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.
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.
The committee members will present their findings to local leaders in the coming months before using the input to start writing a strategic plan for the future of the library. The plan will include short-term and long-term goals for the library.
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.
See the full story in the Pinnacle on Friday.
