Strategic Plan
Planning Process:
This plan was developed by the Loup City Public Library Board and staff. The Board and staff will preview the plan annually in January and update as needed.
Library Board Members:
Karen Anderson
Lisa Harrington
Amy Kowalski
Yvonne Griffin
Judy McFadden
Library Staff:
Audrey Heil
Candace Augustyn
Caroline Chilewski
Diane Thompson
Local Businesses with number of employees:
Retail:
Placzek Vinyl Signs (1); Whoa-N-Go (15); Trotters (30); Betz’s Little Shop (1); Custom Floral (2); Thiel’s Tire Repair (3); (1); Bullet Weights (10); Kuszak’s Variety (7); Ericson Ford (5); Dollar General (6); Joe’s Market (10); Loup City Lumberyard (3); Cook & Beale’s (9); Loup City Auto Parts (2); Viero Wireless (3), Fish & Tackle (1), Ash Hollow Coffee (4); Thrive (1); G & G (4).
Food/Recreation:
Loup City Diner (5); Loup City Bowling Alley (3); Simply Fit (1); Colony Club (7); Rock Creek BBQ (2); O lounge (3), Sportsman’s Corner (1), Tradewinds Marina (3); Maschka’s Sausage Shop (1); Oak Creek Saloon (2); Rockin’ J Bar (3); The Spartan Cafe & Sportsbar, The Den Bar & Grill, Senior Center (2).
Services:
Dentist (2); Scientific Ag Supplies (3); Rose Lane Nursing Home (70), Ken’s Equipment (5), Eurek & Petersen, Attorney (4); Heather Sikyta, Attorney (3); Citizen’s Bank (10); Heritage Bank (7); Central Nebraska Community Action Partnership (60); Hurts no more Massage (1); REI Insurance (1); Harrington Financial Service (2); American Legion Club (4); Accounting Offices (2); Loup City Rx (4); Lonowski Lawn Care (1); Kaslon Lawn Care (2), Kurtzhals Plumbing (1); Griffith’s Tree Service (2); Panowicz Construction (1); Larchick Construction (2); Kathy’s Hair Salon (1); Yvonne Palu Catering (1); Reeves’ Quilting (1); Day Cares (3); Carkoski Construction (2); Shorty’s Repair (1); Peter’s Funeral Home (1); Higgin’s Funeral Home (1); Mlinar Insurance (2); Loop Agency (2); J Salon and Boutique (2); Simply Fit (1), Kuszak’s Construction (4), Sherman County Foundation (1); Rockin D Boer Goats (1); Ashton Feed and Grain (6), Ashton Day Care (2); Sprouts (2); Days Auction (2); Litchfield Pack (7); Full Circle Irrigation (10); Valley County Health Services (4); Cindy Bee’s photography (1); Piontkowski Lawn Care (2); Golden Touch Salon (1); Trotter’s Garden Shoppe and Learning Center (20); Country Style Salon (1); Max’s Market and Sentry Hardware (5); Bandur’s Feedlot (6); Joe’s Motors (3); Nilsen Hay Company (4); Howard Hay Company (26); Whiteway Garage (4); OK Sanitation (3); Loup City Vet Clinic (1); Ski Welding Shop (1); Frederick Hotel (1); Holcomb Repairs (1).
Government:
Post Office (4); Sherman County (54); City of Loup City (10); Loup City Schools (64); Litchfield Schools (34).
Community Needs:
Mission Statement: The MISSION of the Loup City Library is to provide informational, cultural, educational and recreational resources and services to all residents of Sherman County.
Major Employers of Loup City:
The major employers in Loup City include: Loup City Public Schools, Rose Lane Nursing Home, CNCAP, County Services and Trotters.
Cultural Characteristics of Your Community:
Loup City is known for its Polish Heritage. Every June, Loup City hosts a Polish Days celebration. Loup City is a predominately agricultural community in a largely rural area.
Cultural and Recreational Facilities Available:
The following are the recreational and cultural facilities available in Loup City: Jenners Park, Loup City Swimming Pool, Bowman’s Lake, Sherman Lake, Simply Fit, Loup City Bowling Alley, and Sherman County Historical Society. The Sherman County Senior Center provides meals and socialization opportunities for community Seniors. Several years ago, the City’s original Carnegie library was converted to a private computer business and law office. It was purchased by Loup City. The City has used the building as an “incubator” for start-up businesses. The building now houses the offices for the Sherman County Foundation, Sherman County Economic Development office, Thrive, and Therapeutic Massage.
Cultural and Recreational Organizations that are active groups including clubs:
Sherman County Historical Society, The American Legion, The Polish Days Committee, and The Loup City Arts Council are the cultural and recreational organizations that are active in the Loup City area. We also have an active Pheasants Forever group which sponsors a Mentored Youth Hunt each year. The Sherman County Fair is well attended and many of our youth participate in 4-H. There are currently two active book clubs in the community.
