2021 Annual Report

If 2020 was largely consumed by scrambling to survive an unprecedented challenge, then 2021 was spent achieving unprecedented successes at CALS. These are the product of hard work and planning by all of our staff. Despite the COVID-19 pandemic, we tasked our outreach team with hitting the streets and bringing the library to the community. We received an overwhelming vote of confidence from citizens who approved a millage increase for operations that will enable us to continue meeting needs that only a world-class library system can address. And we continued to find new ways to engage with patrons despite battling two COVID surges in 2021 that greatly hampered in-person program planning.

For us at the library, we are grateful for the honor and the support of other local agencies that collaborate with CALS. We also know that with this award comes the responsibility of maintaining our focus on serving the community in whatever ways we can. We promise to strive to continue to meet the standards of excellence reflected in the Kline Community Impact Prize. As we head into the final year of the CALS Strategic Plan, we find ourselves focusing on pulling together the last bits of the plan that were set out in 2019, including renovating some of our facilities and spaces, as well as looking inward and focusing on our organizational culture. Both projects have elements that are in the works already. We can’t wait to show you what 2022 has in store for your local library.