Thank you to all who participated in the Arlington Public Library’s Future of Libraries engagement project this past spring. Your commitment to strengthening the role of libraries in our community was gratifying for me and the staff.
Arlington Public Library, working with Accenture, engaged the community to develop 12 future state scenario concepts of potential library experiences, services and interactions. Community members had many opportunities to prioritize and give input on the concepts. Read more about the process.
Results
3495 community members completed the digital questionnaire.
More than 200 community members participated at some point in the process in person.
The community helped create 12 concepts. All received some support in the survey and during in-person conversations.
Below is how the community answered when asked whether a particular experience, service or interaction would have a positive impact in their neighborhood.
As the gatherer of community resources and information, Career Compass would be the connective fiber between Arlingtonians and their next career step—big or small, paid or unpaid. Career Compass reflects the library's role in how Arlingtonians think about investing in themselves and their career over the long term, especially serving those who may not otherwise have access to career counseling services.
Arlington Public Library would curate a Student Union space for teens age 13-19 across Arlington to conduct everything from academic activities such as tutoring, homework and test prep to casual activities like gaming, reading and playing with new technology—plus organized opportunities to promote civic and community engagement. The space itself will celebrate and reflect the academic and creative expressions of Arlington teens by working closely with Arlington Public Schools (APS) and other community organizations to gather and catalogue student artwork, academic reports and DIY projects.
The Kids Zone would be a dedicated literacy area where kids (ages 0 to 5) can be kids—making noise and creative messes encouraged! Having kids space that is a mix between storytime, an arts-and-crafts room and a playground could promote early literacy learning for kids in a highly interactive and social way. The Kids Zone could also support caretakers in finding spaces that would allow their kids to unapologetically act their age and support their caretaking needs.
Arlington Public Library would be the best Third Place Space—a social space outside work and home—where residents of all ages could feel a part of the community, find their people, experience serendipitous interactions and conduct passive activities like lounging and browsing. This space would allow library patrons to foster community engagement through events including workshops, book clubs and movie nights organized by the library and other organizations.
As our local communities become more internationally-oriented, Citizens of the World would be Arlington’s portal to the globe. This program would connect residents to holistic local and international opportunities to build multi-lingual skills, learn about cultures and increase appreciation for our community’s diversity.
Convertible Kit-Carts take the idea of a "library cart" to a new level. The Kit-Carts would be portable, adaptable stations used by County staff to bring innovative library services into non-library spaces such as malls, hospital lobbies or community plazas. This concept would offer customized services and resources specifically designed for certain spaces.
Arlington has one of the highest populations of remote workers in the nation. Remote Work Space would build utilities that are attractive to remote workers—from lendable technology and tools to co-working tables and phone call booths—and could make Arlington Public Library the best destination for this segment of our community.
"My Library Does What?" would bring the library on the road via a mobile truck to reach residents in their neighborhoods and challenge their perception of what the library offers. The library truck will have nontraditional branding, which will allow residents to rediscover what the library could mean to them.
Whether it's encouraging people to meet for the first time or supporting connection between those with similar interests, the library would become a 21st-century version of Arlington's Town Square by encouraging community-building beyond scheduled library program time. A digital platform could provide community-based content and groups to join, real-time tracking of events and security and moderation.
Appetite for Learning would be a hands-on curriculum that builds skills in nutrition, cooking and sustainability through various community engagements. This would provide high-value, continuous learning opportunities for all, improve nutritional and environmental outcomes and embrace Arlington’s multicultural community.
Borrow an Expert would connect patrons with an expert for popular community needs as well as niche topics and hobbies. From technology support to everything about Taylor Swift, residents could book time with an expert or sign up to share their own knowledge with the community. Arlingtonians would have access to specialized resources and build community bonds through knowledge-sharing.
Community Collective would create opportunities for people from all walks of life—from Arlington newcomers to longtime residents—to meet, build bonds, share stories and create multigenerational communities. From cozy coffee meet-ups to lively park picnics, Arlingtonians would get to know their neighbors and engage in dialogue on various life topics in a safe space.What Comes Next
While elements of every scenario will shape the library staff’s work moving forward, Library leadership with the help of Accenture looked at the results and settled on high-priority concepts using the following framing questions:
- What is the level of community support?
- Is the concept a role Arlington Public Library uniquely fills? If not, who are the other County partners involved in this area and how can we support them?
- Is the concept a match for something we already do well and can easily expand on?
With these guiding principles in mind, we settled on three areas of focus.
Kids Zone
Arlington Public Library will work toward establishing a dedicated early literacy-focused zone focused on our youngest population (0- to 5-year-olds) and their families and caregivers. This would be an expansion and full realization of our current popular Arlingtown offering, which serves more than 500 patrons per week across all locations. Kids Zone will be a unique destination in Arlington. In the coming year, the library hopes to embark on a formal study to determine an appropriate site and potential budget.
Student Union and Career Compass
Starting initially as a service concept and less of a place, the library will continue to think innovatively about how to serve teens and be a place for teens to gather. Investments made by the County Board in FY 2025 will allow Central and Westover libraries to continue to flourish as teen gathering spots after school. While Arlington Employment Center and Arlington Public Schools along with other County partners will remain the leaders in these areas, Arlington Public Library will place an emphasis on teens to prepare them for college, the work force or military service.
Student Union and Career Compass
Starting initially as a service concept and less of a place, the library will continue to think innovatively about how to serve teens and be a place for teens to gather. Investments made by the County Board in FY 2025 will allow Central and Westover libraries to continue to flourish as teen gathering spots after school. While Arlington Employment Center and Arlington Public Schools along with other County partners will remain the leaders in these areas, Arlington Public Library will place an emphasis on teens to prepare them for college, the work force or military service.
Strengthening the Library as a Third Space
Libraries are safe spaces—not your school or work, not your home, but a third creative space to belong, to grow and to connect with others. We already are this place to many people. Over the next year we will evaluate our spaces with an eye toward offering this to as many community members as possible.
Libraries have been and will continue to be key supporters of the public good.
Onward!
Diane Kresh
Director, Arlington Public Library