Responding to Community Needs

As the Library continues to reassess how we remain relevant and are meeting the region’s ever-changing needs, we are reaching out to the heart of the communities we serve to engage in meaningful dialogue with patrons, community leaders and other community organizations. Bringing people together for conversation is a critical starting point, as it brings out ideas and creative solutions. Starting in 2013 and continuing through 2014, we are specifically targeting three areas in which to begin our community conversations:

• Slavic Village
• Central Neighborhood
• Clark at Scranton

These locations were strategically targeted because of their unique challenges or the success of existing initiatives.

When the Library closed its Broadway Branch in late 2012, it made a promise to the community that it would continue to evaluate the impact and ensure there were no gaps in the services provided by its surrounding branches.

The Central Neighborhood serves as a model for positive community involvement. Thanks to the Ambassador Program that is part of the Promise Neighborhood initiative available through The Sisters of Charity Foundation, the Central Neighborhood is witnessing a revitalization of community involvement. The Library is continuing to focus attention and resources on this program in the hopes of successfully duplicating it in other neighborhoods.

The neighborhood around Clark and Scranton is another focal point because of the temporary closing and relocation of our South Branch. We continue to engage the community in conversations about future needs as we objectively evaluate what type of building and infrastructure are necessary to support those needs. As we move forward in the process, we hope to co-design neighborhood library services with the community.