Long-Range Library Planning Survey Reflects Only Small Percentage Of Residents’ Opinions

By Nancy K. Crevier

The Long Range Planning Committee for the C.H. Booth Library met Tuesday afternoon, January 16, with library consultants Christine Bradley and Kevin McCarthy to discuss the progress of the committee’s exploration of what the future can and should hold for the local library.

Beginning last April, the consultants have met on a regular basis with committee members, town leaders, and citizens for input on the positive and negative aspects of the library and how the library needs of Newtown citizens can best be met in a changing world.

The committee has collected data from 430 town residents via a survey made available in recent months at the C.H. Booth Library. In order to collect data that more accurately reflects the entire population of the town, the survey is now available online at biblio.org/chbooth and newtownbee.com. Committee member Peter Marshall and Mr McCarthy stated that they are particularly interested in hearing from those residents who are not regular users of the C.H. Booth Library.

The short survey continues to be available at the main circulation desk of the library, as well. To have a survey mailed, call the library at 426-4533. The survey should be completed and returned to the library no later than January 31, as the consultants and committee plan to have a draft of the reports prepared by the middle of February in anticipation of a final report to the library board in mid-March.

The consultants have noted to committee members that the results of the survey to date show nothing unexpected, probably due to the fact that respondents have been regular library users. “The results of the survey show that respondents want more library materials of all types, more hours open, and to a lesser extent, more library programs for all ages,” stated a recent analysis of the data collected. More than 80 percent of those who took the survey are in the library two to three times a month and 92 percent find library services very satisfactory.

Videos/DVDs, bestsellers, audio books, and music CDs were rated as important services by nearly 40 percent of those surveyed. Adult, young adult, children’s, and preschool programs also ranked of high importance among the services offered by C.H. Booth Library.

Library service changes requested by write-in on the survey included “more materials of various types” by 30 percent, a request for extended hours by 14 percent of the respondents, and the suggestion by ten percent that the library offer more programs of various content. Twenty percent of the respondents offered input that the library was fine as is.

The committee hopes that by making the library long-range planning survey available online, as well as by hard copy, that residents who have not yet taken the survey will respond promptly, noting that a wider input is critical for best results.