Mission:

The Santa Maria Public Library provides materials and services to help community residents obtain information to meet their personal, educational and professional needs. The Library features current, high demand, high interest materials in a variety of formats for persons of all ages in both Spanish and English. Special emphasis is placed on stimulating young children's interests to foster an appreciation for reading and learning.

Goals/Objectives:

1. Offer a wide variety of adult, young adult, and children's programs sponsored and funded by the Friends of the Library.

2. Continue partnerships with area schools by introducing students and teachers to Library resources that will assist students in their educational endeavors, with a focus on outreach visits to junior high schools.

3. Enhance the presentation experience in Shepard Hall through the installation of advanced audio-visual system controls and state-of-the-art equipment (projectors, sound amplification, speakers, etc.).

4. Seek grants and partnerships with other County library systems to enhance services to children and young adults.

5. Continue to form ties with area teens, involving them in the Library through programming and volunteerism on a year-round basis.

6. Provide computer instruction classes to community residents improve computer and technological skills.

7. Provide training for Library employees, especially in customer service, by offering basic bilingual class to staff on Library terminology and phrases.

8. Educate the public and increase usage of genealogy by offering courses and handouts in genealogical research to Library patrons.

9. Improve building security for the public and the staff by augmenting the video surveillance capacity (number of viewable cameras), to monitor younger patrons and help deter vandalism and thefts.

10. Improve emergency communications capability for library staff and emergency services personnel through the upgrade and enhance the library's transceiver network.