluch, Marketing & Communications Supervisor
Ashley Molzen, Community Engagement Manager
Rhonda Frevert, Central Library Supervisor
Brooke Santillan, Central Library Manager
Michelle Abrahamson, East Side Library Manager
Marli Jefferson, Forest Avenue Library Manager
Nikki Hayter, Franklin Avenue Library Supervisor
Katherine Young, North Side Library Manager
Alicia Mangin, South Side Library Manager
Jon Choda, Building Maintenance Supervisor
To strengthen our community by connecting people with ideas and the tools they need to enrich their lives.
To create a stronger, more dynamic Des Moines where everyone’s potential is realized.
We believe reading improves lives.
We are committed to our valued customers and partners.
We cultivate and celebrate our inclusive, engaged staff.
We are champions for equity.
We are passionate about literacy and lifelong learning.
We are a safe and welcoming space for all.
We are responsible stewards of public resources.
We are ready to serve.
STRATEGIC PLAN FY25-FY28
The library will create opportunities for social connections to relay the importance of literacy to the communities we serve.
Increase engagement with current patrons and broaden user base.
Enhance outreach efforts that promote a love for reading and teach digital literacy and life skills. Target services and resources to underserved populations.
• Collaborate with community and municipal partners.
The library will ensure that all patrons benefit from our materials, events, spaces, and services.
• Provide inviting and safe spaces that reflect the communities we serve.
• Give patrons unparalleled customer service.
• Offer innovative and relevant materials and services that meet the needs of the community.
• Deliver impactful programming that highlights reading and civic engagement.
The library will cultivate an inclusive environment where individuals thrive, connect, and learn.
Celebrate librarianship that focuses on serving the public and meeting their unique needs. Develop and retain an engaged and high-performing staff.
Utilize valued internal stakeholders to support and uplift the library.
The library will be an essential department of the City of Des Moines that contributes to the wellbeing of its citizens.
Promote library offerings for maximum community impact.
Provide free access to critical technology and connectivity.
Offer accessible and well-maintained buildings.
Be transparent stewards of library resources.
SPACES: Ensure all who enter the library encounter a welcoming, clean, and safe space.
AWARENESS: Explore new, innovative ways to inform the community of the library’s services, offerings, and value.
PROGRAMMING: Maximize reach and impact of library programming to the communities we serve.
PARTNERS: Work with schools to promote literacy and library usage.
High-Level Initiatives will update each year to reflect new focus areas for the library.
Increase engagement with current patrons and broaden user base.
PRIORITY INITIATIVES
■ Increase physical circulation at all locations, and digital checkouts via Libby.
■ Expand active customer base via targeted marketing and promotions.
■ Grow new cardholders and usage directly from strategic outreach visits.
STRATEGY IN ACTION
■ Develop and implement plans for new resident marketing campaigns.
■ Develop and implement marketing and advertising initiatives targeting increase in usage among current cardholders.
■ Use results of surveys and community focus groups to expand physical and digital collections.
PRIORITY INITIATIVES
■ Evolve and expand Simple Steps and Rosie Reader literacy outreach initiatives.
■ Develop system outreach plans beyond elementary schools to target teens and adult populations.
■ Improve digital literacy in and out of the library via programming, promotion of services, and outreach.
STRATEGY IN ACTION
■ Design a digital literacy program that can travel to senior centers and community organizations.
■ Develop a system-wide outreach plan that defines staff roles in targeting specific populations.
■ Take an active role in neighborhood events to increase library usage.
■ Expand reach of community engagement team during summer months to include daycares and other venues.
PRIORITY INITIATIVES
■ Expand reach and offerings of DMPL Community Resource Specialist to maximize impact where help is most needed.
■ Enhance services, programming, and staffing targeting Spanish-speaking populations in key communities.
STRATEGY IN ACTION
■ Develop plan for recruitment, hiring, retention, and career advancement for bilingual staff.
■ Implement City of Des Moines’ Language Access Plan.
■ Launch a dedicated, sustainable social worker intern/apprentice program.
PRIORITY INITIATIVES
■ Develop more targeted programming using valued, expert community partners and organizations.
■ Enhance library collaboration with DMPS.
■ Increase collaboration with city departments on programming, promotions, and resource sharing.
Patron Feedback
“The library has become a space for my children and myself to grow, learn and explore!”
— Online survey response
STRATEGY IN ACTION
■ Develop collaborative plan to integrate DMPS student IDs and DMPL library cards.
■ Assign library representation to neighborhood associations and other local organizations.
■ Audit list of current community partners and develop new list of future partners.
■ Update DMPL Meeting Room Policy to encourage increased usage among partners and city departments.
Provide inviting and safe spaces that reflect the communities we serve.
PRIORITY INITIATIVES
■ Refresh children’s areas, highlighting literacy initiatives and offering new features.
■ Emphasize interior and exterior cleanliness.
■ Reemphasize communication of and enforcement of customer behavior policy.
■ Prioritize patron experience with accessibility enhancements, useful layouts, and appealing signage.
