Friendswood City Council approved the 2023-2028 Friendswood Library Long-Range Strategic Plan during its March 6 meeting. The plan, which serves as the primary tool for library development, was approved by the library advisory board Jan. 17.
The plan was assembled with input from library staff, the board, other stakeholder meetings, in-house and online library surveys conducted throughout 2022, and a town hall meeting held July 19.
Survey respondents agreed that online and physical resources were equally valuable, as well as both quiet study spaces and community and program meeting spaces in the library. In developing the plan, the library focused on services to meet four categories of needs: Adults Succeeding, Youth Succeeding, Community Commons, and Discovery and Interaction in a Virtual World.
The library’s vision for its facility in the next five years includes additional study spaces, a podcast or streaming space, as well as a business center with dedicated technology for meetings and other business needs. Additionally, the creation of a makerspace would provide access to 3D and poster printing, robotics equipment, and other software.
It also looks to add an outreach van for home delivery and special programs and enhance programming for senior citizens alongside Friendswood Parks and Recreation.
For children, the plan includes more book clubs for toddlers and school age children, partnerships with mental health organizations to provide mental health programs, and resume writing workshops for teens.
