DAUPHIN COUNTY LIBRARY SYSTEM
Open for Discovery
Programs and results
What we aim to solve
The Library is seeking to address social equity in our community as it relates to digital access, basic literacy, computer literacy, civic literacy, health literacy, information literacy, and financial literacy. We are examining our policies, procedure, staffing, and internal structure for barriers to service and seeking to remove those barriers. Our goal is to expand on our reputation as a trusted community institution to be certain we are a welcoming, safe, and productive "place to belong" for the entire community. We are also retooling spaces and resources to support pandemic recovery and to serve as a "second responder" for our community.
Our programs
What are the organization's current programs, how do they measure success, and who do the programs serve?
Book & Resource Lending
The Library loans print and digital items more than 1 million times per year. Care is taken to be certain that the collections provided support community needs, represent our diverse community, allow community members to see themselves and learn about cultural differences through the materials, and provide accurate and in-depth resources for understanding broad social issues.
Promotion of Literacy
The Library promotes and supports the development of literacy for all ages, starting at birth, through access to informational and recreational reading resources, free computers and Internet access, in-library and outreach programming, and partnerships with schools and community agencies.
Born to Read
Born to Read is a program for new parents and others caring for infants to encourage the development of language and reading skills starting at birth. The first 3 years of a child's life are critical to forming the basis for language and reading and for breaking the cycle of illiteracy. This program helps new parents learn how to read with a baby, engage them with rhyme, sounds and words, and how to practice those skills at home together. And it's fun!
Life Skills for Adults
The Library offers adult programming that supports job seeking, creativity, and the five PA Forward literacies: basic, information (computer), civic and social, health and financial. Programs include such offerings as job fairs, basic computer skills, geneaology, and many more.
School Readiness & Support
The Library provides resources to allow children and parents to build skills that will help the child be ready for school, and assist students of all ages with their studies. These resources include regular storytime and discovery program series, STEM programming, Open for Discovery bags (grab-and-go bags of age-appropriate books, music and more), and resources for educators and child caregivers such as Assignment Alert and Project Success.
Community Hub
The Library serves as a connection point for community members for group learning and meetings. Community Meeting Rooms are offered at 8 locations, programs for all ages are held both at the libraries and out in the community through outreach.
Community Outreach--MARCO!
MARCO, The Library's exploration station, is a custom outfitted vehicle that brings library service out into the community. MARCO visits schools, child care centers, fairs, sports events, shelters, community agencies and partners across the county. MARCO is equipped for group computer training, program delivery and a small resource collection for borrowing.
Pandemic Recovery
The Library is currently supporting the community with pandemic recovery. Through a partnership with Dauphin County Human Services, the library assists residents with successfully completing applications for rental relief funds. Staff is also assisting with job applications, unemployment applications, and a host of related services. Libraries provide charging for devices, public computers, free wi-fi, and free high speed Internet access.
Where we work
Awards
Dauphin County Premier Project 2020
Tri-County Regional Planning Commission
External reviews
Photos
Our Sustainable Development Goals
Learn more about Sustainable Development Goals.
Goals & Strategy
Reports and documents
Download strategic planLearn about the organization's key goals, strategies, capabilities, and progress.
Charting impact
Four powerful questions that require reflection about what really matters - results.
What is the organization aiming to accomplish?
Provide a welcoming place to learn and belong.
Encourage and support literacy at all levels, for all ages and all walks of life.
Provide a fully diverse and inclusive collection of books, digital and other resources.
Partner with community agencies to support those in our community dealing with homelessness, food insecurity, job loss, mental health issues, and related issues by connecting them to community support services at the library and within the community.
Provide guidance and support in the area of digital and information literacy.
Assist in closing the digital divide by recognizing as not just an access gap, but also a skills gap.
What are the organization's key strategies for making this happen?
Remove as many barriers to information as possible
Provide professional guidance on information literacy
Reconfigure library spaces to be flexible and to support both individual and collaborative learning
Enhance existing community partnerships to assist those in crisis
Promote literacy in the key areas of: civic and social life, basic reading, finance, health, and information.
Provide neutral safe physical and digital spaces for difficult community conversations
Support workforce development for all ages, with special emphasis on science, technology, reading, engineering, arts, and math (what we now call STREAM) for youth via programs, print, and digital resources.
What are the organization's capabilities for doing this?
Our library system is very capable of meeting these goals, having completed two years of "turning outward" work using the Harwood Institute model, shifting our internal structures to be more community-facing and responsive, and educating our staff on this more engaged approach. Strong existing community partnerships have allowed us to test out this model of service, as has the launch of empathy-driven service based on Ryan Dowd's model for assisting the homeless and others in high need.
The Library has a strong Board of Trustees that fully embraces the goals and strategies, as well as dedicated, mission-driven staff and volunteers.
We've remained strong and intact through the pandemic, responding to the community's needs with new services swiftly implementing them. Those included outreach to the homeless community while physical locations were temporarily closed, curbside library pickup service, expanded digital resources, and the return to public computer access as soon as the libraries re-opened.