STRATEGY IN ACTION
■ Utilize consultants to study children’s areas and make recommendations for enhancements.
■ Recruit volunteers for branch-specific interior and exterior building projects.
Give patrons unparalleled customer service.
PRIORITY INITIATIVES
■ Focus staff training on public library customer service that encourages repeated use.
■ Provide access to meeting room spaces that meet the needs of patrons.
■ Enhance accessibility and ease of navigation on library website.
STRATEGY IN ACTION
■ Develop and implement staff training on cross promotion of additional services during card signup process.
■ Implement City of Des Moines’ Digital Accessibility Plan for dmpl.org.
■ Update and modernize technology in meeting rooms.
“Libraries are crucial spaces for every community. They are one of the last third spaces left where everyone, regardless of background, can gather, learn, use resources, and just be without needing to spend money.”
— Online survey response
PRIORITY INITIATIVES
■ Expand Library of Things offerings to reach new customers.
■ Offer wireless internet hotspots, targeting those with the greatest community need.
■ Ensure DMPL is consistently offering the most relevant and useful physical and digital materials and resources.
STRATEGY IN ACTION
■ Begin a quarterly review of digital offerings to ensure we are meeting latest industry trends.
■ Embed new Library of Things offerings into collections at all locations.
■ Create a Library of Things Jr. collection aimed at youth.
■ Embed literacy and the library collection into programming across all age groups.
■ Increase focus on large, popular programs to create more library users.
■ Use expertise and experience of community partners to develop targeted programs focused on issues of importance to each branch neighborhood.
STRATEGY IN ACTION
■ Develop a schedule for high-profile, systemwide literacy-themed special programs across all buildings.
■ Create branch-specific quarterly program analyses to measure success and impact.
■ Increase number of community partner-led programs at all locations.
Celebrate librarianship that focuses on serving the public and meeting their unique needs.
PRIORITY INITIATIVES
■ Prioritize core librarianship training for staff professional development.
■ Explore and develop streamlined staffing and scheduling models for all departments.
■ Create lean workflows and professional opportunities that encourage staff to thrive and develop.
STRATEGY IN ACTION
■ Update annual staff in-service professional development day(s) to better meet staff needs.
■ Host staff interdepartmental meetups across all branches and departments.
■ Develop new mentoring and peer-to-peer opportunities for staff.
Develop and retain an engaged and high-performing staff.
PRIORITY INITIATIVES
■ Update personnel policies to modernize official staff procedures.
■ Analyze and update all staff job descriptions to ensure clarity of roles and responsibilities.
■ Implement a new evaluation system to prioritize staff performance reviews.
STRATEGY IN ACTION
■ Study, update, and educate staff on updated policies and guidelines for all employees.
■ Review and refresh all new hire onboarding procedures.
■ Review all job duties and differentiate expectations between full-time and part-time staff.
■ Create internal system to track job training and set goals for future professional development opportunities.
Utilize valued internal stakeholders to support and uplift the library.
■ Gather and use patron and community input on a consistent basis.
■ Prioritize and educate library governance to current and new Board of Trustees members.
■ Employ stakeholders to advocate on library’s behalf regarding public library trends and challenges.
■ Develop a more robust public library volunteer program.
■ Create and disseminate a new DMPL advocacy handbook for board members, friends groups, and library ambassadors.
■ Schedule regular community listening sessions, led by managers and staff.
■ Create more physical and digital opportunities for patrons to offer instant feedback.
■ Create plan to hire a system volunteer coordinator to recruit, manage, and evaluate volunteers.
■ Build an influencer/advocate marketing campaign to promote library services and important industry topics.
Staff Feedback
“I see the impact that my work has, both within the library and outside of it, on a regular basis.”
— Staff strategic plan survey response
Promote library offerings for maximum community impact.
PRIORITY INITIATIVES
■ Implement new plans to highlight library offerings via advertising, public relations, and other marketing strategies.
■ Create content unique to individual library branches and the communities they serve.
■ Take a statewide leadership position on issues and challenges affecting public libraries.
STRATEGY IN ACTION
■ Design targeted multiplatform marketing campaigns focused on non-book offerings.
■ Regularly audit signage and promotional materials.
■ Refresh Rosie Reader themes at each location.
■ Work with Iowa Library Association in a leadership capacity, including on legislative advocacy for important library issues.
PRIORITY INITIATIVES
■ Train staff on new technologies like artificial intelligence that establish them as local experts.
■ Expand Tech Central Innovation & Maker Lab.
■ Provide customers with new tools, programs, and services to better navigate modern, digital society.
STRATEGY IN ACTION
■ Work with all existing and new third-party digital vendors to maximize staff knowledge of tools available.
■ Plan new programs focused on technology topics such as disinformation, A.I., and using new digital tools.
■ Work with community partners to provide new information and digital literacy programs.
■ Create biannual technology audit for each DMPL department to ensure community needs are being met. Provide free access to critical technology and connectivity.
Offer accessible and wellmaintained buildings that focus on sustainable operations.
