Press Release from the Rutherford Public Library
2023 marks the first year of Rutherford Public Library’s new 5-year strategic plan. Approved by the library’s Board of Trustees in December, the plan highlights the organization’s big-picture goals and is the culmination of nearly 18 months of research and development. It will be used to guide initiatives going forward, ensuring the library remains as relevant and appealing as possible to its users.
The project was conducted by a Strategic Plan Committee assembled in 2021 by library administration. Throughout late 2021 and 2022, the group surveyed Rutherford residents and conducted focus groups to learn what the community needs most from its library. This data was then analyzed and used to create the final plan. Committee members were Gretchen Corsillo, Library Director; Wendy Armacost, Library Board President; Monica Rodriguez, Library Board Vice President; Brenda Fargo, School Superintendent’s Alternate to the Library Board; Kim Bogosian; Rutherford Public Library Foundation President; Linda Rynd, Friends of the Library of Rutherford President; Library Employees Nancy Martin, Bridget Merli, and Jen Capoano; and Rutherford resident Liz Moran.
The committee’s work culminated in four overall goals:
Increase engagement with teens in grades 7-12.
Enhance marketing and communications efforts with the goal of raising awareness of RPL in the Rutherford community.
Diversify library programming.
Create a cozier atmosphere within the library building.
“I am so proud of the committee’s hard work to create a detailed and meaningful plan that will allow RPL to better serve the Rutherford community,” Corsillo says. “We’ve had a lot of challenges over the last few years, but one blessing of the pandemic was that it allowed us to truly dive deep and reevaluate our services and how people interact with the library. We have a great community of supporters, and we look forward to engaging with them in new ways.”
Work towards the new goals and objectives has already begun with the launch of new teen programming, expanded summer reading club options, and cosmetic upgrades to the library’s main floor. The full text of the plan may be viewed on the library’s website.
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