Other Civic Groups:
Other Civic groups include the Sherman County Economic Development Committee, the Loup City PTO and the Loup City Entrepreneur’s Club. Loup City Public Schools is starting a Teammates mentoring program in our community. Some of these activities will be held in the Library.
Communities Means for Public Communication:
Means for public communication include the weekly Sherman County Times newspaper, Web pages, local fliers and Facebook.
History of Sherman County/Loup City:
In 1871, boundary lines were laid out for what would later be called Sherman County in honor of General William Tecumseh Sherman. This area was then organized in 1872 and acknowledged by Governor Furnas in 1873. The settlers who acquired land through the Homestead Act of 1873 or by paying $1.25/acre under the Land Act of 1820 were mostly of German, Polish, and Scandinavian heritage.
The Burlington and Missouri railroad came to Loup city in May of 1886 and also sold off parts of its 131,853.53 acres as an advertisement to bring in more settlers to the area. Loup City was the site of Jenner’s Zoological, Educational, and Amusement Park from 1900-1940’s.
The Loup City Riot of 1934 brought clashes between locals and outside labor supporters who came to rally with the employees of the Fairmont Creamery plant for higher wages.
In 1963, bids began for the construction of the Sherman County Dam which brought more employment to the area. Since that time, employment opportunities and the local population have dwindled. The railroad tracks have disappeared.
Loup City has become a community based on agriculture with the cost of good farmland now closer to $7,000/acre. With increased costs of breaking into agriculture, most of the young people leave the community and the population is generally of retirement age. Those people who are neither farmers nor of retirement age, generally commute to jobs in towns at least 30 miles away.
**Sherman County Historical Society. “History of Sherman County” by Meroe J. Owens. Community Attitude Survey by the City of Loup City.
Community Profile
Demographic Summary:
Sherman County is located in central Nebraska, a place of large farms and small towns. Sherman County includes the towns of Ashton, Hazard, Litchfield, Rockville and the County Seat of Loup City. Litchfield and Loup City each have public schools. According to the Loup City and Litchfield Public School staff and websites, in 2024 there are 335 students enrolled in Loup City Public Schools and 115 students enrolled in Litchfield schools. 90.9% of Sherman County residents have attained a High School Diploma or higher. According to the United States Census Bureau, the estimated population of Sherman County in 2020 was 2,959 and the population of Loup City was 1,053. The median age of people in the Loup City area is 49.1 (https://factfinder.census.gov). The racial makeup is 96.7 % white. Median household income for Sherman County residents is $60,194.
Community Needs:
The City of Loup City has not performed a Community Attitude Survey since 2010. Sherman County Economic Development is considering performing a survey.
In 2010, the City of Loup City performed a Community Attitude Survey. The following were listed as priority needs:
- Cleaning/fixing up the community (sidewalks, downtown businesses, etc.)
- More activities for families and children (after school activities/family environment)
- More businesses to increase job opportunities
- Family dining restaurants and fast food with later hours of operation
- Adequate and more affordable housing
Since this survey was completed, many of these problems have been addressed although not completely resolved. Loup City Public Schools has an After-School program. There is a new childcare center in Ashton and a new Sprouts daycare facility in Loup City. There is a full day Preschool through CNCAP for 3-year-olds and an in-school preschool for 4–5-year-olds.
More housing has been built and land has been offered at reduced rates for those who wish to build houses in town.
The recreational area of Bowman’s Lake has been the focus of a rehabilitation project which has provided a more family friendly camping and fishing environment as well as a walking area for Sherman County residents.
On September 1, 2015, the Loup City Public Schools hosted a Community meeting to discuss the future needs of the Community and the Loup City Public School system. As our County and School libraries are conjoined, this was an opportunity to assess community needs and desires. Teachers, school board members, school administrators, members of the public, parents and students attended. Issues raised at that time include: maintenance of school facilities, school budget concerns, student enrollment, lowering staff turnover, the current cooperative agreement for sports with Arcadia schools, and maintaining and expanding academic opportunities for local students especially in the area of technology and computers. A major community need reported by participants was the need for more job opportunities which would assist in attracting and keeping families in the school district. Parents reported the school was not preparing students well enough for the technology they will be expected to know how to use in their college careers and their future employment. Parents requested more advanced classes in computers, including some that would count for both high school and college credits. Community members expressed concerns that students were “users” of technology; however, they were not “maintainers or creators” of technology. No further information has been gleaned from more recent Community/School meetings.
This meeting created the impetus which led to the involvement of the Loup City Public Library in the Library Innovation Studios project. This project provided opportunities for students and community members to have hands on experience with many different technologies. Students, teachers, and most especially the Technology Coordinator, incorporated the machines provided into many learning experiences. They became active creators. The community supported the project with enthusiasm. People from nearby communities came to the library to utilize the technology and purchased some of the supplies they needed for their projects from local businesses. Due to information obtained from this project, letters of support from students, and the support of the local School Board and Administration, the school decided to purchase a 3D printer and Universal Laser System with a BOFA filtration unit to be used by the school and the community.
The library will continue to support the education and use of technology in the community.
