A year ago, County Manager Mark Schwartz called for libraries to engage the public in envisioning our future.
Last summer, Arlington Public Library held “Future of Libraries” conversations with staff which included in-person and virtual meetings and a digital staff survey. In the fall, the library conducted a search for an outside consultant to lead the public-facing portion of the project. Accenture was awarded the project.
Engaging the Public
Accenture will develop future state scenario concepts with accompanying visuals of potential Arlington Public Library experiences, services and interactions.
Community members, library staff and County stakeholders will provide input into scenario development. These scenarios will be pushed out to active library patrons and Arlington residents via a digital survey and through a community engagement day aimed at attracting non-library users.
Participants will be asked to prioritize and consider tradeoffs among scenarios. The process will assist in establishing priorities for moving the library forward in a resource-constrained environment. A final report will be delivered with the results of the community engagement and recommendations for implementation will be provided.
Next Steps
Site visits by Accenture staff at libraries. Accenture staff will observe programs and patron engagement at various locations. They will not visit all locations due to time constraints and will see a representative sample of library locations.
Interviews with the Public. Accenture staff will conduct intercept interviews with a sampling of the public at sites across Arlington County. These are informal conversations meant to capture people where they work, play and live.
Co-Creation Workshop led by Accenture. Invited community members, a limited number of staff from the library and other County departments, and County stakeholders will gather at Central Library to dream big about libraries. Senior library leadership will observe but not participate.
A digital survey created by Accenture will be distributed in early May. Flyers with QR code will be displayed at all library locations and linked here in early May.
Community Voices Day on May 21 at Shirlington Libray facilitated by Accenture. This will be a chance to attract non-library users and for anyone interested to take part in evaluating and prioritizing scenarios. Flyers will be provided for all locations to promote the event once details are finalized.
If you have questions or want to share your thoughts, email: libraries@arlingtonva.us.