Mission Statement [purpose]
The Grand Ledge Area District Library will acquire and make readily available resources in a variety of formats, including appropriate technology, to meet the educational, recreational and informational needs of the community it serves.
Vision Statement [destination]
Our vision is to provide vibrant resources and inclusive spaces for people to thrive through innovation, education, and entertainment.
Goals -- Strategic Plan Progress Highlights 🌟
How will the Library achieve its Mission and arrive at its Vision to meet the needs of our communty? The Library Board, Staff with input from the 2021 Library Survey set these goals for the Library.
Here’s how we’re bringing our 2023–2027 Strategic Plan to life—backed by real results!
📚 Goal 1: Spark Imagination, Joy & Enrichment
GLADL will enhance lives by providing recreational reading, free entertainment, access to the arts, and opportunities to create and have fun.
GLADL welcomed over 74,000 visitors last year—a 13% increase! More than 22,000 people attended programs ranging from author talks to crafting workshops. Digital borrowing also climbed to over 52,000 items, showing growing demand for ebooks, audiobooks, and streaming.
From our Program Evaluations we heard…
- “Fabulous activity’s for all ages — pie crust making… very fun, creative activity.”
- “Painting — more painting canvas!”
- “Love True Crime… anything history/genealogy based.”
🎨 Participants frequently mentioned how much they enjoyed hands-on, creative programs and entertainment-focused events.
From our 2024 Survey we heard…
- “Events for both kids and adults”
- “All the activities offered for adults and children.”
- “Community involvement”
- “We visit the library for children’s time every Tuesday. It’s done very well!”
- “[F]un free resources, activities/events etc.”
- “It also sponsors adult events, community events, classes on computers and phones”
- “The kids programs!”
📖 Goal 2: Promote Learning & Literacy
GLADL will provide opportunities beyond traditional reading and writing to include multiple literacies.
We provided 342 Tech 411 sessions, offering one-on-one help with devices and digital skills. With over 24,000 database uses, patrons are diving into everything from research to career prep. Traditional reading is strong too, with nearly 98,000 books and newspapers checked out—a 7% increase!
From our Program Evaluations we heard…
- “Getting to learn more about Indian Culture. Soap Making… fun!”
- “Wanted to learn about writing… more writing classes.”
- “Henna is really cool and neat. Games.”
🧠 Feedback shows strong interest in learning experiences tied to culture, writing, science, and artistic expression.
From our 2024 Survey we heard…
- “Digital access to many books.”
- “Wide variety of books, easy of getting hotspots.”
- “Variety of children’s books”
- “Absolutely LOVE being able to check out audio books!!!”
🤝 Goal 3: Serve as a Community Connector
GLADL will engage patrons beyond the library building to provide collections, services, and information about community resources and activities.
We answered more than 8,000 reference questions and now serve over 12,500 cardholders—our highest ever. Whether it’s in person, online, or access to statewide resources through MelCat (with patrons borrowing 6,700 items in 2024), GLADL continues to be a trusted hub for connection and discovery.
From our Program Evaluations we heard…
- “Correlated with downtown trick or treat and bubbles.”
- “Homeschool activities… programs during school hours.”
- “Interested in events I can attend as a single adult… most friends live in Lansing.”
🌆 Comments reflect success in community-based programming and a desire for more inclusive and flexible engagement opportunities
From our 2024 Survey we heard (for our library and our community)
- “More community events”
- “More young kid activities”
- “More events (and places for them), more eating places. I love the events that are happening at the library.”
- “More programs for seniors”
- “More classes/services, and an eventual bigger library”
- “More adult activities”
- “Outdoor childrens activities”
- “[M]ore activities for families that aren’t outdoors”
- “Outdoor activities, things to do with children in the morning, increased walkability”
- “[G]roups to join that have people 20-40”
- “More events to build community”
- “More outdoor activities for seniors. Place for all night sky viewing”
🏩 Goal 4: Future-Ready Facility
GLADL will be a destination that is accessible, attracts visitors, accommodates meetings and programs, and provides the necessary infrastructure to support current and future needs for collections, services, and technology.
With 22,000+ WiFi sessions and 43,000 website visits, our digital infrastructure is strong. Add that to growing foot traffic and expanded quiet and creative spaces, and GLADL is truly becoming the community’s favorite “third place.”
