Cutting-Edge Technology

• 7,378 Launchpad checkouts and 5,649 Wonderbook checkouts

• Revamped Growing Like a Read program, available in person and online

• Digital language assistants break down language barriers

• Boosted Wi-Fi, increased internet speeds, and installed new tablet kiosks across service area

Another Record-Breaking Summer

• Learners logged 22 million minutes, we doubled our goal of 11 million points!

• Registered groups contributed 4.3 million points toward the community goal.

• Summer program attendance increased 28% from previous years.

Community-Driven Programming

• New programming framework designed to meet customer needs

• Five signature services provide a unified experience

An All-New Virtual Experience

• PLS designed a modern website for an intuitive customer experience fully equipped with accessibility and translation features.

• The PLS Connect mobile app reached more than 35,000 installations and updates included unified searching, user wishlists, and fewer clicks.

• Installed Wi-Fi solar benches with a full digital collection strategically in walkable areas off-site of the library.

• Digital content offers on-demand experiences in versatile ways, reaching people at their convenience.

Success Stories

On average, 5.3% of customers in PLS’s service area do not have a high school diploma. Seventeen graduates (and counting!) have earned their high school diploma through PLS’s adult online high school program.

Building At-Home Libraries for Youth

• PLS became the first library system in the state of Oklahoma to partner with Dolly Parton’s Imagination Library.

• 36% of eligible children in our service area are enrolled, with more than 66,387 books mailed

• A total of 16,004 books have been donated to WIC programs in our service area since 2021.

• PLS has aligned countless partnerships to move our mission forward.

Engaging with Diverse Groups

• Lexington Assessment & Reception Center became the top-performing group of the 2023 Summer Learning Challenge.

• PLS developed a Community Partnership Toolkit to help staff at all levels identify possible collaborator organizations.

• “Pioneer Library System…provide[s] tremendous value to our community...”–United Way of Pottawatomie County Executive Director Sandy Vanderburg

Shifting Strategies

• The creation of PLS’s first-ever comprehensive marketing plan lead to record-breaking customer engagement.

• Diversified media partners resulted in more than 6 million impressions across our service area.

• PLS won the 2023 John Cotton Dana Award, the American Library Association’s most prestigious award for library marketing.

Communications Overhaul

• PLS continued efforts to maximize social media platforms to inform, entertain, and engage customers.

• New advertising channels like YouTube and KOCO allowed us to share library services with hard-to-reach audiences.

• The Exchange, a new staff information hub, streamlined communications practices at all levels of the organization.

Commitment to Excellence

• PLS is dedicated to employee development. Since 2021, 395 staff have attended 69 conferences and logged more than 6,119 training hours.

• The PLS Foundation applied for and received over $50,000, granted to branches to carry out health literacy efforts.

• We are your 2023 Oklahoma Library of the Year. We are setting a legacy that will continue to serve our customers for another 60+ years.