Pierce County Library System
Information & Imagination

About Us

Overview

Pierce County Library System developed a facilities master plan: Pierce County Library 2030. This is an exciting and significant planning project to determine what library services and buildings are needed to serve communities. The Library sought the public’s ideas and opinions, so it could deliver services where, when and how individuals and families will want. Goals for the plan:

• The Library reflects what is important and valued by community members and families.
• Library buildings are where people want to use them for easy, convenient access.
• Library branches will continue to be community centers and the heart of communities.

Pierce County Library 2030 formed a basis for facility improvements, including potential future buildings, expansions, or replacements of library branches. The plan charted a course to provide library buildings in convenient locations and appropriate sizes to meet the needs of growing and changing communities as well as to offer buildings that are designed to provide contemporary library services for today and tomorrow. The plan identified new ways to deliver services to people in areas where buildings are not conveniently available.

The Library completed the plan in winter 2010. The final plan:

• Provides a vision for growing communities that are challenged to create places that bring people together.
• Gives consideration to community partnerships and shared facilities that provide added public value and benefits.
• Charts new territory of high service and efficiency.
• Represents ideas from local residents.

The overall system plan for effectively serving communities throughout Pierce County will include:

• Assessment of current and projected library services and buildings.
• A range of options for the types of facilities and methods to deliver library services including full service libraries, branches in shopping malls, kiosks for library services in high traffic or remote areas, partnership locations, remote places to pick up and return items people put on hold and check out, mailing materials, self-service libraries with after-hours access, bookmobile delivery, and technology offerings.
• Guidelines for the level of service, including the number of books, movies, CDs, and other items; technology needs such as the number of computers for public use; amount of seating; space for library programs; places for group study; and the overall size of library buildings.
• Recommendation of where library buildings or tangible services should be located based upon current patterns of how people use libraries, anticipated population growth, and recommended levels of library service.
• Identification of libraries to be renovated, expanded, relocated, or added.

Overview Flyer