Et cetera : The Open Book: Mission Possible

We provide a welcoming environment to grow and strengthen connections for everyone in our community."

This month we announced our new and improved mission statement. This is the lens we will use to guide the future decisions we make here at our library. Our previous mission statement focused on making our collections available, but our dedicated Board of Trustees and I decided that was too narrow. How do we capture the mission of our organization? How do we reflect the varying needs of our community members and find our place in meeting them, without duplicating services found elsewhere? We have patrons that depend on us for their printing services, their internet access. We're a stop along the school bus route after school. We're part of the team of educators passionate about encouraging literacy among children of all ages. We're one source of local historical information about our community. We are a safe, welcoming space to meet up with a friend. We're your source for books, magazines, newspapers, and movies. We are here because we believe in connections and are wholly embracing our new mission. We're grateful to all of our supportive patrons as we put this new mission statement into action!

Our library added a new book to our collection last month that I'm looking forward to reading: "Mother-Daughter Murder Night" by Nina Simon. It currently has 3.68 out of 5 stars on Goodreads and is one of Reese Witherspoon's Book Club picks. This is the first novel by the author, who describes her writing as 'crime novels about strong women'. Yes please!! The sleuths in this novel cover three generations of women, and I'm planning on taking it home this weekend for some pre-Halloween reading! It's currently available at VPL in regular type, and a large print copy is on order. See you at the library!

Mission: We provide a welcoming environment to grow and strengthen connections for everyone in our community.

Vision: We are dedicated to exceptional customer service and engaging our community. We enrich lives through access to resources, programs and collections that encourage lifelong learning and the love of reading.

Approved by Vinton Public Library Board of Trustees, October 2023