Over the next three years, residents will see many exciting and innovative changes for Arlington Public Library, including a brand new, state-of-the-art central library in the heart of Downtown.

Utilizing feedback from focus groups, surveys, and discussions held with citizens and stakeholders throughout the city, the library has crafted a three-year strategic plan that will serve as a springboard for what Library Director Cary Siegfried calls "a new era of library service" for the residents of The American Dream City.

Arlington Public Library's website offers a detailed look at the three-year plan, which was unveiled during the afternoon session of the City Council meeting on November 10, 2015.

"Three years may seem like a short period, but during this time, we will open the new George W. Hawkes Central Library and begin planning for the opening of a new East Branch library," Siegfried said. "These new facilities will be game-changers for library service in Arlington, and the work we've outlined in our strategic plan will prepare us for this transformation."

The plan, titled Education x Experiences = Empowerment, or E², outlines priorities and goals the library identified in response to community feedback gathered through focus groups and surveys conducted earlier in the year. Educational and entertaining programming for all ages, opportunities to explore and develop individual creative talents, and creating lasting community connections are all key strategies in the plan.

Siegfried said that collaboration, innovation, and passion are at the heart of the library's strategic plan, and that she and the entire library staff look forward to implementing its new strategies and seeing how these goals will shape patron experiences and community connections in Arlington.

To learn more about the new George W. Hawkes Central Library, please visit the project's website.