Strathmore Municipal Library undergoing needs assessment review

Times Contributor

 

The Strathmore Municipal Library is currently undergoing a needs assessment review to determine future uses and needs of the library.

The needs assessment was required as a result of the demands being put on the current facility that the Strathmore Library uses.

“We are in a facility that is not in any way able to meet current demand,” said Director of Library Services with the Strathmore Municipal Library Jesse Traquair.  “We are doing this needs assessment for a soft idea to get some guidelines for the future.”

The needs assessment is being conducted by two consulting firms: Library Planning Consultants and RC Consultants, two firms that have a long history with the Strathmore Library and the Marigold Library System.

The library is getting information for the needs assessment via a variety of different methods. “We are currently getting public input through a paper and an online survey,” said Traquair.  “We’ve also distributed surveys to the school boards, and we are interviewing community groups, the town and county councils, and the library’s board and staff.”

Traquair said that the needs assessment will give the library an idea of how to manage its growth.  “We will use this needs assessment to determine if we need to expand our current facility or to build a new facility for the library.”

He also said the assessment will help with fundraising efforts for the library.  

“We are also going to use this to help identify potential funders, as well as have something to prove to current and potential sponsors about the needs that our library has.”

The needs assessment will run through to early 2013, and the final report on the study should be ready no later than February, although Traquair is confident that the report will be done sooner than that.

Traquair also said that he is hopeful for the future.  “This is a very interesting process,” he said.  “I hope to see the library grow, and this needs assessment allows for those guidelines for growth (that we can follow).”