As we wrap up National Library Week, I express my profound gratitude to our community, our team, our volunteers, and our funders. Thank you for your support, your time, and your dedication to our county’s residents and visitors, which helps Howard County Library System center the community in all that we do. 

This week we celebrated Maryland’s Freedom to Read Act (currently awaiting the Governor’s signature) on Right to Read Day, which protects libraries and our staff as we curate collections that enable everyone to see themselves in our books and materials. On Tuesday we celebrated our dedicated staff on National Library Workers Day, and on Wednesday we celebrated National Library Outreach Day, highlighting the On the Road to Kindergarten mobile unit and STEAM Machine which take hands-on classes and books to students across the county. Yesterday, we celebrated our Friends and Foundation, who raise funds to support programs and initiatives that fall outside of our operating budget. 

Throughout National Library Week we celebrated all the ways we work with and for our community. 

Over the last year, we actively engaged more than 3,100 stakeholders and residents as we updated our strategic plan to reflect and activate our belief that community is the heart of our library. Through that process we heard how much you love and value your library – and how much you need the library to provide early learning spaces, resources and instruction for preschoolers and their caregivers; space for teens to come together, discover opportunities, and explore new experiences; and a sense of belonging and inclusion for all ages. 

As a result, we updated our mission, vision, and core values to reflect the words and voices of our community. We invite you to read our strategic plan on our website, and we look forward to working with you as we roll out the new plan. 

Together, we can help everyone to learn, connect, and grow. 

Tonya Aikens
President & CEO
Howard County Library System