Mission Statement | Library Values | Strategic Roadmap | Mesa County Libraries’ Commitment to Diversity and Anti-Racism | How Are We Funded? | Library Foundation | Library History | Library Newsletters | Library Policies | Requests for Proposals | Staff | Support the Library | Freedom to Read
Mission Statement
Mesa County Libraries enrich lives and build community through opportunities to learn, discover, create, and connect.
Library Values
- Kindness: We are friendly, considerate, and welcoming.
- Passion: We bring energy and commitment to our work.
- Respect: We value individuals’ feelings, rights, and traditions.
- Integrity: We are open, honest, and reliable.
Strategic Roadmap
Beginning in 2023, Mesa County Libraries adopted a Strategic Roadmap to guide library operations and help the organization better serve the community.
A Strategic Roadmap is different from a traditional Strategic Plan in some key ways. A Strategic Roadmap is a constant cycle of evaluation, feedback, and adjustment. The research happens annually, and community feedback is more instantaneous than with a Strategic Plan, where research happens every 3-5 years. Because the research for a Strategic Roadmap is annual, the library can adjust course and choose a different focus area.
Library departments use the Strategic Roadmap’s Focus Areas to develop activities and pursue new opportunities while possibly leaving behind some activities or services that no longer fit the focus areas. With a limited number of focus areas, the library departments can more easily move together in the same direction.
In addition to gathering hard data, library staff will meet with various community stakeholder groups each year to learn how the current roadmap is working and whether changes are needed. Then the library will determine whether and how the roadmap needs to be adjusted for the following year.
Mesa County Libraries Promises…
- To build community through partnerships. We will connect with community partners to assist under-served populations, to participate in the community’s growth, and to unite people through shared interests.
- To connect people with life-changing stories. We will share beloved stories, ignite love for reading, impart new perspectives, and help people tell and share their stories.
- To provide library services equitably. We will respect diversity, accommodate individuals requiring alternative access, expand access to educational resources, provide free library services whenever possible, and eliminate other barriers to use.
- To encourage curiosity and support learning. We will support people’s educational goals and offer a variety of resources for all learning preferences.
- To support civic engagement with diverse viewpoints. We will facilitate learning; conversations; and the exchange of multiple viewpoints, ideas, and experiences within the community.
Areas of Focus
Social Safety Net
The library offers resources and services to connect people in need with information, including access to community partners and their resources.
Examples of current services:
- Public computers and Wi-Fi access
- Community Information tables
- Words on Wheels delivery service
Awareness and Accessibility
Staff increase the library’s visibility in library resources, programs and services to reach new people and improve library access by reviewing library policies, procedures, and practices for inequity.
Examples of current services:
- e-newsletters
- Community presentations by library staff
- Enabling easier catalog searches for diverse material
Community and Belonging
Library events and services offer interaction and engagement for people with one another. Staff also connect people with stories where they see themselves or get a view into another’s life experiences as well as provide platforms and resources to share their stories.
Examples of current services:
- Discovery Garden
- Book clubs
- Adult Learning Center classes
Download the Mesa County Libraries Strategic Roadmap (PDF)
Mesa County Libraries’ Commitment to Diversity and Anti-Racism
As an advocate of freedom and equality in all their many forms, Mesa County Libraries support diversity in our community, our libraries, and in the collections, resources, and activities that we offer. We believe diverse voices must be heard, and we commit to supporting that belief by ensuring diversity in authors and topics in our books and other resources. Further, we condemn racism and urge greater understanding and empathy among the many races, cultures, and religions that make up our community.
Mesa County Libraries are early in the process of planning a Year of Focus centered on the topic of racism. Similar to the One Book, One Mesa County events that our library hosted several years ago, the Year of Focus will include reading materials, activities, and events designed to thoroughly explore racism. The end result for the community, we hope, will be greater understanding and appreciation among Mesa County residents for our differences, our histories, and our cultures. We want to contribute to the ongoing dialogue about these issues in our community.
We anticipate starting this Year of Focus in late 2020. As planning begins, we will be inviting the community’s participation in the effort. In addition, Mesa County Libraries invite feedback from the community about how we’re doing in our quest to offer diversity in our collections. You can reach us by emailing feedback@mcpld.org or by calling 970-243-4442.
Signed,
Michelle Boisvenue-Fox, director, Mesa County Libraries
Barry Blanchard, president, Mesa County Public Library District Board of Trustees
How is the Mesa County Public Library District funded?
The Mesa County Public Library District relies heavily on property taxes to support operations. As a result, the general economy and changes in property values have major impacts on the district’s revenue streams.
The library district receives most of its funding through a 3.00 mill levy that appears on individual property owners’ tax bills. This was approved by Mesa County voters in 1990. Additional revenue sources include Specific Ownership Taxes, charges for services, interest income, reimbursement for lost library materials, and other miscellaneous items. The Mesa County Libraries Foundation contributes additional support through fundraising projects.
In 1997, the voters approved the Mesa County Public Library District’s exemption from certain TABOR limitations.
Specific financial information is detailed in annual financial updates including the annual audits and annual reports found on our Board of Trustees/Reports page.