The Silver Bay Public Library has been an essential part of the city since 1955. Recently, residents have been voicing their appreciation for Library Director Shannon Walz and her staff. The recent additions to the space have caused one resident I spoke with to label the facility “Silver Bay’s living room”. Last week, the Library Board unveiled their strategic plan for 2026- 2029.
The Library’s mission to the community is to provide “an interactive information and enrichment center that enhances community life by engaging all generations in lifelong learning and fun.” In meeting this mission, the staff are focused on providing a respectful, comfortable and welcoming space to all customers. Additionally, staff are working to develop programming for all ages while meeting changing community needs. Over the last five years, the library has seen some fluctuation in the number of community members who are active cardholders. There are around 1717 current cardholders using the facility. This number has dropped some over the past couple of years, but there has been a corresponding increase in online users over that same time period. Online availability of library materials has kept circulation pretty steady over the last three years. There are 141 library programs that can be accessed either virtually, at the library or at other locations around town and the number of folks participating in these programs has risen dramatically since 2021.
The strategic plan lays out four goals that staff will work toward. Goal number one is to build awareness of AI (artificial intelligence) technology by educating staff, the board and the community about artificial intelligence and to develop policy that defines the use of AI within library operations. Library staff will participate in 2 to 3 trainings about the use of AI and will host programs to introduce AI to the community as a whole. Goal number two is to ensure that the library has sustainable funding for operations into the future. This includes educating the community on library funding needs and working with the community and the board to help advocate for funding needs. Goal number three is to increase community engagement by increasing communication about expanding the variety of programming options available. Additionally, staff will look at adjusting the hours of operation to better serve the community’s needs and will seek to engage people who don’t identify as library users.
The 2026 – 2029 Strategic Plan is available to interested residents at the library. The plan comes on the heels of the completion of the recent library renovation and addition of 2024. The Silver Bay Public Library provides vital services and physical space that is not duplicated in other areas of the community. Help support this important Silver Bay institution!
