Timberland Regional Library Director Cheryl Heywood, left, and District Manager Trisha Cronin, right, met with Winlock residents Wednesday to hear questions, concerns and suggestions about the library.
In a “gap year” between long-term strategic plans, Timberland Regional Library has produced its Action Plan for 2019 — with a focus on engaging its communities as it plans for the future, following the botched rollout of a proposal that would have closed a third of the five-county system’s libraries.
“This was a document that took almost the entire staff to provide input into the activities of this year,” library director Cheryl Heywood said at last week’s TRL board meeting. “This is a plan that is a transitional plan, because this is like a gap year.”
This year falls in between Timberland’s 2014-18 Strategic Plan and the 2020-22 plan that’s still being drafted. It also comes following the release of the Capital Facilities Proposal late last year, a sweeping document created outside of the public eye that would have closed a third of TRL’s 27 libraries with an eye toward non-traditional library service and reaching more people without physical buildings.
That plan was rejected by Timberland’s board following a strong backlash from community leaders, library staffers and elected officials in the five counties the library serves.
The 2019 Action Plan outlines several levels of engagement that will be used to inform the more long-term document. Those include a community questionnaire, staff conversations with patrons at local libraries, presentations in select communities and committees of local residents to provide recommendations.
This year’s plan also outlines goals for programming, software upgrades and facility improvements, including specific objectives for each library. Centralia, for example, is focused on increasing early learning opportunities for families. Chehalis is tasked with promoting the library as a central community gathering space.
Timberland leadership did not offer comment to The Chronicle on the plan. Administrative staffers and board members have noted that drastic changes may be necessary, as the library’s limited revenue increases are not keeping pace with rising costs. TRL has already put in place a systemwide soft hiring freeze to address a deficit that’s projected at more than $600,000 this year.
During the TRL board’s meeting last Wednesday, board members pushed back on continued criticism after a pair of patrons said during the public comment period that they still distrust Heywood and want more accountability.
“I trust Cheryl,” said board member Brenda Hirschi. “The only people who do not make mistakes are people who are doing nothing. … I am losing patience with having evening after evening that we come in here for these meetings and have folks beating up on our staff. I am tired of it.”
Several other board members echoed that sentiment, saying explicitly that they trust Heywood and believe she’s learned her lesson from the Capital Facilities Proposal backlash.
“Some of these horses have long been dead, and we don’t need to kill them again every meeting,” said board member Bob Hall.
When the board renewed Heywood’s contract in December, they issued strong rebukes on all 11 categories in which she was evaluated, according to a document obtained by The Chronicle.
The public furor that erupted last year started with the near-closure of the Mountain View Library in Randle, and board members signaled last week that they intend to renew the building lease before it expires this fall. In the meantime, Timberland leaders will meet with the Randle community in May to discuss fundraising for a new building and soliciting advice on possible new locations. It will take “multiple years,” Heywood said, before Mountain View’s long-term home is determined.
The board also voted to audit its entire system for compliance with the Americans with Disabilities Act, after noting that the libraries in Randle and Packwood will definitely need upgrades. In addition, the board nixed plans to install a keycard access system in Winlock, a response to community concerns that having the library open with no staff present could be a safety issue.
“They don’t seem eager to have Open+ in Winlock yet, and based on that it’s a wise move to back off,” said board member Brian Zylstra, a Chehalis resident.
Zylstra also expressed support for Lewis County commissioner Edna Fund’s suggestion that Timberland reestablish its foundation to solicit fundraising.
Meanwhile, board member Hal Blanton, a Packwood resident, said that TRL’s engagement needed to focus on restoring a good working relationship between Timberland’s leadership and its branch staff in the field.
“One of the things I’ve heard recently is staff vs. admin, and that’s concerning,” he said. “I see it as an opportunity for a real healing time in TRL. … It goes back to the rural vs. urban makeup of our library. Well is it us against them and admin against staff? No, but it can be perceived that way, and that’s where mistrust comes in.”
