Strategic Plan 2025-2030

Where Curiosity, Creativity, and Community Thrive

Metuchen Public Library (MPL) Hears You.
We began our recent planning cycle to guide the library’s growth, allocate its resources, and shape our thinking about the future.

1,100+
Community Members Surveyed
950
Suggestions and ideas received
1000s
Data Points Analyzed

Information from over 1,100 Metuchen residents, library staff, Trustees, and Friends of the Library informs our new strategic plan. All say that Metuchen Public Library has a central role to play in our growing and changing community. The library is an important gathering spot offering programs that appeal to people of all ages and resources that can help everyone succeed.

Our new strategic plan reflects our thoughts about how best to position the library for the next few years. The plan provides strategies to modernize our building and energize our services, resources, and staff to serve everyone.

We heard from 950 residents when we asked for suggestions and ideas in an online and print survey. We reviewed thousands of data points to develop our new goals, including many thousands of thoughtful comments about our facility and services.

Our Vision

The vision describes our long-term dream for the library and its role in the community.

Metuchen Public Library – Where curiosity, creativity and community thrive

Our Mission

Our mission explains what we do and why we do it.

Metuchen Public Library inspires life-long learning and changes lives every day.

Our Shared Values

Equitable Access: We ensure equitable access to information, services, and space, welcoming everyone, removing barriers, and promoting diverse paths to learning and discovery so all individuals feel seen, respected, and empowered.
Free Expression: We champion curiosity and free expression by protecting every individual’s right to read, think, and explore in an open and safe environment.
Community Belonging: We nurture a sense of belonging through deep engagement, meaningful partnerships, and responsive programming that reflects our vibrant, evolving community.
Responsible Stewardship: We responsibly manage public resources, including, digital, physical, environmental, and human resources, to support today’s needs and ensure tomorrow’s vitality.
Lifelong Learning: We promote literacy, critical thinking, and joyful learning from birth through adulthood.
Empathy & Dignity: We treat everyone with empathy and dignity, creating a culture of kindness, support, and genuine care.
Innovation & Exploration: We inspire imagination, embrace new ideas, and foster exploration through dynamic services, technology, and experiences.
Teamwork: We believe in the power of teamwork and of our community to exceed expectations and achieve shared goals.
Exceptional Service: We go above and beyond to provide thoughtful, thorough, and exceptional service that uplifts every interaction, where every person feels inspired to return.

Strategic Goals 2025-2030

1

ALL PEOPLE WILL ENJOY A MODERN, ACCESSIBLE, AND WELCOMING LIBRARY AND COMMUNITY HUB

Provide a variety of renewed, modern spaces and programs, services and collections to serve all people in the library – to enjoy a performance or lecture, meet an author, meet friends, engage in discussions around an issue of importance to the community, or just to have fun.

2

METUCHEN PUBLIC LIBRARY IS THE COMMUNITY'S GO-TO DESTINATION FOR RESOURCES TO LIVE, WORK, LEARN, AND ACHIEVE THEIR DREAMS

Metuchen Public Library will be the community's living room, where everyone finds friendly assistance and resources, as well as all forms of content creation and learning tools.

3

METUCHEN PUBLIC LIBRARY WILL BE HERE FOR FUTURE GENERATIONS, WITH A POWERFUL BRAND, TALENTED STAFF, LOCAL PARTNERSHIPS, AND SUSTAINABLE FUNDING

Accomplish this through a renewed campaign to engage every individual, family, community organization, and group in a dialogue with the library. We will actively promote the library every day and support volunteers who advocate, raise funds, and assist in any way they can.