SPRING 2008 "FOCUS GROUP" STUDY OF LIBRARY'S
STRENGTHS AND WEAKNESS
AND
PLANS FOR THE FUTURE
 
#1 - LIST THE STRENGTHS OF OUR COMMUNITY

CITY GOVERNMENT & SERVICES:

* Very good library (3 focus groups commented on this topic)
* City sales tax
* Park system (2 groups made this comment)
* Water park
* Fire & police protection
* Efficient, safe water system
* Clean, safe streets


ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT:

* Aggressively seeking new industries
* Growing economically (2 groups made this comment)
* Central geographical location (2 groups made this comment)
* Crossroads for two major highways
* Strong chamber of commerce (4 groups made this comment)
* Several transportation options available
* High employment
* Diversified economy
* Business entrepreneurs
* Headquarters for three public power utilities
* Strong work ethic (2 groups made this comment)
* Growing population
* Numerous banks
* Airport
* Wide variety of industries
* Community size – lots of services & activities
* Community college town


QUALITY OF LIFE:

* Overall safe/secure community (3 groups made this comment)
* Spirit of volunteerism (3 groups made this comment)
* Volunteer center which lists volunteer opportunities in the Telegram
* Good technology infrastructure (2 groups made this comment)
* Centrally located (2 groups made this comment)

* Diverse population (2 groups made this comment)
* Affordable utilities
* A benevolent community, i.e. United Way programs & donations
* Low unemployment (2 groups commented)
* Abundance of churches that cooperate on various activities (3 groups made this
comment)
* Strong emphasis on spiritual welfare & outreach
* Collaboration
* Active civic/citizen organizations
* Networking among community organizations
* Citizens are there for one another; people helping people
* Wide variety of available social services
* Grocery stores with good selection
* Pride in community
* Thriving rural population
* Small town atmosphere – people know & help one another
* Community events i.e. Lawn Chairs on the Square, Cinco De Mayo, horse races
* Job opportunities in a variety of fields


COMMUNITY SERVICES:

* Community Resource Center (2 groups made this comment)
* YMCA


EDUCATION:

* Good school systems (3 groups)
* Dedicated teaching staff
* Choices in schools
* Good community college (3 groups)


HEALTH & WELLNESS:

* Good medical facilities (2 groups made this comment)
* Good health care
* East Central Health District


YOUTH:

* Strong non-school youth sports programs
* Youth sports

ARTS & CULTURE:
?


#2 - LIST THE WEAKNESSES OF OUR COMMUNITY:


CITY GOVERNMENT & SERVICES:

* Lack of vision for the community
* Reactive rather than proactive
* Need an experienced city planner
* History of poor city planning
* Need emphasis on commercial building appearance
* Lack of strategic planning
* Poor traffic flow; congestion at many intersections
* Need better mass transit to meet the needs of: (2 groups made this comment)
* those without private transportation
* elderly
* handicapped
* those preferring public transportation
* Lack of public event facilities
* Aging infrastructure
* City government not forward looking
* No community center facility


ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT:

* Need to update downtown (2 groups made this comment
* Make it more inviting
* Update buildings
* Limited downtown parking (2 groups made this comment)
* No focus for downtown development
* Shortage of skilled labor
* Low wages
* Lack of usable fiber optic infrastructure
* Limited retail shopping (2 groups commented)
* Residents must shop out of town for many items
* No access to east-west four-lane expressway
* Limited number of large retail stores (2 groups made this comment)
* Need to address 11th street redevelopment


QUALITY OF LIFE:

* Lack of white collar jobs
* Limited retail shopping (3 groups commented)
* Residents not unified on important issues
* Need more effort toward integrating Hispanic community into our city
* Local newspaper
* lack of community news
* inconsistent reporting
* Racism & discrimination (2 groups commented)
* Rural vs. city rather than working in partnership
* Crime, vandalism, gang activity, drug problems; alcohol issues
* Isolation for newcomers; dome residents seem cliquey to newcomers
* Low wages
* Lack of support/assistance for people of other cultures
* Limited number of large retail stores
* Need more family oriented activities
* Lack of activities for adults
* Aging population will require additional community services
* Diversity; gap between cultures
* Poor appearance of retail & residential property
* Lack of pride in maintaining businesses & homes
* Litter, unkempt buildings & yards
* Conservative community
* Resistant to change (2 groups commented)
* Accepting of the statue quo
* Fiscally conservative
* Reluctant to take risks
* Very low unemployment
* Poor customer retail service
* Lack of affordable housing; little housing choice or variety
* Poor quality of entry level homes
* Very low unemployment
* Lack of affordable childcare
* Lack of publicity on community foundation


COMMUNITY SERVICES:

* Lack of resident awareness of available community services
* Lack of support/assistance for people of other cultures


EDUCATION:

