Understanding the community library’s past, present and future.

COVER TO COVER

Understanding the community library’s past, present and future.

Group 2

Mark GuarraiaAidenn MullenKirk Rhodes

IDUS 711 : Methods of Contextual ResearchOctober 27, 2013

COVER TO COVER

DESIGN BRIEF

PROJECT OVERVIEWLibraries of yesterday began with efforts to organize documents as a collection. The interests of forming the first library included accessibility to organized information, specifically within the educa-tional role of a community.

Now, libraries are a cultural center for many communities, although their function and usefulness vary greatly from location to location. Specifically with the advent of new technologies, libraries have attempted to–and in some cases been forced to–adjust to the needs of their communities.

By conducting an ethnographic study of the interactions and intentions of library visitors, members and staff, we will assess the attraction and future direction of America’s community libraries.

OPPORTUNITY STATEMENTThrough this research study, there is an opportunity to uncover rich insights about America’s com-munity libraries–spaces often overlooked, undervalued, and misunderstood.

As a result of this study, we hope to understand 1. where community libraries provide the most value for members, 2. where they can improve their services and accessibility, and 3. how we can evolve today’s libraries and construct tomorrow’s libraries to truly reflect the anticipated needs of members. By doing so, we also have the opportunity to understand what may draw outsiders into their commu-nity libraries in the years ahead.

RESEARCH QUESTIONS1. How are community libraries defining themselves?

2. Where are there opportunities for libraries to change and grow to meet the evolving needs of their members and communities?

3. What is the current relationship between communities and their libraries, and what are the librar-ies doing to create, foster, and maintain this?

SCOPEThis study will combine our research, analysis and synthesis of three community libraries across three American cities. This project will not include the development and testing of prototypes.

Our analysis and synthesis of research will be derived by interviewing and observing stakeholders and a unique approach to methodology. We will not however, distribute surveys or gather data when the researcher cannot be present in the field, or cannot have interaction with the user.

VALUE PROPOSITIONFor current, future, and prospective community library members who regularly take advantage of the associated services and spaces, this study will uncover key insights into what currently drives usage and to what will be required for community libraries of the future to remain relevant, accessible, and desirable.

We do this by conducting a contextual research study: observing library resource usage, surveying frequent patrons and staff, interviewing key stakeholders, attending and participating in events, and mapping activity flow. Our primary research study is fueled and informed by our comprehensive secondary research on community libraries in the United States, as well as on the regions and cities we are operating within.

Unlike other studies which merely collect quantitative data on library usage to facilitate and satisfy trending demands of the community, this study additionally focuses on the perceived purpose, function and needs of the library within its community, both by it’s users and staff. The benefits of such knowledge will provide a direction for libraries to focus on to remain relevant, accessible, and desirable to their communities.

METHODOLOGYInterviews We will utilize interviews to capture experiences, histories, thoughts, predictions, and insights from many key stakeholders: current library members, library employees, and other relevant individuals. For each interview we will determine the focus according to our primary research ques-tions (above), then probe the respondent for relating content in a semi-structured interview manner. Recordings may be audio or video, and notes will be recorded on a field guide. This methodology will lead to a well-rounded, informed analysis of the current state of community libraries, and may hint at what the future can look like.

Observations In this study, we will rely on several observation techniques. We will spend time in community libraries, observing both members and employees. We will observe on both the macro and micro levels, and will do this during various times of the day (to get an accurate look at the cross-section of members). We will also employ shadowing techniques, following both members and employees throughout their time in the space.

Unique Methods Our unique method of choice will be to interact with stakeholders during an image sorting exercise. Images will be chosen based on topics of library spaces, such as personal and digital spaces, community and multi-use spaces, and youth environments. Through this, we will be looking for patterns and themes to illuminate areas of need otherwise not addressed in observa-tion and interview methods.

TIMELINE

1Units

Research Activities

Analysis / Findings /

Opportunity Mapping

Documenting

Date M: 10.14.13M: 10.07.13M: 09.30.13M: 09.23.13M: 09.16.13

Research Preparation / Practice

Observations

Findings Organization

Opportunity Mapping

Contact Libraries / Participants

Blog - www.themagnoliastudio.wordpress.com

RAS Draft

Finalize RAS

Interviews

Unique Methods

M: 10.21.13 M: 10.28.13 M: 11.04.13 M: 11.11.13 M: 11.18.13

2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10

DELIVERABLES - Opportunity Map: Future of Community Libraries

- High Level Insights

- Demographic Analysis

- Process Book

- Blog

- History of the three observed Community Libraries

- Environmental Photos

- RAS Report

- Video Presentation

Appendix

INTERVIEW QUESTIONS » LIBRARIANOn this library and libraries in general

- What do you think is the purpose or benefit of having a library? … of this library?

- Do you think the library currently serves the same purpose it did ten, fifteen years ago? Please explain.

- How has this library changed over the past five years? Can you give me some examples of programs, offerings, functions, etc.?

- What would you say are the strengths of this library?

- Where do you see this specific library five years from now?

On your job and experience with this library

- Does this library offer you everything you would like from it? Are there things that are not offered here that you would otherwise utilize on a regular basis?

- Have you ever worked with a group at the library? How do you see groups vs individuals utilizing the library?

- Can you tell me about the skills / services you can offer in this particular library?

- Can you tell me about a circumstance in which you felt valued as a librarian? How does this compare to a time when you could not offer assistance to a member?

- Are there times when you or the library is unable to offer assistance to a member? Can you give an example? What did you do? What did the member do?

On the community engagement of this library and libraries in general

- What services are most utilized by the community? What services do you think would or should be utilized more often? What is preventing that from happening?

- Who would you say utilizes the library’s current resources the most / most effectively?

- Is there any type of person in the community that you would wish to see utilizing the library more… if so, tell me about that / why?

- Can you tell me - is your member population on the incline or on the decline? For how long has this been a trend, and to what do you attribute this to?

- Are there opportunities for our library to gain new members? How would you suggest that this is communicated?

- Are there other local spaces that offer the similar services to the library? Can you describe them? Do you find that they serve the community better? In what way?

- What would you say are - currently - the major community anchors within this neighborhood? Do you feel the community library has gotten higher on that list, or lower - why is that? How does this compare with ten or fifteen years ago?

- If you had complete power and could enable the library to do just one more thing for this community, what would it be?

Appendix

INTERVIEW QUESTIONS » MEMBEROn this library and libraries in general

- What do you think is the purpose or benefit of having a library? … of this library?

- How often would you say you visit the community library? Why do you come here as opposed to other public spaces? What do you do and where do you do it?

- Does this library offer you everything you would like from it? Are there things that are not offered here that you would otherwise utilize on a regular basis?

- Can you list reasons why members would not visit the library? Who are those that choose not to utilize this service?

On your experience with this library

- Have you ever worked with a group at the library? How do you see groups vs individuals utilizing the library?

- For how long have you been coming to this community library? How have you seen the library change since joining?

- If there were just one thing that enabled you to utilize the library more, what would it be?

- Do your family members or friends utilize the community library? If so, in what capacity?

- How do you see the others utilizing this library?

- Have there been occasions when the library has been a solution for a problem you may have had? Can you tell me about this situation? Did it involve your specific community?

- If the library was to close, how would you solve problems that you normally do within the area? