Library task force plans for change, despite economy, and seeks
comments from public
The San Benito County Free Library’s Strategic Planning
Taskforce has been meeting once a month since May and is ready to
move into the next phase of the process by gathering community
input. The committee members have created a survey that residents
can find at the library and other locations around town, to be
determined, or online at the library’s website.
Librarian Nora Conte and the library staff hosted a public
meeting March 11 in which they gathered some early input from
community members about what they would like to see at the library,
not just in the coming months but in the coming years. At the
meeting, several committee members signed up for the steering
committee and ever since have been working on the strategy
plan.
Esperanza Garcia Walters offered to volunteer as a consultant on
the project. Walters has a background in strategic planning with a
previous job from which she has retired and has also chaired
committees for various nonprofits.
Library task force plans for change, despite economy, and seeks comments from public
The San Benito County Free Library’s Strategic Planning Taskforce has been meeting once a month since May and is ready to move into the next phase of the process by gathering community input. The committee members have created a survey that residents can find at the library and other locations around town, to be determined, or online at the library’s website.
Librarian Nora Conte and the library staff hosted a public meeting March 11 in which they gathered some early input from community members about what they would like to see at the library, not just in the coming months but in the coming years. At the meeting, several committee members signed up for the steering committee and ever since have been working on the strategy plan.
Esperanza Garcia Walters offered to volunteer as a consultant on the project. Walters has a background in strategic planning with a previous job from which she has retired and has also chaired committees for various nonprofits.
“Being a volunteer, I have the luxury of volunteering where I like,” she said. “I was really impressed and said, ‘Okay, it looks like a good place where I can put my skills to use.'”
She recalled one of her first visits to meet with Conte when she saw what looked like a family studying together.
“Let me tell you, that got me,” she said.
Harriet Brin, Lanty Mason, Jillian Wilson and Lydia Zendejas also signed on to be part of the committee. Brin is a member of the Friends of the Library, a nonprofit that fundraises and supports the library.
“I’ve been involved with the library for a lot of years,” Lanty Mason said. “This is just a continuation of that involvement.”
Jillian Wilson used to work at the library and was earning a degree in library science before she took time off to be a parent, she said.
“It’s a way to be involved,” she said.
Conte said there have always been goals in mind for the library, but the strategic plan is just a way of formalizing it.
“When I first started, folks were interested in the bookmobile,” she said. “And then in getting new literature. The next question is, ‘When are we going to get a new library?'”
Conte said the current location is 11,000 square feet, though only 7,000 square feet is available to the public.
“It was built in the 1960s when the population was 10,000,” she said. “Now it’s 50,000.”
Last year the library circulated 135,166 items, or 2.5 per capita. Circulation went up 8 percent from the previous fiscal year.
Walters said one thing she helped the committee do was come up with some core values to help them through the process. Life-long learning, excellent customer service, intellectual freedom and accountability to the public that pays for the services were all some of the values they decided were important.
“My work has been getting those thoughts out – the core for what they want to drive the future – and now we are getting the information from the community,” she said.
Conte said the strategic plan will look at not only the space needs of a facility and growing the collection, but also at services and technology that can be provided at the library.
But she said that the first step in planning for the future of the library is to gather public input – from users and non-users alike.
“The most important thing – it is essential that we get feedback if we are going to plan for the next five to six years,” she said.
She acknowledged that major changes may not happen right away due to the economy and tight budgets in the county.
“We need to be ready for when things do improve,” Conte said.
The group worked together to create a survey, which is four pages long and has 10 questions related to library usage. The questions ask about the materials checked out, the events or programs attended and preferences for future enhancements, among other items. Residents have until Aug. 27 to complete the survey online or by hand and return it to the library.
The next step in gathering input will be conversation groups, which Wilson is heading up.
“It’s a more informal, intimate (setting),” Wilson said. “We want to get a good mix of people to get their feeling and perception about what are we doing well and what are we missing.”
Wilson will host six to seven groups of eight to 10 people, and those interested in participating can contact the library for more information.
The group will also be conducting some one-on-one interviews with members in the community.
“Once we get the information together we are hoping to have a summit, or two mini-summits,” she said.
Wilson stressed that the group is hoping to talk to people who don’t use the library as well as those that do.
“One thing that came out of the discussion is it is really important not only to gather from people who use it, but to really understand why people don’t,” she said.
Conte said they hope to identify the barriers that prevent people from using the library, or what programs or services are not offered that they would like to have.
“And we need to know from users what they like and don’t like,” Mason said.
“And how we can do it better,” Brin added.
Mason and another taskforce member are working on planning the summit, which will be held at a date in the fall.
“It’s a chance to review everything and allows us to get more input,” Mason said.
At the summit, the group will present the findings from the survey, the conversation groups and the one-on-one interviews. It will also be an opportunity for the community to voice their opinions one more time.
“It’s a chance to get more information before it’s finalized,” Mason said.
Walters agreed.
“It will give an opportunity to get a different set of eyes and ears to look at it before we make that final recommendation,” she said.
The strategic plan offers a chance for continuity in planning as well.
“No matter what changes happen at the library or the Friends group (in staff or members), we will have a plan,” Brin said.
Walters added that there are two benefits to the strategic plan.
“We will have a written document and it will not be a lengthy document,” she said. “It will be very concise about what they want for the future and that’s one thing that will be there for years to come … and then also part of the value of this process is the journey itself, for the people sitting around the community, the public” to share their thoughts.
“It takes a lot of time,” Conte said, “Rewriting, discussions, thinking, e-mailing. We are able to do it because we are using volunteers, all of us bringing knowledge.”
The survey will be available online at http://www.sanbenitofl.org in English and in Spanish. Hard copies can be picked up and completed at the library or can be mailed to 470 Fifth St., Hollister, CA 95023 by Aug. 27.
