Strategic planning committee presents survey findings at local
summit
The San Benito County Free Library Strategic Planning committee
presented nearly eight months of research at a summit Dec. 1, where
they revealed the results of community surveys and discussion
groups.
During the presentation and a discussion with at least 40 local
residents who showed up for the summit, a few trends quickly
emerged about how people use the library and what they would like
to see from it in the future.
Strategic planning committee presents survey findings at local summit
The San Benito County Free Library Strategic Planning committee presented nearly eight months of research at a summit Dec. 1, where they revealed the results of community surveys and discussion groups.
During the presentation and a discussion with at least 40 local residents who showed up for the summit, a few trends quickly emerged about how people use the library and what they would like to see from it in the future.
Parking at the downtown library, which is on the corner of Fifth and West streets, was one of the deterrents to local residents using the facility more often. But for those who did report using it frequently, DVDS and videos, as well as children’s materials were a big reason why they came to the library.
In the future, library users want to see self-check out machines, downloadable audio books and other media, and e-books.
The strategic planning committee formed last spring with the goal of gathering public input for a strategic plan that will guide the library for the next five years and on.
“It is about creating a plan tailor-made to the community,” said Nora Conte, the county librarian.
Conte recalled that when she first started in 2006, she would introduce herself to people and she would hear from them about the need for new services. One of the first things she heard was the lack of a bookmobile and literacy programs.
“There were often things members in the community wanted to have and it was time to get very focused,” Conte said. “Strategic planning is about focus and being responsive to the needs of the community.”
Since March, members of the strategic planning committee collected 640 surveys and conducted open-ended community discussion groups with five subsets of residents. The survey was handed out at the library, posted on the library’s website and given out at some businesses in town. The discussion groups included seniors, young adults, library staff, Gavilan College ESL students and Conversation Club ESL members. The committee includes Conte, Esperanza Walters, who is serving as a consultant, Jillian Wilson, Richard Fish, Sue Parson, Lanty Mason, Betty Mason, Esmeralda Casas, Mary Schneider, Lydia Zendejas and Martha Castaneda.
The committee will use the information gathered at the summit, from the surveys and the discussion groups to talk with key leaders in the community before they start writing the strategic plan.
“We need to do the best we can in the context of what we’ve got to do the best for the community,” Conte said. “The day I leave, it’s okay because whoever else comes has the document.”
Lanty Mason, a member of the committee, took those in attendance at the summit through the survey findings with a PowerPoint presentation.
Of the 640 residents surveyed, 84 percent said they had visited the San Benito County Free Library or its website. Of those surveyed, 12 percent said they had not visited either. Mason said the committee made a point to reach out to some residents who don’t use the library to find out why they don’t use it and what services or changes would bring them in.
“We tried to get as many members of the community involved to get as many different views,” Mason said.
For those who don’t use the library, the staff divided their open-ended answer for why they don’t use it into five categories. The main reason survey participants said they didn’t use the library was that they use other libraries; it has technological limitations; they don’t need it; they didn’t know about it or they are too busy.
Of those who do use the library, 33 percent said they use it one to two times a week; 22 percent said they use it monthly and 17 percent said they use it once every six months.
One of the findings from the survey and the discussion groups was that nearly a third of those who use the library said Saturday hours are most important to them. The library started closing on Saturdays last year due to funding cuts.
“We need to find funding if we are to fill that need on Saturday,” Mason said.
Other issues that come down to funding are increasing access to downloadable audio files or e-books.
“It’s easy to see the trends,” Mason said. “People really like electronic media.”
After the presentation, Mason led the group through the same questions that were asked of the discussion groups. The first question posed to the group was about what role the library should serve in the community, followed by questions on how residents use the library and what positive or negative experiences they’ve had at the library.
Conte encouraged participants to be open and honest about their desires for the future, without thinking about cost.
“It’s okay to dream big because dreaming doesn’t cost anything,” she said, with a laugh.
Several participants mentioned the importance of programming for children, such as the “Born to Read” program, which teaches parents to read books to infants and the possibility of anchoring a Latino family literacy program at the library. Joyce Swett, the school readiness coordinator for First 5 San Benito, also mentioned that she’d like to see cultural programs for students such as puppet shows or dance programs.
Another person suggested that story time events could be recorded and posted on the website so that schools or families who can’t make it to the library could also use them.
Diane Ortiz, of the Hollister Youth Alliance, talked about the Martin Luther King Library, in San Jose, which was collaborated between the city and San Jose State University.
“I know as a county it can be challenging to fund,” Ortiz said. “If we think outside of the box to partner with higher education, we can share resources.”
Casesy Castillo, the executive director of First 5 San Benito, suggested a collaboration to make more use of the mobile learning center and bookmobile. Conte said the mobile learning center goes out about two times a month, but again it is a lack of funding for staffing that limits using it more.
A few users mentioned that the website can be frustrating to navigate and that they would like the ability to reserve books online. Other people mentioned creating spaces that are attractive to children, teens and adults. One of the key areas teens cited in their discussion group was the desire for a coffee cart and places to use their laptops.
Though a new library is not the focus of the strategic plan over the short-term, some audience members mentioned some of the things they would want if the library were to expand or move to another location.
“The space really does matter to what kind of programming you can offer,” said Jillian Wilson, a committee member.
She said in the past the library had partnered with the high school drama students to put on performances for kids, but the long, narrow space in the Barbara Memorial Room made it challenging for the actors to move around.
The lack of parking came up in many surveys and discussion groups, though Bill Brin, who is involved with the Friends of the Library, said he has never had to park farther than a block and a half away.
“It is important whatever space a new library has, it remain in the downtown area,” said Bill Tiffany, a member of the San Benito High School board of trustees. “It is critical to continue to think about maintaining a library or branch.”
At the end of the meeting, Conte reiterated that the library will continue to evolve.
“It was built in 1960 when there were 16,000 residents,” she said. “Now we have 56,000. We are not unlike many Americans who want to have a dream library. If you can read, write, spell, you can open any door you want to.”
News to You
The San Benito County Free Library Strategic Planning committee has been working since March to gather input from residents on how they use the library system and what they want to see in the future. The committee members gathered information through 640 surveys, discussion groups with five subsets of the community and through a public summit Dec. 1.