* No four-year college
* Middle school facility
* Not training people for local jobs
* Youth are disengaged; need to get them involved in community
* “Dumbing down” in schools
* Lack of support for ESL & GED
* Need for readily available Spanish language classes


HEALTH & WELLNESS:

* Lack of mental health services

YOUTH:
* Limited activities for youth beyond sports (3 groups made this comment)


ARTS & CULTURE:

* Lack of entertainment
* Lack of fine arts & cultural programs (2 groups made this comment)
* Lack of entertainment of all types






























#3 - LIST THE OPPORTUNITIES FOR OUR COMMUNITY IN THE COMING YEARS

CITY GOVERNMENT & SERVICES:

* New library facility
* Improved/renovated community facilities
* Increased willingness to form partnerships: city/county/agricultural park/schools/rural
(2 focus groups commented on this topic)
* A community event center
* New viaducts
* Improve traffic flow in all areas of the city
* Complete north arterial
* Plan for mass transportation to meet the needs of a growing, diverse community
* Need city policy environmental stewardship


ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT:

* More retail business (3 focus groups made this comment
* Progressive spirit
* Downtown does not have to focus on retail. Concentrate efforts on insurance/banking/
investment & other services rather than shopping
* Additional industry (2 groups commented)
* Improved transportation options
* Positive media image of Columbus
* Results from Hometown Competitiveness Program
* Positive community reputation
* More expressways
* Increase in Population – “Drive for Five”
* Increase efforts to acquire advanced technology as basis for business recruiting
* Encourage flexible job opportunities for young farmers for additional income
* Create more mentoring programs
* Planned program for local business succession
* Build on chamber sponsored mentoring
* Link more businesses with area schools & with the community college
* Increase elder-friendly community services


QUALITY OF LIFE:

* Affordable housing; improved quantity & quality of housing stock (all 4 groups
made this comment)
* Increase in population should correlate with increase in retail
* New library facility
* Turnover in generational dollars
* Encourage residents to leave portions of their estates to community
Organizations
* Work to welcome diversity & decrease cultural divisions
* More year-round planned community events
* Involve more people in community leadership – need more community decision makers


COMMUNITY SERVICES:

* Need a new YMCA


EDUCATION:

* More distance education due to better technology infrastructure
* Increase school cooperation with business & industry
* More adult education opportunities
* More college/university level distance education


HEALTH & WELLNESS:

* More wellness programs


YOUTH:

* Focus on ways to keep youth in the community
* larger college with more programs that relate to industry needs
* make jobs available that offer a living wage
* encourage more high tech/white collar jobs
* School curriculums should better prepare students for local jobs


ARTS & CULTURE:

* Encourage more entertainment alternatives
* Enhanced cultural activities – humanities, arts







#4 - LIST THREATS TO OUR COMMUNITY IN THE COMING YEARS

CITY GOVERNMENT & SERVICES :

* Deteriorating infrastructure
* Lack of tax base
* Deteriorating inner city
* One step behind – resistance to change
* Too fiscally conservative
* Lack of compromise on city issues
* Inability to see the Bigger Picture for the good of the entire community
* Political indecisiveness
* Lack of cooperation between city & county
* Lack of vision – lack of planning (3 groups made this comment)
* Need for a professional city planner


ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT:

* Shrinking white color workforce
* Limited job market for professionals
* Need to improve technology infrastructure in order to stay current
* Need for action on downtown issues
* Aging business owners
* Cost of starting a business
* Lack of highway development funds
* Non-renewal of city sales tax
* Jobs offering living wages
* Industries may move away
* How do we retain the industry that we currently have?
* Poor national economy


QUALITY OF LIFE:

* Political apathy
* Citizens reluctant to run for public office (2 groups made this comment)
* Lack of community pride
* A forum for developing a community consensus on key issues
* Loss of positive/decisive community leaders (2 groups made this comment)
* Limited job market for professionals
* Poor community attitude – what happened to “can-do” attitude?
* Increasing number of substandard houses (2 groups made this comment)
* Neighborhoods are becoming rundown; loss of pride in property
* Increase in crime
* Drop in service club membership
* Rural depopulation
* Pollution
* Crime, gangs, alcohol, drugs (2 groups made this comment)
* Increasing energy costs
* Low unemployment rate
* Shrinking middle class - more haves & have-nots
* Non-renewal of city sales tax
* Pollution
* Unwed mothers – use a lot of resources
* Jobs offering living wages
* Need to integrate the Hispanic community
* High child care costs
* Need to be more welcoming/inclusive to newcomers
* Lack of interaction/cooperation with rural community


COMMUNITY SERVICES:
?

