San Mateo County Libraries:
Five-Year Strategic Plan

San Mateo County Libraries (SMCL) chose InterEthnica to develop an equity-centered strategic plan to ensure their services remain inclusive, accessible, and adaptable to the evolving needs of San Mateo County’s diverse communities. Fostering inclusivity while continuing to grow accessibility—especially for underrepresented groups—made InterEthnica a uniquely suited partner for this pioneering endeavor. 

​

​Employing an inclusive and data-driven strategy, InterEthnica conducted community engagement and research in tandem with library staff and leadership engagement. Through multilingual surveys, focus groups, community leader interviews, working group sessions, governing board workshops, leadership retreats, and more, rich qualitative insights were garnered on how the library can best adapt to the changing needs of San Mateo County's diverse communities. The engagement, coupled with an organizational assessment, library trend report, and mission statement workshop, brought forward holistic insights into key strategic planning questions: Where are we now? Where do we want to go? Who do we serve? Who do we need to serve? How do we benefit the community? How do we uplift equity? How do we get to where we want to be? What might stand in the way?

 

With these insights, InterEthnica crafted a strategic plan that positions SMCL as an essential community anchor, reflecting a commitment to equitable, relevant, and impactful services shaped by community insights, focusing on five strategic goals that reinforce SMCL as a trusted space community grows and thrives. With a design that blends thoughtful language and creative graphic design, the strategic plan places people and their needs at the center, aligning SMCL’s organizational goals with community aspirations​​​​​.