PLANNING

We are always at a crossroads…

Despite a modest population of approximately 9,000 residents and a compact footprint of 9.8 square miles, Ayer is one of the most dynamic growing communities in the state. Established in 1871 as a hub where five major railroad lines converged, Ayer developed into a socioeconomically and culturally diverse “micro-city” as it supported the needs of neighboring Fort Devens from its founding in 1917 through its closure in 19961.

Today, Ayer continues to embrace its early nickname—“The Great Junction”— as Greater Boston’s freight rail hub and an MBTA Commuter Rail stop at the intersection of Route 2 and 495, just a short drive from nearby Fitchburg Municipal Airport; as a home to more than 350 businesses in the heart of Nashoba Valley’s innovative Route 2 corridor; as the beneficiary of a charming, walkable downtown named one of USA Today’s “Best Places to Eat”2; and as a residential community recognized as a Boston Globe “Best Place to Live”3 for its high quality of life.

Mission

Whereas the well-being of this community relies on cooperative use of resources, our purpose is to facilitate sharing—what we can’t afford, can’t store, or don’t always use; what we experience, know, think, believe, create; what we want to preserve—the mission of the Ayer Library is…

To Grow Connection Through Sharing

Values

In February of 2021, the Ayer Library began working to develop a new Strategic Plan to help guide our operations for a five year period to begin July 1, 2022.  This planning effort represents our first significant attempt to gather information from the community about library services since the 1994 plan that built support for the 1997 expansion we inhabit today.

The Planning Process

Barbara Alevras of Sage Consulting Services facilitated the planning process.  Barbara assisted former director Tim Silva with the planning and hosting of focus groups and planning exercises for library staff members, the Library’s Board of Trustees, the Friends of the Ayer Library, and members of the community at large. In May 2021 we launched a Community Survey and received more that 250 responses from the broader community of library users.

Once the data-gathering exercises concluded and results were analyzed, we drafted a set of Goals and Objectives to form the core of the plan. These Goals & Objectives are intended to address needs and desires identified in the information gathered from the community, from internal assessments of the Library’s physical infrastructure, staffing, and technology, and from goals and objectives identified in the Town of Ayer’s 2017 Master Plan, among other sources.

Putting the Plan into Action

The Action Plan (Appendix G) lists the tasks that will help us achieve the Goals and Objectives that we’ve established. This Action Plan will be adjusted as we complete tasks, re-prioritize others, and add new tasks as necessary.

The final draft of the Strategic Plan was approved by the Library’s Board of Trustees on September 16, 2021 and was accepted by the Massachusetts Board of Library Commissioners (MBLC).

While not necessary for participation in the MBLC’s State Aid to Public Libraries Program, an approved Strategic Plan is a requirement for libraries that wish to apply for state funding from the Massachusetts Public Library Construction Program (MPLCP) or for federal Library Service and Technology Act (LSTA) grant funding administered by the MBLC. LSTA grants can fund a wide variety of projects and programs, including local history collection preservation assessments, renovations for service improvements, and supporting early childhood education programs.