The Boston Public Library Board of Trustees ratified the new strategic plan for the Boston Public Library on December 13, 2024. The plan, created in partnership with the team of Gensler | Margaret Sullivan Studios, will guide the BPL’s activities for the period 2025 – 2030.
Creation of the plan kicked off in January, 2023, with a series of stakeholder and community meetings, and was guided, along with the Gensler | MSS team, by a joint working group comprised of BPL staff and members of its leadership team. Over the course of 10 months, the workgroup developed a set of strategic roles, goals, and initiatives that outlined the BPL’s areas of greatest impact, and identified the ways in which the library could increase its effectiveness in those areas. The plan also includes a new mission and vision statement for the BPL.
Nearly 73 percent of residents of Boston live within a 15-minute walk of a BPL branch, meaning that BPL is a natural partner for a variety of city initiatives, and a critical resource for cultivating vibrant neighborhood life and community well-being. The new strategic roles were created to ensure the highest level of impact in the most critical roles that BPL plays in the life of the city, the Commonwealth, and beyond.
The new strategic roles of the BPL are:
Welcoming Destination
Creating active, inclusive third spaces where every person can chart their own path.
Trusted Resource
Connecting all people to reliable information and services that meet their needs and enrich their lives.
Community Engager
Expanding the reach of the library beyond its physical walls so we can meet and engage communities where they are.
Lifelong Learning and Research Partner
Empowering curiosity and a love of reading, discovery, and scholarly exploration for all.
