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Massachusetts Board of Library Commissioners Resource Guide Collection

Developing a Library Building Program: Needs Assessment

Do you need professional help?

Public stakeholder surveys and meetings are sometimes done by a professional Library Building Consultant. This has two advantages: the consultant has experience with gathering this type of data, and s/he is a neutral party in the eyes of the community. The MBLC can provide you with a list of consultants with public library experience (the list does not constitute an endorsement or recommendation of any kind).

Predicting the Future

What library services are the most popular, how should they relate to one another in space, and how do they relate to their satellite departments? Are any of these services or departments expected to expand at a quicker rate than others? Are any expected to be phased out over the next few years or substantially reduced in size? All this information must be gathered and the relationships charted. In this way, the librarian can relate spaces in the library for the most efficient operation.

--From Designing and Space Planning for Libraries: a Behavioral Guide (1979 -- an oldie but a goodie), by Aaron & Elaine Cohen

The Pew Research Center’s Internet & American Life Project released a comprehensive report analyzing Americans' use and opinions about what they do and don't want from their public library in January of 2013. The full report is titled Library Services in the Digital Age with the tag line Patrons embrace new technologies – and would welcome more. But many still want printed books to hold their central place. It can be found here.