Libraries changing mission statement

Monday, Jan. 7, 2002 | 8:48 a.m.

The Las Vegas-Clark County Library District board will consider a new mission statement that promotes a better response to the needs of a diverse community.

A committee, by a 3-0 vote with one abstention Friday, forwarded the statement to the board. But first it debated several words in the adjective-peppered document, including "responsive."

"We are not a homogeneous population -- we have a rich population of diversity and ethnic heritage, so our community libraries need to meet the needs of such a population," Library District Executive Director Dan Walters said after the meeting.

The board will consider the statement on Jan. 26 at a Las Vegas location to be named.

The proposed mission statement reads: "We enable the people of our community to pursue lifelong learning through our responsive collections, electronic resources and innovative services. Our inviting public libraries are the cornerstones of our diverse communities, where children and adults can experience personal enrichment and connect with one another."

At the heart of the dispute over the proposed statement was the word "responsive."

Board member Nikki Sobkowski argued that to avoid confusion, it should read "through collections that respond to needs." Also, she said, the statement was "filled with jargon."

Walters said the need for a new mission statement stems from the district's review last year that found that local libraries were not being responsive to what the public wants.

He pointed out that with books being checked out on average a little more than two times per year, "we have one of the lowest turnover rates in the nation."