One of our greatest joys at WiLS is hearing our members tell the stories of the big and important work they are doing – interesting new projects or initiatives, or even interesting and new approaches to old projects. And, in addition to hearing about it, it makes us even happier when we can share those stories with other members. Each month, WiLS is proud to feature an interview with one of our library members. This month, we are excited to get the perspective of Paula Kiely, Director of the Milwaukee Public Library.
If you have any feedback about this article, or suggestions for future library members for WiLS to interview, contact Andrea Coffin at acoffin@wils.org or 414-979-9457.
Why did you, personally, choose to work in libraries? Libraries have always played an important role in my life. I “grew up” using Milwaukee Public Library’s Tippecanoe Branch where I found excitement and inspiration in the books I read. Reading was one of my favorite activities along with my interest in art. After earning a B.A. in Fine Arts, I realized I could combine my artistic skills with my love of libraries and set out to become an art librarian. Near the end of my graduate work, I interned at a public library and discovered a new passion – working with children. With just 3 credits left to complete, I changed direction and became a children’s librarian. I consider this one of the best career decisions I’ve made.
What is unique about the culture of your library? How do you influence it? MPL serves the largest and most diverse city in Wisconsin, which presents incredible challenges and opportunities. Meeting the varied needs and interests of our residents requires that we nurture and encourage the talent and leadership of our staff. Our workplace values are Passion, Innovation, and Excellence (PIE). We believe it’s important to be committed to our work and to continue look for ways to improve, whether it’s finding inefficiencies or trying something new. We support risk-taking and learning from our experience. My role is to work with Mayor Barrett, the Library Board, and my Leadership Team to set our course and encourage the library team to think big and envision success. The heroes of our library are the many staff members who are the engine – and the heart – of our institution. Everyone plays a necessary and integrated role in the library and any success we have is the result of their dedicated work.
What do you think is important to know about the patrons or community you work with? What helps you understand those needs? All libraries exist to serve the needs of their communities and MPL is no different. We may be larger than most, but we serve one person at a time, build trust, and connect people with the information and resources they need. Many of us at MPL are Milwaukee natives, which gives us an advantage in understanding the needs and personalities of each neighborhood. But, we also rely on data. We recently developed a new strategic plan that was patron-driven and based on a study of circulation, census and market segmentation data. This data gave us a deeper understanding of our neighborhoods and the 35 markets segments within them. We’ve redrawn our service lines, reviewed our services, and developed citywide and branch plans of service that are targeted to our unique audiences. Now, when we make decisions, we are intentional in identifying the target market we are serving and the impact of those decisions on our customers.
What big ideas are being worked on at your library? What problems are being solved? Our new mission statement is: Inspiration starts here. . . we help people read, learn and connect. This year we are focused on “connecting” and all of us are reaching out to our personal and professional networks to share information about library services. We’re working to expand our networks and are building new relationships to help forge partnerships and build support for the library. That support will be important as we continue our ambitious building program. We’ll be opening our second mixed-use branch later this fall and starting two of four new redevelopment projects this summer that will replace aging branches. The Tippecanoe branch that I used as a girl is getting a complete renovation and this July we’ll be launching MPL Express@Silver Spring, the first automated vending library in the State. All of these projects are helping us realize our vision: MPL is an anchor institution that helps build healthy families and vibrant neighborhoods – the foundation of a strong Milwaukee.