EDUCATION:

* Illiteracy – technological
- reading/writing
* Under educated work force
* Need to teach values at home vs. relying solely on the schools
* Need to teach young couples how to be good parents


HEALTH & WELLNESS:

Lack of Level I Trauma/Emergency care
* Comparison with Norfolk’s medical services

YOUTH:

* Uninvolved parents
* Families losing core values
* Lack of friendliness toward youth
* Youth moving away

ARTS & CULTURE:
?




#5 – LIST THE STRENGTHS OF OUR LIBRARY

FACILITIES/TECHNOLOGY/COLLECTION:

* Strong materials collection
* Wide selection of material from which to choose
* Space available for after school programs
* Bookmobile (3 groups made this comment)
* Library appearance – interior & exterior (2 groups made this comment)
* Multifunction facility (2 groups made this comment)
* Free meeting rooms (3 groups made this comment)
* Study rooms
* Computers for public use
* Remodeled children’s area (3 groups made this comment)
* Online services – databases, downloadable books
* Technology – wireless Internet access (2 groups made this comment)
* Downtown location (3 groups made this comment)
* Good budget for materials
* Hours of operation
* Drive up drop off for materials (2 groups made this comment)
* Main floor mural


STAFF & LIBRARY SUPPORT:

* Knowledgeable & hardworking staff
* Positive, enthusiastic, quality staff
* Dedicated & pleasant staff
* Good director
* Engaged, active library board (2 groups made this comment)
* Focus group project
* Dedicated friends group (4 groups made this comment)
* Volunteers (2 groups made this comment)
* Endowments – library foundation
* Involved library foundation
* Interested patrons
* Good partnership opportunities: Board/Foundation/Arts Council


CORE SERVICES:

* Youth summer reading program
* At the library & via bookmobile
* Other services for youth (2 groups made this comment)
* Hours of service given limited staff
* High usage
* Free – for the most part
* Periodicals available online
* Downloadable audio books
* Library promotional programs
* Response to community needs
* Overdue telephone reminders
* Good book collection
* Good novel collection
* Good video collection
* Art prints available for checkout
* Consortium with other libraries


NON-CORE SERVICES:

* Book sales
* Housed programs: ESL, GED, literacy, art gallery (2 groups made this comment)
* Story time/ art class program
* Art gallery/gift shop


#6 – LIST OUR LIBRARY’S WEAKNESSES

FACILITIES/TECHNOLOGY/COLLECTION:

* Poor visual appearance
* Lack of energy efficiency
* Poor layout of facility for best use of staff
* Uninviting entrance appearance
* Lack of space; facility too small (2 groups made this comment)
* Lack of space – some programs such as ESL & literacy may have to relocate outside of
the library
* Lack of parking (2 groups made this comment)
* Shortage of meeting rooms
* Shortage of computers for patron use
* “Boring” look
* Outdated image (2 groups made this comment)
* Landlocked location
* Disjointed facility – lack of usable space to meet modern library’s needs (2 groups
made this comment)
* Lack of comfortable seating in reading areas – needs to be updated (2 groups made
this comment)
*Lack of handicapped accessible restrooms
* Book collection inadequate
* Worn books need to be weeded & updated
* Video collection - needs to be weeded & updated (2 groups made this comment)
- needs more titles on culture, science, the arts (2 groups made this comment
* Lack of bilingual books
* Poor book selection
* No marketing of online information/ little awareness of what is available
* Limited technology
* Technology concerns – computer lab location & staffing inadequate
- more staff time needed to provide patron instruction
* Web site is not up to date; update with additional information (2 groups made this
comment)
* include link to Arts Council web site
* Location of microfiche/fax machine (ergonomic)
* Bookmobile future in question
* Lack of county funding & support
* Reduced services
* Reliance on county funding for continued operation


STAFF & LIBRARY SUPPORT:

* Lack of adequate funding (2 groups made this comment)
* Lack of goals
* Understaffed (2 groups made this comment)
* Understaffed - staff have too much work to do behind the scenes
- unable to provide good service; may seem unapproachable
- affects employee morale
* Need for customer service training for employees
* Staff turnover
* Need for employee certification/more continuing education
* Seeming lack of communication among staff regarding library policies & procedures
* Not using part-time employees to best advantage
* Need more open hours
* Need open hours on Saturday morning (2 groups made this comment)
* Lack of direction
* Need to review & update mission statement
* Poor communication to patrons re: services & policies
* Need for a well publicized library calendar of events


CORE SERVICES:

* Poor customer service/little help with online catalog
* Need sessions to provide training on library online catalog
* Policy/procedure concerns: restriction on # of books checked out, time limit on checkouts, concerns about when renewal date begins, inability to access checkout statue online, patron access to “PIN” numbers
* Expense of interlibrary loan
* Fees for out of county residents
* Picture books out of order; difficult to locate specific titles


NON-CORE SERVICES:

