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<br />SECTION 2 – SCOPE OF WORK
<br />2.1 INTENT & BACKGROUND
<br />Everett Public Library (EPLS) is requesting proposals for a strategic consultant to develop a strategic
<br />planning process and plan that will result in EPLS's final Strategic Direction for 2026-2029.
<br />EPLS is a municipal public library serving approximately 111,000 people in Everett, Washington.
<br />In 2024, EPLS welcomed over 580,000 visitors through our doors, and patrons checked out 611,361 items
<br />in print and digital.
<br />Library programs, services, and events are provided in person, online, in libraries, and in the community in
<br />schools, partner locations, and at community events. EPLS collaborates with individuals, families, non-
<br />profits, other government agencies, and schools. EPLS’s 2025 approved budget is $5,293,711.
<br />EPLS’s most recent strategic plan, 2020-2024, extended through 2025, focuses on exceptional
<br />experiences, education and lifelong learning, engagement and inclusion, literacy and the cultural arts, and
<br />organizational culture and efficiency. EPLS’s mission is to connect the community and all its members to
<br />resources and services that inform, educate, and entertain, provide open access to lifelong learning, and
<br />embrace the future while preserving the past.
<br />Like other regions in Washington State and the nation, especially since the COVID-19 pandemic, the
<br />communities EPLS serves face many challenges, including affordable housing, homelessness, and mental
<br />health and opioid addiction. EPLS is responding to these challenges through programming, collection, staff
<br />training, partnerships, and efforts to engage with all communities in the service area.
<br />The City of Everett, along with other taxing districts, is restricted to a one percent (1%) increase in
<br />property tax levy, which has led to a structural deficit in the City’s general fund. The City’s general fund is
<br />the source for roughly 96% of EPLS funding.
<br />2.2 STRATEGIC PLAN OBJECTIVES
<br />EPLS expects to achieve the following objectives through this consultant solicitation:
<br />A. Develop a strategic planning process that includes significant stakeholder input.
<br />B. Deep engagement with internal and external stakeholders, including library staff and communities.
<br />C. Creation of a Strategic Direction for EPLS that identifies paths to and includes outcomes and impacts
<br />from 2026-2029.
<br />2.3 MILESTONES AND DELIVERABLES
<br />The expectation is that the Library Strategic Plan will include, at a minimum, the following information:
<br />A. Initial Project Planning
<br />1. Develop a detailed project plan for each phase of the project.
<br />2. Present an overview describing the consultant timeline, approach, and work plan to EPLS’s Board
<br />of Trustees, leadership, staff, stakeholders, and patrons.
<br />Exhibit C to Professional Services Agreement
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