PRIORITY INITIATIVES
■ Identify and implement projects and mechanical updates that reduce energy consumption.
■ Provide community spaces that are comfortable and easy to navigate.
■ Perform ongoing preventative maintenance and plan for future capital improvement needs.
STRATEGY IN ACTION
■ Perform ongoing ADA compliance testing.
■ Implement regular building inspections at all locations.
■ Complete systemwide transition to LED lighting.
Be transparent stewards of library resources and funding.
PRIORITY INITIATIVES
■ Collaborate with the DMPL Foundation on new and existing initiatives that align with system strategic goals.
■ Work with the City of Des Moines to adhere to, and grow, operating and capital improvement budgets
■ Seek ways to increase library revenues, and contain or reduce library expenditures.
STRATEGY IN ACTION
■ Provide consistent accounting to the Foundation to demonstrate impact and value of private donations.
■ Support Foundation fundraising efforts via promotion in library buildings and online.
“We could and should look for ways to reduce our footprint regarding energy and water, as well as resources.”
–— Staff strategic plan survey response
■ Seek out new grant opportunities that align with top strategic goals and high-level initiatives.
■ Work with city departments to streamline resources and maximize efficiency.
Our progress toward our strategic goals and initiatives will be tracked and evaluated using the following metrics:
Strategic Goal 1: Increase engagement with current patrons and broaden user base.
•Door counts
•System and branch circulation
•# of active cardholders
•# of new cardholders
•Library cards issued through outreach efforts
Strategic Goal 2: Enhance outreach efforts that promote a love of reading and teach digital literacy and life skills.
•Rosie Reader outreach visits
•Digital literacy outreach visits
•Total outreach visits
•Library participation in community events
•Books distributed via outreach
Strategic Goal 3: Target services and resources to underserved populations.
•Bilingual programs
•Community Resource Specialist programs
•Community Resource Specialist program attendees
•Individuals served by CRS
Strategic Goal 4: Collaborate with community and municipal partners.
•Programs led by community partners
•School field trips to library
•Participation in community/neighborhood meetings
•School library cards issued
•Meeting room usage by city departments
Strategic Goal 1: Provide inviting and safe spaces that reflect the communities we serve.
•Annual youth section space/features audits
•Annual wayfinding/signage audits
•Three-times-a-year building inspections
•# of incident reports
•# of patron suspensions
Strategic Goal 2: Give patrons unparalleled customer service.
•# of staff customer service trainings
•Annual website accessibility audit
•Meeting room usage
•Meeting room upgrades
Strategic Goal 3: Offer innovative and relevant materials and services that meet the needs of the community.
•New Library of Things items
•Library of Things checkouts
•Hotspot checkouts
•New digital products added
Strategic Goal 4: Deliver impactful programming that highlights reading and civic engagement.
•Quarterly program analysis reports
•# of programs
•Program attendance
•Annual civic engagement theme for programming
•# of large-scale programs (100+ attendees)
Strategic Goal 1: Celebrate librarianship that focuses on serving the public and meeting their unique needs.
•Staff professional development opportunities
•Creation of task force to study staffing and desk models
•# of interdepartmental meetings
•# of all-staff communications
Strategic Goal 2: Develop and retain an engaged and high-performing staff.
•New evaluation program
•# of staff/departmental meetings
•Update and implementation of new system staffing policies
Strategic Goal 3: Utilize valued internal stakeholders to support and uplift the library.
•# of public surveys
•# of branch-led listening sessions/focus groups
•Volunteer hours
•Creation of new advocacy handbook
•Twice-a-year Library Board retreats
•# of Board education sessions
Strategic Goal 1: Promote library offerings for maximum community impact.
•# of advocacy opportunities
•Creation of annual strategic marketing plan
•Usage of services/offerings being promoted
Strategic Goal 2: Provide free access to critical technology and connectivity.
•# of technology staff trainings
•New technology and software additions
•# of digital literacy programs offered
•Twice-a-year technology audits
•Tech Central usage
•Tech Central additions
Strategic Goal 3: Offer accessible, well-maintained buildings that focus on sustainable operations.
•# of completed building upgrades and tasks
•# of completed Capital Improvement Projects
•Departmental sustainability initiatives
•# of completed building inspections
Strategic Goal 4: Be transparent stewards of library resources and funding.
•Increased revenue
•DMPL Foundation gifts received
•Budget requirements met
•# of grants received
•Amount, in dollars, of grants received
361,772 Print books
2023-24)
31,548
eBooks
482,517
total materials in collection (includes Library of Things, CDs, DVDs, and all downloadables) digital audiobooks 34,759
1,387,405 total circulation (includes video and databases) Physical
887,821
Library visits
193,338
Reference transactions
86,264 Wifi sessions 50,311
Use of public computers
2,483 Program attendees 73,856
Library programs
982
2023-24 school outreach classroom visits
2023-24 school outreach visits attendance 58,462
Deposit collection accounts 140 Circulation of deposit collections 29,196
Free books distributed to kids by outreach team 9,208
