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Strategic Plan 2023 – 2027

Approved by the Menomonee Falls Public Library Board of Trustees on October 19, 2022.

Download the Strategic Plan (PDF)

teens playing a game in the Teen Space

Our Mission

To enrich our community by providing a welcoming and dynamic environment where all can explore, learn, grow and connect.

Our Values

Excellence in customer services: We are patron focused — dedicated to friendly, reliable, convenient and caring service by skilled and trusted staff.

Access for all: We provide resources, programs and services that are inclusive and contribute to the success of all community members.

Innovation, learning and the open sharing of ideas: We strive to spark curiosity and creativity, inspire learning, and connect people in our community to resources, ideas, and each other.

Social responsibility: We aspire to have a positive impact on the lives of individuals by being aware of and responsive to community needs, making the world a better place for future generations.

Community Stewardship: We are here to serve our community with integrity by being responsible stewards of library resources. Our actions will honor the public trust.

Commitment to Staff and Volunteers: We recognize and respect the value of our staff and volunteers and nurture their professional and personal growth.


Menomonee Falls Public Library is a proud member of Bridges Library System of Wisconsin and looks to the American Library Association for guidance and standards of library and information services and the profession of librarianship in order to enhance learning and ensure access to information for all. In 2021, the Menomonee Falls Public Library Board of Trustees adopted the Wisconsin Department of Public Instruction’s Inclusive Services Statement.

Summary of the Strategic Plan Process and Acknowledgements

In order to ensure maximum community input, a strategic planning committee was formed in March of 2022. This committee includes interested community members, Library staff across all departments, a representative from the Menomonee Falls Library Friends, and Library Board Trustees. The group met regularly from April through October to guide this plan. We are incredibly grateful to the committee for their input, dedication, and diverse viewpoints.

The planning process included a SOAR (strengths, opportunities, aspirations, and results) analysis, a Library staff brainstorming session, a widely distributed community questionnaire, and community conversations focus groups with community members to determine our priorities moving forward.

The community questionnaire distributed in May was a large-scale effort by the Library to get community-wide feedback, soliciting input from regular Library users and those who have never used our resources. It was distributed in paper form at all service desks and at some select local businesses and organizations, available online, and shared with nearly 50 local organizations and businesses. These collective efforts resulted in nearly 700 responses used by the committee to reflect upon possible goals for the future.

Five focus groups took place in July with any interested community members invited to sit down and discuss ideas, reflect on their experiences using the Library, and ask questions to Library staff.

The committee would like to thank every community member who took the time to leave feedback or share ideas. The 2023 – 2027 Strategic Plan is a culmination of the hard work and dedication of many people. We are thrilled to see what the next five years bring and to continue serving the community efficiently and effectively.

Strategic Planning Committee

  • Amy Schlotthauer
  • Carole McGibany
  • Randy Van Alstyne
  • Linda Pavlovich
  • Leah Alsteen
  • James Hulce
  • Wanda “Lou” Tetlan
  • Laura Norwood Toro
  • Lowell Carl
  • Katie Allar
  • Ellen Rohr
  • Jacqueline Rammer

Approved by the Menomonee Falls Public Library Board of Trustees on October 19, 2022.

  • Amy Schlotthauer, President
  • Jessica Cole, Secretary/Treasurer
  • Peggy Haas
  • Randy Van Alstyne
  • Dr. James Heiden
  • Ian Dickmann
  • Carole McGibany

Moving Forward Together

family posing with an oversized library card

Now more than ever, we recognize the importance of the Menomonee Falls Public Library as the center of the community. 2022 has been a year of exploration for the Library. How can we move forward with the greater Menomonee Falls community in order to provide excellent resources, fantastic service, and ensure that the community sees themselves in the Library?

We offer in the Strategic Plan for 2023 – 2027 resources and direction in order to enrich our community, adhere to our mission and values, and continue to pivot as needed in order to ensure that patrons are receiving high-level service at all times. Based on extensive community input and analysis, we have developed priorities that will guide the Library moving forward. Staying true to the values at the heart of the Village, we understand that community is everything.

The Library is pleased to be a source of information and literacy. We have identified key areas to focus our information and literacies expansion on, including digital and technological literacies and robust programming. Additionally, our center in the community as the hub for local history will be expanded.

We stand by our values as the Library being a place for all to explore, learn, grow, and connect as well as being acutely aware and responsive to community needs. While this plan is not meant to be an exhaustive list of everything the Library has planned through 2027, this guiding document will lead us into the future and ensure that we are meeting the needs of the community.

Strategic Priorities: Information and Literacies

Providing access to information and resources for various literacies is the core of public library services. With the advances and growth of both our traditional and innovative resources, Menomonee Falls Public Library will provide access to information and resources with intentional development in the following areas for 2023 – 2027:

  • Digital Resources
  • Local History
  • Robust Programming
  • Technological Literacy

Digital Resources

librarian assisting a patron with a vinyl cutting machine in The Forge

As Library services continue to transcend the print-digital divide and more offerings are made available to the public via digital resources, technological developments, and more, the Library pledges to become an active community partner in assisting patrons every step of the way with these resources. These efforts include advancing efforts to provide quality science, technology, engineering, art, and mathematics (STEAM) programming and resources for all ages.

