LEWISTON – A planning effort for the public library will kick off later this month with a public forum.

The goal is to plot a course for the library by finding out what residents expect and identifying unmet needs, Director Rick Speer said.

“Over the years, the library staff has done a fine job of connecting with the community to meet educational and cultural needs,” Speer said in a prepared statement. “The goal of this process is to continue with that tradition.”

The public forum is scheduled for 8 a.m. to 1 p.m. Sept. 25 at the library’s Marsden Hartley Cultural Arts Center.

Mayor Larry Gilbert has appointed a 17-member committee to lead the planning effort. That group, including residents and school, marketing and social group representatives, will use the information from the forum to guide their work. The group is scheduled to meet this fall, presenting their work to the library’s trustees in December and to the City Council in January.