* Need classes offering computer training for patrons
* Patrons must pay for Internet use
* Need Rosetta Stone software for patrons wishing to learn Spanish/English
* Lack of Spanish classes
* Need computer software for use by ESL
* Lack of GED classes
* Consider serving as a location for classes such as cooking, sewing, exercise groups , art lessons, etc.
* Middle school students in library after school
* Unruly behavior
* Intimidate other library users
* Lack of supervision for children during after school programs
* Poor cooperation with literacy program staff


#6 – LIST OPPORTUNITIES FOR OUR LIBRARY IN THE COMING YEARS

FACILITIES/TECHNOLOGY/COLLECTION:

* New library/art gallery
* Need for a much larger facility (3 groups made this comment)
* More space – include quiet zones & a reception area
* Continue to improve technology – more online data, e-books & downloadable services
* Up to date technology in the bookmobile
* More computer lab locations throughout the library
* Self checkout machine to speed up checkout procedures
* Website kept up to date with current library calendar, new book lists, services, etc.
* Work with other entities: city/schools/churches to arrange to additional programming space

STAFF & LIBRARY SUPPORT:

* Educate city council on how the library budget is used
* Additional staff training in – technology hardware & software
- public relations/interpersonal skills
* New director – will have new ideas, new focus
* Hire additional staff for the library & bookmobile
* Train library volunteers to assist with some basic services
* Solicit staff input
* Flexible scheduling with input from the staff
* Survey non-users as to why they do not use their library
* Locate & utilize grants for programs & collection additions


CORE SERVICES:

* Increase hours & staffing to better meet community needs
* Provide library related technology training for patrons
* Library & businesses partnering to offer reading incentive programs
* Define the purpose of the library & market it

* Marketing library programs & services to the underserved
* Outreach programs to community & civic organizations, schools, nursing homes, & homebound
* Outreach to the underserved
* Provide bookmobile services to facilities in the city as well as to locations throughout the county
* Outreach to Hispanic community
- provide relevant materials: books, software, audio/video
- make hiring a bilingual staff person a priority


NON-CORE SERVICES:

* Library/Arts Council/Schools partnering to promote the arts & diversity
* Other partnerships with the community
* Consider a change in focus & mission:
* Become part of a community center
* Become part of a cultural center
* Work with literacy, ESL & art gallery to relocate
* Reach out to smaller communities/other counties – provide library services in return for funding
* Consider the addition of a bookstore – refreshments & profit
* Consider additional programming & services:
* “Meet your library” program
* Invite authors & poets for reading & book signings
* Senior outreach program
* Improve service to rural community
* Work with schools to initiate literacy programs for all students






#8 LIST THREATS TO OUR LIBRARY IN THE COMING YEARS

FACILITIES/TECHNOLOGY/COLLECTION:

* Lack of space – need larger facility to handle growth of collections & programs (2
groups commented on this)
* Need to keep up with ever changing technology
* Security & safety issues
* Home Internet use rather than using the library (2 groups commented on this)
* Reluctance of library to change
* Need to keep collections fresh
* Further reduction of Bookmobile services


STAFF & LIBRARY SUPPORT:

* Budget
* Low salaries; can budget support a well qualified staff?
* Lack of adequate funds for collection development & operations
* Limited funding (4 groups commented on this)
* Need for updated policies & procedures
* Need to market the library’s programs & services (2 groups commented on this)
* Lack of support from city officials
* How relevant is the library to community issues?
* Necessity of keeping up with changing community needs; community priorities
* Need for improved communication with city council on library operations
* Need for staff training
* Fewer people coming to downtown
* Overall decrease in literacy? Fewer people reading for leisure?
* Competition with other available activities
* Competition for patron time
* Should involve the patrons in promoting the library’s services
* Communicate to the community the library’s needs – such as funding issues

CORE SERVICES:

* Need for additional youth programs

NON-CORE SERVICES:

* Latchkey children
* Non-users
* Fees for some library services


#9 - Of the many important issues facing our Community in the coming years, which of them relate to what the Library does or could do for the Community?


* Provide information & programming for a knowledge-based economy
* Be a part of downtown revitalization
* Think of the library as the community hub
* New library facility
* Facility expansion/remodel
* If downtown served as a destination for culture & arts activities, the library could serve as a community center & cultural center
* Need for a new library - new library facility reflects community pride & shows that the city has an investment in the future
* Better library marketing to publicize all is available through the library
* More space to help meet community needs
* Cooperation and communication among the library staff/director/board
* Help to address literacy & workforce development issues (2 groups commented on
this)
* Help to address community quality of life issues
* Serve as a community information center/Technology hub
* Library website should provide links to other community organizations
* Promote the library to new city residents
* Include a visit to the library in business recruitment efforts
* Art Center – cultural center
* Cooperate with school system
* Need for after school programs - Work with schools to set up after school activities that could be located in the schools.