Hello Arlington neighbors,
As promised, we’re sharing with you the results of the focus group held in June to discuss what our patrons envision for the Library system in coming years. Many thanks to all who took time out of a busy Saturday morning to participate. And to those who couldn’t make it, be assured that this is just the beginning of an effort to collect impressions and suggestions from the community. Please keep checking the Library website and other County sources for updates.
You can download and printout a pdf of “Re-envisioning the Future of Libraries: Beta Focus Group Findings”, or view the focus group presentation slides here:
As next year’s budget deliberations begin later this fall, the comments and suggestions received at this focus group will be of great importance to us, especially as we begin a new fiscal year with ever limited resources.
But despite current conditions, the Library staff’s dedication and professionalism remains as strong as ever – thank you for supporting Arlington Public Library.
With all good wishes,
Diane
Surveys, especially those meant to help in a budget process, need accurate analysis to be useful and even to avoid harm. The Executive Summary, p2, and the Focus Group Findings, p7, in discussing barriers to current use, included ‘confusion about operating hours’ and ‘Hours- very confusing open/close schedule’ but both omitted the lack of hours that was complained of as a current barrier in the actual group data: see pages 16 [Team Cynthia]‘hours- are decreasing and hard to remember’ and p20 ‘hours are decreasing’; p22 [Team Tonya] ‘hours closed/inconvenient times…Fewer evening hours…no Sunday hours for Branches’; p24 [Team Joe] ‘closing 1 day/week’; p26 [Team Maria] ‘erratic hours- not there when you need them’ and p28 ‘no more after school programs’. This is why you always need to know who’s sponsoring a survey- naturally, the APL would like all problems to be fixable and tries to fix ‘confusion’ about hours on its web page and in signs on buildings. But lack of hours isn’t solved this way. Also, these summaries might lead the County Manager to think patrons are satisfied with the recent midweek closure.There’s currently a drive to get the County Board to appoint an advisory group or commission, composed of library patrons and reporting directly to the Board. A further advantage is that this wouldn’t use valuable staff time.
children at the Westover library need closer supervision. While I was using a computer at tover, a 3 0r 4 year old boy came up to the computer next to me and began pounding on the keyboard and pressed the button for the CD slot and started banging on the fragile disc container. I tried to ask him politely to stop, but he ignored me. they was not parent or supervisor around. This is not the first time this has happened. also, someone has already written a word in irredecent ink on the table top on PCV #3. This library will not stay nice if there is laxness in supervising the children in the library.
Hello Anonymous September 28,Thank you for your note. Your comments have been brought to the attention of Library supervisors.