The Dallas City Council got a report about the Dallas Public Library Strategic + Facilities Plan during its usual meeting on Wednesday. The plan was created by a team of experts over 14 months.
The plan’s design team included San Francisco-based Group 4 Architecture, the project’s lead consultant; buildingcommunityWORKSHOP, a community engagement and architecture collaborator; kent, a library strategy consulting firm; and Carson Block Consulting, Inc., a library technology firm.
“Our approximately year-long process began in early 2023,” Jill Eyres, associate principal at Group 4 Architecture, told council members at the briefing. “We heard loud and clear that there’s a growing need for ‘people’ places that are free and open to everyone.”
The team started the project with community outreach and data collection, using community surveys distributed across Dallas. The team evaluated the services, facilities, and opportunities available, looking for ways to improve and enrich the Dallas Public Library system. Meetings with stakeholders, community listening sessions, and focus groups were an important part of the collaborative process.
The team’s five-year strategic plan was presented to the Municipal Library Board in December. The board approved the plan and recommended it be forwarded to the city council. Wednesday’s briefing was an overview of the plan, which the city council will consider in more detail in May.
As the name implies, the Library Strategic + Facilities Plan aims to improve not only the library buildings and facilities but also the strategies for involving the community. The strategic plan is meant to guide Dallas’ library services, operations, technology, and partnerships.
“Libraries are really centers for learning, but specifically, self-directed learning,” said Heather Lowe, one of the library system’s assistant directors. “We want the library to be the place to go when you don’t know where to ask the question. We’ve come up with eight strategic goals … and we did take a hard look at ensuring our strategic plan aligns with city goals.”
The eight strategic goals cited in the plan are:
- Create opportunities for learning and discovery.
- Provide customer-responsive technology.
- Cultivate a vibrant materials collection.
- Reduce barriers to use.
- Provide inspiring and welcoming facilities.
- Make community connections.
- Communicate the library’s value.
- Develop future-ready staff.
The 20-year facilities portion of the plan focused on the 30 libraries that make up the Dallas Public Library system and included a list of locations that need renovation, expansion, relocation, or ongoing maintenance. The team found that most library branches in the system are in generally good condition, but they recommended reinvestment in the Central Library to restore and update it.
The four goals listed for the library facilities to carry them into the future are:
- Continue to add branch space.
- Expand or replace smaller and older branches to extend service.
- Find partnerships to make results better.
- Keep buildings fresh and well-maintained.
After the briefing, there was a Q&A session where the topic of whether Dallas needs more or fewer libraries was brought up.
Cara Mendelsohn from District 12 asked, “Do we need as many libraries as we have? When you start looking at circulation and participation in events, how does that factor into the need for this library?”
She mentioned that some programs or services may need to be cut as city officials prepare for a new budget season, and suggested that the library system could be among those cuts.
Mendelsohn mentioned that Dallas has a high number of libraries per square mile compared to other large cities in Texas, and questioned how many more libraries are necessary.
Dallas, which is the third largest city in Texas, covers 384 square miles. It operates 30 libraries.The largest city, Houston, spans 665 square miles and has 32 libraries. Austin, the fourth largest city, covers 319 square miles and operates 21 libraries. No.41 The Dallas Public Library is on the list of the 100 largest library systems in the U.S. maintained by the American Library Association.
Mendelsohn and Jesse Moreno from D2 also expressed concerns about homeless individuals using libraries as shelters before and during operating hours.
Lowe stated, “We are a library and not a service provider. We are a welcoming environment and do not provide services to any of our unhoused visitors. A library is a place that isn’t stigmatized like some of our service providers.”
Mendelsohn continued to question Lowe about whether the libraries are reaching their full potential and mentioned the system’s $38 million budget, suggesting that it could face a reduction in the coming year.
Lowe responded, “We are a very efficient department, and there really is not a place to cut that’s not going to harm.”
Mendelsohn clarified, “I didn’t ask if it would hurt, though. You’re faced with cutting 5-10%.”
Lowe stated that a budget cut of that size would lead to the closure of multiple library branches.
Council members Moreno and Adam Bazaldua from D7 expressed their appreciation for the library system’s current performance and its future goals.
Moreno said, “Thank you for what you do every single day. There’s always something fun and exciting to do. It’s not just about picking up a book. There are arts and crafts, themes, and the challenge is letting people know all the exciting things happening in our libraries.”
Bazaldua asked Deputy City Manager Kimberly Tolbert to prioritize the library system this budget year.
Bazaldua added, “I think that these goals are great, and I want to see as much investment and success in our library system.”