Update_Library Board of Trustees and Survey 11 15 12Carnegie -Stout Public Library
Library Board of Trustees Update
From the Meeting of
November 15, 2012
Present: Paula Connors, President; Mike Willis, Vice President; Frederick
Miller, Secretary; Trustee, John Anderson - Bricker
Excused: Diann Guns, David Hammer, Jenny Weiss
The Board met Thursday, November 15. Below is a summary of their meeting:
• October marked 33 percent of the fiscal year lapsing. Expenditures were
at 33 percent of the total operating budget. Revenue collected is at 39.8
percent of projections.
• Visits to the library were down 2 percent in the month of October when
compared to October, 2011. Circulations were down 1 percent. Although
we can expect to see a steady decrease in circulation due to restrictions
imposed on Open Access borrowers, this decrease was due to Dubuque
residents borrowing less print material during the month of October. Non -
print material continues to realize large increases in circulation.
• The County Board of Supervisors will schedule a worksession with the
County Library Board of Trustees to discuss open access issues with
patrons of the Dubuque County Library system. At the time of this writing
it is not known when this will take place.
• The Board is talking with Lange Sign Group regarding the extent to which they
will fund the new signs required outside the library.
• The Executive Summary of the Community Survey was presented to the
Library Board and is attached here for your review. The Board of Trustees
will continue their discussion of the results in coming meetings.
Library Board of Trustees
Paula Connors, Board President
Mike Willis, Vice President
Frederick Miller, Board Secretary
John Anderson - Bricker
Diann Guns
David Hammer
Jenny Weiss
Susan Henricks, Director
Executive Summary of the Community Survey
August- September, 2012
Himmel and Wilson Library Consultants, of Milton, WI developed a community survey
that was administered in August and September, 2012. Through the return of 396 mail surveys
the survey achieved scientific results that can be generalized to the community at large with a
confidence level of +1- 5 percent. The survey was also offered online through the library's
website and by an email invitation to educators and library patrons for electronic participation.
Hard copies of the survey were available in the library for interested on -site visitors. Responses
received:
• Mail Survey 396
• Web Survey — Library Patron List 688
• Web Survey — School District 182
• Web Survey — Library Website 76
• In- Library Survey 81
The web surveys' and the in -house surveys' responses are from a self - selected sample that is
more likely to be biased in favor of library services; therefore, the mail survey results should be
relied upon since it is based on a scientifically valid random sample.
Do You Have Children Under the Age of 12 Living m Your Home?
Responses by Ward •
Web- Patron
Web -Open
Ward
Mail
Web - Patron
Web -Open
In- Library
School District
1
33.6%
31.2%
29.0%
27.5%
30.8%
2
33.3%
19.5%
18.4%
25.0%
15.9%
3
20.4%
12.7%
13.2%
21.3%
3.9%
4
12.4%
19.5%
17.1%
20.0%
8.8%
Don't Live in DBQ
0%
5.0%
13.2%
5%
25.3%
Do You Have Children Under the Age of 12 Living m Your Home?
Mail
Web- Patron
Web -Open
In- Library
School District
17.6%
32.7%
29.7%
21.5%
21.1%
1
The Public Library is Very Important or Essential to the Quality of Life in my Community
Mail
Web- Patron
Web -Open
In- Library
School District
89.8%
90.5%
92.2%
100%
81.4%
More than 65% of all respondents report contact with the library in the past six months,
which is close to the percentage of active library card holders that are registered borrowers.
A large majority of respondents, whether they have used the library recently or not,
believe the library is either very important or essential to the quality of life in our community.
For those who had recent contact with the library 93.5% agreed with this statement. A strong
majority (83.7 %) of those who have not had recent contact with the library agreed with this
statement. Similarly, respondents reported a high level of satisfaction with the library, with
83.6% stating their overall satisfaction level is either very good, or excellent. Those rating
satisfaction as "good" represent 11.5% of the respondents. The library can take cues from
comments left in "other" categories, as well as ratings in the collection and programs, to design
improvements. No respondents rated their library satisfaction level as "poor," and only 4
respondents rated their experience as "fair."
Expansion of Library Services to the West Side
Respondents Who do Not Live on the West Side or Do Not Visit the West Side
Mail
Web- Patron
Web -Open
In- Library
School District
36.1%
90.5%
92.2%
100%
81.4%
To address the question of expansion of services to the west side of the city, the survey
combined a scale of 1 to 5, with 1 representing "not important at all" and 5 representing "very
important" was asked.
2
How Important is Library Expansion to the West Side?
