Library survey confirms community priorities for library funding

On behalf of the Library Board of Trustees, I would like to thank everyone who participated in the 2008 Library survey. We received 228 responses, including 202 full time residents. For the Board members, who collected 72 of the responses between raindrops at the Library Fair, it was a valuable opportunity to talk directly to community members about how they feel about Library services and the possibility of expanding the facility.

On behalf of the Library Board of Trustees, I would like to thank everyone who participated in the 2008 Library survey. We received 228 responses, including 202 full time residents. For the Board members, who collected 72 of the responses between raindrops at the Library Fair, it was a valuable opportunity to talk directly to community members about how they feel about Library services and the possibility of expanding the facility.

A chart summarizing all survey responses can be found at www.orcaslibraryfuture.org. Among services offered by the Library, the lowest satisfaction rating was given to “sufficient space to use the facility comfortably”; 38percent responded that space was inadequate. A proposed Library expansion project started with discussions with possible donors in late 2007, resulting in the formation of a Citizens Advisory Committee for Facility Planning (CACFP) with members from the Library Board, the Friends of the Library, and the community at large. The Committee and the Board agreed that all building costs for the expansion must be funded from private donations. Any ongoing operating costs for the larger building (utilities, personnel, etc.) would, however, be included in the Library operating budget.

The results from the survey confirmed inputs from previous years’ surveys about how the community uses the Library. The top priority is growing the Library collection: Seventy-seven percent of all respondents use the Library to checkout materials and 66 percent consider room for more books and materials an expansion priority. At the current rate of adding 1000 to 2000 new items to the collection yearly (net items after the removal of outdated or underutilized items), the Library will be out of room to grow the collection by 2010.

More than 40 percent of respondents ranked space for sitting, for quiet reading and for children as priorities for the expansion. Personal computer usage could not have been anticipated when the current Library building was built, but 20 percent of respondents use the Library computers or their own laptops in the Library, crowding the collection; more efficient use of space for computers and laptop users will be included in the design of additional space. One diminishing need is meeting space. Other meeting rooms are available in Eastsound and only 15 percent of the respondents come to the Library for meetings. This response supports the CACFP conclusion that additional Library space must be flexible; there is no plan to add any dedicated meeting space to the Library.

While examining the need to fund the operating costs for a Library expansion, the Board looked at the projected funds available to maintain Library services in light of the current challenging financial conditions. The Board will be refining a presentation during November and December on the financial state of the Library including the expansion project. Starting in January we will be taking this presentation “on the road” to community organizations as well as scheduling meetings in the Library to inform the community and solicit their input.

Lois Cornell and John Ashenhurst are members of the Orcas Library Board of Trustees.