Strategic Plan

The Concord Free Public Library (CFPL) is a lifelong resource for its community. The Library’s dedicated staff, engaged patrons, and vital services create a welcoming and comfortable community space. To align the Library’s goals with the growing needs of the community, CFPL has undergone a thorough strategic planning process with input from the community and local stakeholders. By implementing a new strategic plan, CFPL will renew its commitment to:

  • Deepening community engagement and visibility,
  • Delivering robust, relevant, and innovative services, and
  • Developing a unified organizational culture.

CFPL initiated a strategic planning process in fall 2025. Fast Forward Libraries LLC was engaged in September 2025 to facilitate the planning process in three phases: Learn, Dream, Do. The Learn phase entailed collecting community feedback through a survey, focus groups, and interviews. Input from Library Committee members, Library Corporation Trustees, and staff was gathered through a survey, as well. In the Dream phase, the Library Committee, the Library Corporation, and staff held planning workshops to discuss possible future pathways for the Library. This document includes the strategic directions and goals that will guide CFPL through the Do phase, as the Library implements its goals for the future.

The Library Committee voted unanimously to approve the Strategic Plan on May 5, 2026.

Strategic Directions

Deepen Community Engagement & Visibility

Ensuring the Library is a vital collaborator, we connect the community to our services and expand awareness of all the Library offers. We engage with partners and are a trusted community organization.

Goals

1.1 Evaluate, define, and strengthen partnerships with local organizations to ensure alignment with mission and community needs.

1.2 Enhance the Library’s visibility through effective targeted marketing, external communications, and promotion of services to increase awareness.

Anticipated Outcomes

  • The community is aware of and utilizing partnerships to successfully receive services.
  • Community members are aware of the wide variety of resources at the Library.
  • More people read the Library newsletter.
  • People feel their input is wanted and acted on.
  • People indicate they know what is going on at the Library.

Deliver Robust, Relevant, & Innovative Services

We provide spaces that optimize accessibility and prioritize opportunities for vibrant programs and services that meet our community’s varied needs and interests.

Goals

2.1 Provide responsive programming that champions lifelong learning for the entire community.

2.2 Ensure the Library is accessible and provides a quality user experience.

2.3 Align services, technology, and collections to meet evolving community needs.

Anticipated Outcomes

  • The Library has an established system for evaluating programs and services and measuring their success.
  • People indicate they are satisfied with Library programs.
  • Patrons can easily find what they are looking for at the Library, including the electronic and physical collections.
  • The Library buildings are preserved and improved for future use.
  • Usage of online resources increases.
  • People indicate having more confidence using technology.

Develop a Unified Organizational Culture

Library staff are the heart of our organization. We support our staff and encourage learning and communication that help provide excellent service to the community.

Goals

3.1 Create a culture of learning and continuous improvement to support staff growth and team development.

3.2 Strengthen policies, procedures, and internal communication to ensure alignment across the organization.

Anticipated Outcomes

  • Staff are confident in their roles.
  • Patrons indicate continued high satisfaction with customer service.
  • Staff indicate high job satisfaction.
  • Staff know what is happening across departments.
  • Board members and volunteers feel confident in their roles.

FY 2027 Action Plan

  • Deepen Community Engagement & Visibility

    1.1 Evaluate, define, and strengthen partnerships with local organizations to ensure alignment with mission and community needs.

    1.1.1 Collaborate with town departments to develop a plan for a town-wide Civic Academy series for FY28

    1.1.2 Grow partnership with Friends for the Concord Festival of Authors (CFA) and train volunteer as webmaster for Festival website

    1.1.3 Define scope of partnership with League of Women Voters in order to support civic engagement in Concord

    1.1.4 Collaborate with volunteers to evaluate and document best practices for the Library’s annual Girls Who Code program

    1.1.5 Offer regular programming at the Council on Aging, teaching interested seniors about a range of library services

    1.1.6 Work with local sustainability organizations to offer topical programming addressing environmental concerns

    1.1.7 Implement Community Partner Organization process (per the new Exhibition Policy) to host four art shows at Fowler in FY27