Rank
Mail
Web — Patron
Web — Open
In- Library
School District
1— Not at All
Important
33.3%
31.5%
25.3%
30.4%
16.5%
2
13.3%
14.9%
10.7%
6.3%
12.6%
3
23.8%
24.4%
24.0%
24.1%
30.2%
4
14.6%
14.7%
14.7%
20.3%
21.4%
5 —Very
Important
15.1%
14.4%
25.3%
19.0%
19.2%
An average of 35.7% of respondents to all surveys (mail, web, and in- library) ranked
west side service as important or very important. An average of 39% of respondents to all
surveys (mail, web, and in- library) ranked west side service as unimportant or not at all
important, and an average of 25.3% (351 people) were neutrallundecided /no opinion.
This varies from a 2004 library survey that asked, "... how important would you say
offering expanded library services to the west side of Dubuque is to you and your family ?"
About 53% responded important or very important, 31% responded unimportant or not at all
important, and 10% were neutrallundecided /no opinion. In 2004 the library had no west side
service. Since then, a drop off -pick up point at Kennedy Mall has been introduced, as have
material return boxes at Eleanor Roosevelt Middle School and a vending machine at Hy -Vee
with a material return box, so it is not surprising to see the slight decrease in demand for
expanding west side service. However, the decrease in demand did not necessarily transfer over
to choosing "unimportant or not at all important" (which changed less than 5 %); instead, there
was a significant increase in those who were neutrallundecided / no opinion. This category was
around 10% in 2004 and jumped to more than 25% in the recent survey. The closeness of these
responses makes the more neutral rating of 3 particularly important. Those in the middle
represent nearly 24% of all respondents, and when this group has more information — either for
or against west side library expansion — they may hold stronger opinions to create a clearer
majority.
3
Which Services Would You Most Likely Use if Available on the West Side?
Rank
Mail
Web — Patron
Web — Open
In- Library
School District
1
Adult Books
Adult Books
Adult Books
Adult Books
Adult Books
2
DVDs
Children's
Books
DVDs
DVDs
Children's
Books
3
Ref Info
DVDs
CDs
Children's
Books
DVDs
4
Comfortable
Seating for
Reading /Study-
ing
CDs
Children's
Books
CDs
Storytimes
Wi -Fi
Storytimes
Comfortable
Seating for
Reading /Study-
ing
Adult Programs
Tie
Teen Books
CDs
Mags/News-
papers
Comfortable
Seating for
Reading /Study
-ing
Teen Books
Teen Books
Tie
Adult
Programs
Wi -Fi
Computers
Teen Books
Tie
Ref /Info
Mags /Newspa-
pers
Computers
Computers
8
Adult Programs
Drop -Off
Pick Up
Tie
Adult Programs
Meeting Rooms
Tie
Storytime
Meeting Rooms
Wi -Fi
Mags/Newspa-
pers
Comfortable
Seating for
Reading /Study
-ing
9
Meeting Rooms
Wi -Fi
Tie
Drop Off/Pick
Up
p
Ref Info
Computers
Off /Pick
Up
Wi -Fi
10
CDs
Mags/News-
papers
Genealogy
Genealogy
Meeting
Rooms
4
Services Most Likely to be Used — West Side Expansion
Respondents to all surveys (mail, web, and in- library) showed a preference for a services
that would require a building if expansion were to take place on the west side ofthe city. A
collection of varied formats for adults and children topped the lists. Also noted in the top five
rankings were comfortable seating for reading /studying and programs.
How to Pay for Expansion of Library Services to the West Side?
Option
Mail
Web — Patron
Web — Open
In- Library
School
District
Taxes
15.7%
16.4%
20.3%
20%
17.1%
Bond
8.0%
14.3%
18.9%
9.3%
11.9%
Library Levy
44.6%
40.7%
41.9 °'0
37.3%
38.1%
None of the
Above
27.1%
24.8%
17.6%
24%
26.1%
Paying for Expansion of Library Services
Respondents chose a library levy to provide funding for the expansion of library services
to the west side of the city. Voters determine whether the city adopt a library levy, which would
be $.27 per $1,000 ofthe assessed valuation of property. A home valued at $100,000 would
contribute approximately $2.50 annually to a library levy that can be expected to generate about
$550,000 annually.
Miscellaneous
A total of 590 comments were added to the surveys. They can be categorized as:
Positive — 43.4% (n =256) of the positive comments 17% were about staff (n= 44)
Negative — 3.7% (n =22) of the negative comments 18% were about staff (n= 4)
West Side — Support 16.6% (n =98)
West Side — Oppose 9.9% (n =58)
Suggestions — 10.0% (n =61) (collection, policy, program, or facility related)
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