Digital Resources Strategic Objectives

  • Continue to research and implement digital resources for patrons, from databases to e-materials using input from community members and Bridges Library System
  • Ensure all staff are trained to provide excellent service in assisting patrons with digital offerings
  • Continue to develop programs in The Forge related to creating and crafting technology
  • Develop and provide high-quality STEAM programs library-wide in order to support our growing community that prides itself on industry, engineering, and manufacturing
  • Promote and market various digital resources to community members in an effective manner

Local History

person using the Digital History Lap in the Maude Shunk Local History Room

Local history transcends the digital divide in the Maude Shunk Local History Room, located on the second floor of the Library. While volunteers and staff have worked tirelessly to digitize and scan community memories such as yearbooks, family photos, scrapbooks, and more, the Library also has a significant archival collection of print materials. Working with state-of-the-art digitization technology in the Digital History Lab as well as these delicate and irreplaceable artifacts, the Library has asserted itself as the center of the community for local history and will continue to expand such efforts in the next five years.

Local History Strategic Objectives

  • Educate the public on the use of the Maude Shunk Local History Room and Digital History Lab in order for people to preserve their family’s and community’s rich history
  • Develop a core team of volunteers to assist patrons with genealogical research
  • Work in partnership with Old Falls Village to draw attention to our community’s rich and vibrant history
  • Explore continued digitization efforts and focus on accessibility to as many resources as possible

Robust Programming

patrons attending a cooking demonstration at the Library

The Library is a place for the community to feel connected: with each other, with themselves, and with the world around them. In order to make that happen, the development of a strong and inclusve schedule of programming for people of all ages is vitally important. Menomonee Falls Public Library prides itself on having something for everyone and our programming offerings are no different.

Robust Programming Strategic Objectives

  • Promote relevant Library resources and offerings at every program
  • Create a robust and strong schedule of programs that cover a wide variety of topics, from book clubs to local history to multicultural explorations, which appeal to a diverse audience of all ages
  • Ensure that programming is balanced across target audience age ranges in order to achieve the goal that throughout a patrons’ entire lifespan they have equitable library offerings and services
  • Partner with community groups, businesses, and organizations whenever possible in order to create excellent programming for our patrons

Technological Literacy

Library patrons working together at a computer

As the Library continues to expand its digital offerings, it is vitally important that we center ourselves as an educational facility for community members who need assistance with emerging technologies.

Technological Literacy Strategic Objectives

  • Expand support for digital literacy and skills by developing technology and training classes related to library resources and offerings geared towards people of all ages
  • Ensure that thorough instructions and tutorials are provided with the release of new resources and technologies
  • Reflect on patron feedback and experiences to guide staff in collection development, promotional materials, and resources offered in regards to new and emerging technologies
  • Support and encourage staff training and professional development in all areas to ensure that staff are empowered to assist patrons
  • Inform the public about the resources available to them at the Library

Strategic Priorities: Community and Capacity

Our community is the backbone of public library service. We value patrons’ experiences both inside and outside of the Library. Menomonee Falls Public Library will focus on the advancement of the following areas in 2023 – 2027:

  • Building Our Capacity
  • Community Partnerships

Building Our Capacity

child peeking through a hole in the tree in the children's library

There is no doubt about it that the Library is more than a building. However, there is also a lot to be said for the Library’s facilities. Menomonee Falls Public Library is a bright and expansive 55,000 square foot building with many areas for patrons to gather, study, play, and read. Focusing on the future, we remain determined to provide the best possible facilities for our patrons and continue to provide upgrades as the budget allows. These changes will allow for patrons to truly get the best out of their Library.

Building our Capacity Strategic Objectives

  • Upgrade children’s spaces in order to provide a welcoming, dynamic environment for children ages 0 –12 to use the library, explore their imagination, and develop both technological and screen-free skills
  • Develop co-working spaces for adults to reserve in order to conduct virtual interviews or to work with team members on a collaborative project
  • Expand refreshments area to include a variety of additional offerings including healthy choices in order to support patrons who use our spaces
  • Be aware of the way our patrons are using the Library and continue to invest funds in maintaining, improving, and promoting available spaces

Community Partnerships

library partner group at their table at a library event

Menomonee Falls Public Library knows just how valuable and important our community is. To that end, we strive to recognize this with continued community partnerships. Exploring opportunities for collaboration, outreach, and promotion to our community and in our community is an ongoing goal that will be highlighted in the next five years.

Community Partnerships: Strategic Objectives

  • Market and grow the Menomonee Falls Library Friends, a 501(c)(3) group that supports the Library with funding for programming, staff development, and more, through promotion and outreach
  • Work with community groups, schools, and organizations to develop programs, partner on projects, and immerse the Library as a vitally important part of the Village
  • Work to increase active cardholder membership by 25% by the end of 2027 through concerted marketing and promotional efforts
  • Ensure that community members are welcome and encouraged to give feedback about their library experience and library offerings at all times