From our Program Evaluations we heard…
- “Very friendly staff and clean building”
- “Basket making, painting pottery, escape room”
- “More STEM space — robots”
- “More author meetings”
🏛️ These reflect appreciation for the current space and interest in expanding hands-on, tech-integrated, and meeting-based activities.
From our 2024 Survey we heard…
- “The location to the downtown. My kids can go there after school.”
- “Convenient, friendly, helpful, well stocked and comfortable.”
- “[L]ocation and beautiful facility!
- “Location, ease of use”
- “Always available with good hours to go in person and lots of digital content”
- “Conveniently located and easily accessible. Friendly and helpful staff with a nice selection of materials to use and read
🌱 Goal 5: Sustainable Stewardship
GLADL will be responsible and transparent in the wise use of our community’s resources, will plan for the future, will honor the past, and will be committed to fiscal sustainability.
From expanding access to digital tools to supporting lifelong learning, every visit reflects our commitment to value, transparency, and thoughtful planning for the future. Our services are growing—because so is our community.
From our Program Evaluations we heard…
- “Writing resources / community / learning”
- “I would really like to see more weekly/monthly/regular reading programming for children… something like a book club to become a consistent thing in their routine.”
🌎 These comments suggest a desire for consistency and deeper resource investment in literacy-based programming, aligning with long-term planning and thoughtful use of resources.
Events to Engage Readers of All Ages
Tech to Connect to your World
Resources Ready When You Are
Library Survey 2024 Results
GLADL was fortunate to be able to participate in a community survey conducted statewide by the University of Michigan School of Information and made possible in part by the Library of Michigan and Library Services and Technology Act Funds from the Institute of Museum and Library Services.
High Overall Satisfaction with the Library
Friendly and Comfortable Atmosphere
Friendly, patient, knowledgeable staff that is willing to help
I like that it is within walking distance of my house, that the children’s collection is extensive, that it is easy to MEL anything I want, and that the reading programs have been thoughtfully crafted to push young readers to grow.
The events they put on for the kids. My kids love to learn at the library!
The Staff’s willingness to help myself and also kiddos in the library. Everyone has always been so kind and helpful even in the early days of our reading journey when I wasn’t sure where or how to look for my interests. The staff is top notch.
“Friendly staff, ease of getting books I want”
“The helpful staff.”
“The staff! They are so welcoming. I also love that they host events that bring people in. For example the Youth Art Exhibit.”
“Curbside and EXCEPTIONAL staff”
“The staff that assists my needs when im in the building”
The survey received 85 responses to, “If you could change one thing about your community’s library, what would it be?” The top 4 themes with your suggestions were...
Theme #1: Updates to Library Facility (32 responses)
- “Add outdoor space to read or gather”
- “Move it to a bigger building.”
- “Wish it was bigger! A combined Library and Community Center would be great.”
- “Bigger with more selection of physical books”
- “I wish there were more hands on toys for the kids to use while at the library.”
- “A second location (Wacousta)”
Theme #2: Collections Suggestions (24 responses)
- “More self learning books on information technology and programming”
- “More current book titles and multiple copies.”
- “Too many books stay too long in the new books shelves and it is difficult to separate to actual new books.”
- “The fiction section is lacking. Often, I will come in with several new book recommendations and it’s rare when I am able to find any them in house. The access to MelCat is beneficial but I always want to support our local library first.”
Theme #3: Increased Library Programming (11 responses)
- “More programs for adults”
- “Offer more programs”
- “Periodic events for homeschoolers”
- “I would greatly appreciate a series of technology classes including laptop and iPhone ins- and outs-. Also how to access “the old-fashioned card catalog filing system.””
- “I would like to see more school-aged children’s programming during the school year on week nights – like a book club with discussions, acting out, or crafts related to the book topic that meets once a week for a few weeks in a row – like Monday nights or Sunday afternoons. I think the summer reading program should last the whole summer and not end too early…kids need the incentive to keep reading all summer long.”
Theme #4: Don’t Change a Thing! (10 responses)
Ten respondents indicated that they would not change anything or could not think of anything to change about how the library is currently functioning.
Your Ideas in Action -- THANKS!
We really appreciate our patrons feedback and suggestions. We have been able to put into action several ideas from our surveys and from patrons visiting the library. We are always trying to make the most of our space and collections to meet the needs of our community. THANK YOU!
First of all, let me say that I very much enjoy the Grand Ledge Area District Library! Thank you for all you do to meet the information, education, and entertainment needs of this community. It is greatly appreciated!
