Library Strategic Planning Survey Results – Text

Alamosa Planning Survey The Alamosa Public Library strives to serve our community. To that end, we have been engaged in preliminary work for developing a strategic plan. Over the past year, the Library Manager and the Board have been working to develop and deliver a survey to members of our community, to identify their concerns and priorities. Two surveys were developed

• 156 were collected from library users, via email .
• 199 were collected from the general public in person at community events.

Some questions were unique to each survey variant, and those are noted. Multiple Choice Questions Have you used these library services?

	Yes	No	What is This
Customer Service	282	65	1
Materials for Children	175	160
Materials for Teens	136	196
Materials for Adults	267	75	3
Special Items	99	228	7
Programs and Events	150	179	5
Online Services	121	195	21
Computers, Printers and Internet	217	124	2
Special Tech and Assistance	104	219	10
Local History Room	90	208	13

  *This was asked of both users and non-users.   How important are the following Library services to you?

	Important	Neutral	Not Important	What is This?
Checking out materials	146	6	4	0
Getting help from staff when I have questions	129	25	1	0
Programs and events	87	52	14	0
Computers, printers and internet	72	54	26	0
Special technology and assistance	53	61	36	1
Study and meeting rooms	60	58	31	2
Online Services	79	52	17	5
Local history resources	71	56	24	2

  How do you find out what’s happening at the Library?

I don’t know what’s happening in the library	30
Library paper calendar	30
Newspaper	31
Facebook	33
Word of mouth	47
Signs and fliers	51
Library staff	53
Library website	85

  *These were asked of only users. Free Text Questions – Library Users If money were no object, what three things would you do to make the Library even better?

Staff support	6
Building – larger, additions	7
Technology	10
Promotion/Awareness	13
Hours	15
Library Spaces	40
Collection	74
Specific event suggestions	84

  What about the Library do you value most? What is most helpful or important to you?

Community	5
Information	5
Presence	6
Spaces	11
Programs	22
Technology	23
Staff	33
Collection	82

Free Text Questions – General Public What keeps you from using the Library?

Library open hours	5
Lack of knowledge	5
Lack of need	12
Lack of transportation	12
Lack of free time	16

  What three things could the Library do to make you visit more?

More meeting space	3
Extend evening/weekend hours	10
Collection suggestions	13
Publicize more	23
Specific event suggestions	51

  If there were no limits, what would you do to make the community better?

Community spirit	6
Cleanup	6
Transportation	6
Crime	7
Food and Food Insecurity	7
Information/Resource sharing	8
Main St./Downtown	9
Income inequity	10
Addiction	11
Housing/Homelessness	26
Activities/Venues/Events	46

  What makes you proud to be part of this community?

Diversity	8
History	8
Grew up here/”It’s home”	9
Nature	10
Amenities/Resources	14
Community Spirit/People	50

  What does the community most need?

Cleanup	5
Transportation	7
Drugs	8
Crime/Safety	9
Community spirit	10
Housing	21
Events/Activities/Venues	42

  Demographic Questions These questions were optional. Age

Under 18	7
19-25	27
26-35	48
36-45	52
46-55	28
56-65	51
66-75	45
76+	13

  Gender

Female	197
Male	67
Non-Binary	3
Woman-Adjacent	1
Trans	1

  Language

English	160
Spanish	9
English/Spanish	4
Q’anhobal	1

  Ethnicity

White	173
Hispanic/Latino	70
Native American	9
African-American	5
Multiracial	2
Asian/Pacific Islander	1

  Live Within or Outside Alamosa

Inside	128
Outside	73

  How has the Library helped you? The Library in Alamosa has been a warm place to work, a readily available computer, inexpensive copies and prints, a safe place for my children over Spring Break and a peaceful respite from a chaotic world. Thank you. It has helped me to read books I enjoy and my children enjoy. We are able to read new material and save money because we don’t have to purchase a book while money is a bit tight these days due to rising costs. My kids love coming to the library programs, storytime, and sometimes color or do a puzzle. Very helpful to get on the internet when I was homeless 6 years ago, I found a home on FB, without the library I would not have survived When I moved to Alamosa I was largely cut off from the internet. My cell provider barely had any coverage. The library came to the rescue. Thank you! They help with everything. They have never not helped. And most pay companies don’t do that. I love the library! Immensely. It is our safe space, our place to go to relax, get stimulated, have fun and get good reading material.