The Loup City Library has attempted surveys to determine further and more recent community needs without success. However, after speaking with different groups around town, a few more needs have become apparent.
Multiple library patrons utilize our computers to search for jobs and apply for unemployment. Several of these patrons have mentioned their feelings of incompetence with technology and feel it is holding them back from obtaining employment. They have requested classes in basic computer use with a more focused desire to learn how to search the web more effectively, build a resume, utilize email, and become more proficient in computer use. Unfortunately, the classes we have provided have not been well attended. Patrons seem to prefer 1:1 instruction on specific questions or concerns rather than a more formal class.
Our Summer Reading program has had an increase in involvement of preschool children after a change in programming to make it easier for this group to participate. After speaking with the Leap into Learning Preschool, it was found that community involvement in the preschool programming has been a little lower than usual.
The Senior Center and the independent living center in Loup City have been actively looking for ways to increase intergenerational relationships. They have also noticed a decrease in Senior involvement following the Covid epidemic.
Library Strengths:
We are an affiliated library so many children and their families are familiar with and comfortable coming to activities at the library. We are seen as a “safe place” in the community for children to visit independently.
The school has been very supportive in allowing us to use some of their facilities for larger gatherings.
The library building is not located in the downtown area. Close curbside parking is available; however, there aren’t many parking spots open during school hours.
The library is physically linked to the school, so access is very easy for students and parents.
Library Weaknesses:
Our patrons tend to be school-aged children or retirement aged; we are not reaching many of the parents in our community.
Limited hours of use (27 hours per week)
The building is not located in the downtown area with other businesses.
We share street parking with the school and sometimes do not have parking near the entrance for older patrons to utilize.
Older patrons have been slow to bounce back to library programming following Covid.
Community Opportunities:
We are very fortunate to have a very supportive business community.
Increased activity by the local Arts Council and Entrepreneurs Club in providing family friendly activities
Recent additions to the business community.
There are now better facilities for the volunteer EMT/Fire department squads
A school system willing to try different approaches to providing not only new educational opportunities but basic needs for their students
Community Threats:
An aging population. Several business owners are nearing retirement age. Who will take over their businesses or start up new ones?
School enrollment is down due to an aging population and a lack of jobs to keep young families in the area.
Unemployed citizens have difficulty finding jobs in the community and can’t afford to commute to other communities.
Many of the citizens have jobs outside of the community. They are unable to be as involved in the local community as they would like.
Seniors in the community sometimes become isolated as the younger members in their families leave for job opportunities.
New people moving into the community find it hard to “belong” here.
Plan for 2025-2029:
- Adopt a Senior Reader parties once a season to promote intergenerational relationships
- Coordinating with LCPS Art Teacher to provide an Intro to Design class utilizing the Makerspace
- Game Nights for Teens
Adopt a Reader:
This program was doing well until Covid hit. It is our goal to get this program back to the participation rates in the program prior to Covid. The Library, Senior Center, Westside Park and Leap into Learning Preschool will provide an opportunity each season to host Adopt a Reader programs where a group of Senior Citizens will have the opportunity to read stories, do crafts, play music, and put together puzzles together. These events will be publicized in the newspaper and by fliers around town (and specifically in the Post Office, Westside Park office, and Senior Center) as many in this age group are not Social Media consumers. Books will be delivered to the Preschool or Senior Center so there will be plenty of reading material. There will be at least one program per season per year for the 2025-2029 period.
Goal for “Adopt a Reader”:
Initially, we would like to have at least 10 Seniors available to read and craft with preschoolers. However, ultimately, we would like a 1:1 ratio to provide greater support and educational opportunities to preschoolers and more inclusion in the community for isolated Seniors.
Intro to Design with Makerspace:
The LCPS Art Teacher and the Loup City Library would like to partner together to provide an Intro to Design class for students to learn how to utilize the equipment in the Makerspace. Each student will receive individual instruction on the use of the equipment. Designs will be made in class and then the projects will be finished up using the Makerspace equipment in the library.
Goal for Intro to Design:
Initially, we intend to have six students in the class learning how to use the Universal Laser Scanner, the heat press, sublimation printer, and vinyl cutter. Each student will display at least one of their projects in an art night display. At least two teachers will be proficient in using the equipment. The goal is to work continuously on expanding the use of the equipment to students through the 2025-2029 period.
Game Night for Teens:
Many school-aged kids and teens stay later at the library on Wednesday nights due to religion classes. Teens have expressed interest in having a game night. Board games, card games, role player games, and team games will be utilized. Flyers will be posted around school. Information will be placed on Facebook. The School is willing to put announcements in the school newsletter. Treats and prizes will be available. Game nights will be once a month on Wednesdays will school is in session.
Goal for Game Night for Teens:
While at first the Library Director will provide programming choices for the game night, it is our hope the kids will take more initiative and be involved in not only selecting the games to play but also the type of prizes to be given. Our goal for game night at first would be to have a consistent number of 7-10 participants. The time period for this project is from 2025-2029.