What have they accomplished so far and what's next?
The Library has:
Implemented empathy-driven service at all locations.
Begun to assist community members with pandemic recovery activities.
Begun a diversity, equity, and inclusion audit of the system with an expert in the field.
Developed one of the most diverse picture book collections in the country (see DiverseBookFinder.org).
Developed a Hidden Histories series that focuses on the voices largely unheard when discussing our community's history.
Empowered a staff user experience group and begun removing barriers to service identified by the committee.
Added to the collection and developed resource lists, newsletter articles, and programming around social equity and democracy in America in response to community demand.
Launched an internal diversity and inclusion committee to work with the DEI expert and staff to create long-lasting change.
To come:
Expand and enhance the McCormick Riverfront Library, the original library located in the capital city core, to serve as a cultural hub and learning support for the area schools and region.
Enhance STEM programming to include augmented/virtual reality for all ages.
Launch the Dauphin County Prison digital library service that has been developed.
Hire an HR Director with a focus on diversity, equity, and inclusion.
How we listen
Seeking feedback from people served makes programs more responsive and effective. Here’s how this organization is listening.
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How is your organization using feedback from the people you serve?
To identify and remedy poor client service experiences, To identify bright spots and enhance positive service experiences, To make fundamental changes to our programs and/or operations, To inform the development of new programs/projects, To identify where we are less inclusive or equitable across demographic groups, To strengthen relationships with the people we serve, To understand people's needs and how we can help them achieve their goals
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Which of the following feedback practices does your organization routinely carry out?
We collect feedback from the people we serve at least annually, We take steps to get feedback from marginalized or under-represented people, We aim to collect feedback from as many people we serve as possible, We take steps to ensure people feel comfortable being honest with us, We look for patterns in feedback based on demographics (e.g., race, age, gender, etc.), We look for patterns in feedback based on people’s interactions with us (e.g., site, frequency of service, etc.), We engage the people who provide feedback in looking for ways we can improve in response, We act on the feedback we receive, We tell the people who gave us feedback how we acted on their feedback, We ask the people who gave us feedback how well they think we responded
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What challenges does the organization face when collecting feedback?
It is difficult to find the ongoing funding to support feedback collection, Staff find it hard to prioritize feedback collection and review due to lack of time
Financials
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Operations
The people, governance practices, and partners that make the organization tick.
Connect with nonprofit leaders
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- Analyze a variety of pre-calculated financial metrics
- Access beautifully interactive analysis and comparison tools
- Compare nonprofit financials to similar organizations
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Connect with nonprofit leaders
SubscribeBuild relationships with key people who manage and lead nonprofit organizations with GuideStar Pro. Try a low commitment monthly plan today.
- Analyze a variety of pre-calculated financial metrics
- Access beautifully interactive analysis and comparison tools
- Compare nonprofit financials to similar organizations
Want to see how you can enhance your nonprofit research and unlock more insights? Learn More about GuideStar Pro.
DAUPHIN COUNTY LIBRARY SYSTEM
Board of directorsas of 02/22/2022
Ms. Annie Garner
Penn State Health
Term: 2020 - 2021
Jaquelyn Anderson
Penn National Insurance
Susan Anthony
Community Volunteer
Andrew Enders
Enders Insurance Assoc.
Diane McNaughton
PA Senate
Mary Moyer
Community Volunteer
Tara Sheaffer
Mid Penn Bank
Floyd Stokes
American Literacy Corp.
Jacquelyn M. Anderson
Penn National Insurance
Sara H. Beck
Catholic Charities
Francis Chardo
Dauphin County District Attorney
Brandon Flood
Commonwealth of PA
La-Verna Fountain
Community Volunteer
Jenna Lewis
Communities in Schools
Kelly Megonnel
Dauphin County
William Sutton
Mowery
Christopher Wonders
Shippensburg University
Board leadership practices
GuideStar worked with BoardSource, the national leader in nonprofit board leadership and governance, to create this section.
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Board orientation and education
Does the board conduct a formal orientation for new board members and require all board members to sign a written agreement regarding their roles, responsibilities, and expectations? Yes -
CEO oversight
Has the board conducted a formal, written assessment of the chief executive within the past year ? Yes -
Ethics and transparency
Have the board and senior staff reviewed the conflict-of-interest policy and completed and signed disclosure statements in the past year? Yes -
Board composition
Does the board ensure an inclusive board member recruitment process that results in diversity of thought and leadership? Yes -
Board performance
Has the board conducted a formal, written self-assessment of its performance within the past three years? Yes
Organizational demographics
Who works and leads organizations that serve our diverse communities? Candid partnered with CHANGE Philanthropy on this demographic section.
Leadership
The organization's leader identifies as:
Race & ethnicity
Gender identity
No data
Transgender Identity
No data
Sexual orientation
No data
Disability
No data