    1.1.8 Collaborate with the Thoreau Alliance and Center for the Study of World Religion at Harvard Divinity School to host a series of public conversations between transcendentalism scholars and writers, artists and broader audiences at the Library

    1.1.9 Document existing partnerships that the Library supports throughout the year including frequency and organizations we work with

    1.1.10 Draft a new 5-year Sustainability Plan for the Library in partnership with the Trustees, Town Manager’s Office, and other local organizations and committees

    1.2 Enhance the Library’s visibility through effective targeted marketing, external communications, and promotion of services to increase awareness.

    1.2.1 Review current print collateral offered at both Library locations; evaluate effectiveness and sustainability

    1.2.2 Begin drafting a Marketing plan for Library communications including digital, print, and social media communication methods

  • Deliver Robust, Relevant, & Innovative Services

    2.1 Provide responsive programming that champions lifelong learning for the entire community.

    2.1.1 Develop Programming Guidelines for staff, including documenting priorities, best practices and assessing current programming models and resources

    2.1.2 Host the first Art Jury under new Exhibition Policy; select community artists for the 2027-2028 Munroe Gallery Exhibition Calendar

    2.1.3 Establish a plan for the role of musical programming at the Library

    2.1.4 Evaluate Summer Reading Challenges, including impact on other services and staffing levels; implement recommendations for Summer 2027

    2.2 Ensure the Library is accessible and provides a quality user experience.

    2.2.1 Improve the waste storage, emergency egress, and generator access area at the Main Library

    2.2.2 Support Trustees to have storm windows installed on the historic end of Main Library

    2.2.3 Work with Trustees to continue to determine how to address HVAC needs, including improved heating and cooling of the historic end of the Main Library

    2.2.4 Support Trustees to begin to implement the Lighting Study recommendations from 2025, focusing on upgrades to the historic end of the Main Library

    2.2.5 Improve the Teen Lounge including setting capacity expectations, adjusting door closure and adding flip/nest tables

    2.2.6 Establish a process for setting up the Goodwin Forum as drop in quiet study space when not in use for programs

    2.2.7 Draft priorities and timelines to address results of “ADA Self Evaluation and Transition Plan” (performed by KMA in May 2026)

    2.2.8 Explore options to create a quiet study space at Fowler

    2.3 Align services, technology, and collections to meet evolving community needs.

    2.3.1 Redesign and migrate the Library’s website to a modern and accessible content management system

    2.3.2 Migrate Special Collections content, especially Finding Aids, to an appropriate archival content management system and integrate with concordlibrary.org

    2.3.3 Pilot new feedback loops to evaluate effectiveness of current program offerings

    2.3.4 Using CPA funding awarded at 2026 Annual Town meeting, have 200 Thoreau Surveys digitized, conserved and rehoused

    2.3.5 Collaborate with Town Geographic Information System (GIS) teams to overlay digitized Thoreau surveys onto Town GIS maps for research and public access

  • Develop a Unified Organizational Culture

    3.1 Create a culture of learning and continuous improvement to support staff growth and team development.

    3.1.1 Develop a formal onboarding process for new staff

    3.1.2 Develop a training program for new staff to learn essential job functions

    3.1.3 Develop an ongoing training schedule for current staff to maintain and grow knowledge of essential job functions and support core library services

    3.1.4 Plan and execute two full-day staff training sessions in FY27

    3.1.5 Debut a Professional Development Showcase for staff to share what they learn from attending professional development opportunities

    3.1.6 Offer Red Cross certification to staff in First Aid, cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR) and Automatic Emergency Defibrillator (AED)

    3.2 Strengthen policies, procedures, and internal communication to ensure alignment across the organization.

    3.2.1 Solicit staff input and feedback to begin to develop an internal communications plan

    3.2.2 Complete updated Bargaining Agreements for both the Non-Supervisory and Supervisory Unions

    3.2.3 Work with Collective Bargaining Units to draft clear and updated job descriptions and establish core competencies for all public service desks