One of the most important ways we’ll be gathering information for our strategic planning is through a series of Community Conversations. We’ll be pulling together small groups of people to talk about what their hopes and aspirations are for their communities, and then we’ll look for the ways the Library can help make a difference in creating the kind of place in which our residents want to live.
To conduct our Community Conversations, we’ll be using a proven framework and discussion guide from The Harwood Institute for Public Innovation that they have developed as part of their work with public libraries and other public institutions and nonprofits over the last 25 years. Our conversations will have 10-15 participants each, and will be guided by staff facilitators using the discussion guide.
We’re planning a series of conversations across Somerset County, and we’ll be inviting a wide array of people to participate, from elected officials and other community stakeholders, to current patrons and friends, to non-patrons and members of underserved communities. We want to get a picture of the hopes and dreams for all of the communities we serve so that we can find the best ways for SCLSNJ to help everyone move forward.
If you’re interested in participating in a Community Conversation, please let us know.
Also, knowing that the format of Community Conversations means opportunities to participate will be somewhat limited, your input is still welcome via our community survey.