Strategic Plan
A library is a living thing.
Not just a building or a collection of materials, it’s an ecosystem of passionate individuals — users, visitors, volunteers and staff — rooted in our community and serving its evolving needs. The library is a third space — that rare location where anyone is welcome to come and pass as much time as they need, without spending any money, no matter their age or circumstances or identity. This space is warm in the winter and cool in the summer, and, if we’re lucky, it’s where we encounter ideas and experiences which challenge, grow, and change us. And like any living thing, a library itself needs to change and grow. This is a strategic plan for Portsmouth Public Library, by and for the people who aim to steward it through many seasons to come.
2023 Community Survey
Before writing our Strategic Plan, we conducted a Community Survey. We built the survey to help us better understand the needs of our community, and you did not disappoint! We had over 2,300 respondents, far exceeding our expectations, and were thrilled to hear from a range of residents, both those who use the library and those who do not. We are so grateful to all who completed the survey!
The survey found that the most important problems residents feel the city faces are: affordable housing, over-development, cost of living, parking, and climate change. We also learned that assessment of the library is overwhelmingly positive — with 96% of respondents rating it good or very good, citing in particular our customer service, building and facilities, and accessibility.
However, we were surprised to learn that some of our services were unfamiliar to over a third of respondents — including our lack of late fees. When asked to rank possible community projects, the top three choices among respondents were a permanent outdoor event space, homebound delivery, and a bookmobile.
These are just a few of our findings. For more...
