What do you want from your local library?
The Castlegar Public Library wants to hear from you.
To that end, the facility has launched an online survey to gather opinions from locals about what they want from the library.
“The survey is trying to figure out what people like to use at the library,” says Kim Partanen, the library director.
PARTICIPATE: Castlegar Library Survey Monkey
Partanen says the survey is part of the launch of the library’s new three-year strategic plan.
“We want to know what physical materials people use, what online materials, what they like about the physical space, what they don’t like, and what programs they attend,” she says. ” We want to know what they would like to see the library do in the future.”
The library’s last strategic plan focussd on bringing new technology into the library, helping people use that technology, and making the facility more welcoming. Partanen says she’d like to see some of those initiatives continue.
“Keeping the library relevant in today’s society means keeping up with technology and helping people with technology, so I would like to see that continue,” she told Castlegar News. “I’d also like to see us refresh some of the furniture, and continue to add new tables and chairs to make it a place where people want to sit and spend time.”
That’s not been a problem lately for the library.
Last year saw 600 new people sign up for cards. Nearly 88,000 people passed through the library’s doors last year, and more than 16,000 people used the library’s computer facilities.
While those trends will likely continue, Partanen says the survey’s important to hear from people about what else they’d like to see the library do.
“The last strategic planning process, we had a very high response rate to the survey, with more than 1,000 people responding,” she says. “I’d love to see that again, so people have a say where their tax dollars go.”
The library operates on a annual budget of about $800,000, with money coming from the City of Castlegar, and RDCK Areas H, I, and J.
“I’d like people tell us what they’d like to see in the library for that money,” Partenen says.
The survey can be accessed by visiting https://www.surveymonkey.com/r/CastlegarLibrary.