Within that greater context of appreciation, I’d like to weigh in on one aspect of your collection processing that I am not enthusiastic about.
I would like to suggest that you reconsider your decision to no longer spine label genre fiction.
I understand that the reasoning is that genre labels are sometimes inexact (some genres overlap; some genres are emerging; etc.), but I don’t think that’s a good reason for abandoning the practice. Genre fiction readers (whether mystery, romance, sci fi, etc.) don’t expect spine labels to be perfect. But the labels provide a very important point of access while browsing.
It is time-consuming to browse the fiction shelves in search of genre fiction. I’m a mystery reader, and I tend to like to browse through a dozen or so mysteries before choosing three or four to check out. But in order to browse a dozen mysteries, since they’re interfiled with other fiction and not labeled in any way that identifies them as mysteries, I have to browse up to around 100 fiction books if I want to find twelve potential mysteries, in order to find three or four to take home. It’s not a pleasant library experience, so I find myself going to the bookstore instead, where they have a mystery section.
Thanks — it is certainly nice to be appreciated. And thank you for understanding the difficultiies of picking just one genre. We do appreciate the time constraints of our patrons, so we have implemented back into our processing Mystery genre stickers.
We also include on our spine labels series information to make it easier for patrons to locate the next book with their favorite characters — we hope this helps with making your selections.
Maybe it already exists, but a way to request books and audio books to be added to the library.
We love to get Purchase Suggestions from our patrons — please let us know what you would like — we don’t have the space or funds to buy everything but we want our collection to be responsive to patron’s needs.
I wish there were more hands on toys for the kids to use while at the library
We are adding more toys to our rotation of manipulatives — check them out this summer! We love the stories that our young patrons have created around the puppet theater and look forward to hearing what they will create in these new settings.
We have added board games that patrons can check out and use in the library to our collections. We also offer rotating games at the tables in the childrens and youth areas. Some of the games for the children are STEAM activities and some of the youth games can be as simple as a deck of UNO cards or checkers. We have found that these items have been creating opportunities for patrons to interact. We have also added a community puzzle in our DVD area that many patrons enjoy contributing to when they visit.
Expand children’s area
We have added new shelving for our Children picture book (juvenile easy) and for our juvenile non-fiction collections. This new arrangement has also given us a bit more space for our very popular VOX talking book collection and space to highlight new children’s books.
Our beloved new book bookcase has a new home near our DVD collections and is now highlight our Library of Things — we hope you try one of these fascinating kits and explore the world of STEAM. And to maximize our visiting contractor we were able to add addional shelving for Adult New Fiction, with that change gave more space to Adult Non-Fiction, Graphic Novels, and Adult Biography. We hope you will stop in to see our new spaces.
Put childrens computer in a different spot – it always causes a distraction w/ my kids
We moved our AWE childrens computer to less central location to make it accessible, but not the focus of the children’s area.
If it is possible, a second set of headphones or a second station in the children’s area. I have two children and that is one of their favorite things to do. To avoid fighting, my husband and I bring them in separately so each one gets their “turn”, but if they could play the educational games together or have two workstations, that would make it easier.
Done — you should find 2 headphones and splitter attached to the AWE children’s computer. Enjoy!
If you are visiting and find the headphones are broken (these things happen) or missing (we may be cleaning them) — just let us know. Thanks!
The staff is so kind and friendly when we are there! My kids would enjoy some more hands on opportunities while we are there looking for books- like some puzzles set our or blocks or even a seasonal sensory bin or something.
Thanks, we try our best! We have brought back our puppet theater, blocks and puzzles. And at our central table we are rotating different manipulatives for something different to do when visiting the library — We will be exploring texture, engineering, magnets, and a few other intersting topics!
More programs for adults
We have increased our adult programming to include afternoon Adult Bingo as well speakers on historical topics, writing, financial planning, and health. Check out our event calendar.
Library Survey 2021 Results
Almost 300 community members responded to our survey — THANK YOU! We really apprecaite your time, comments and feedback. Here are the results of the survey:
How likely is it that you would recommend GLADL to a friend?
9.2!
I love the library! I always feel happy coming in and my four kids love it too.
Lived here most of my life. Started reading early in my childhood, binging on Nancy Drew Mysteries. Loved the GL Library then, love it now!
Absolutely LOVE your locker option to pick up my books!! 🙂
We love visiting this library and appreciate your times you’re open. Not very many libraries are accessible 7 days a week.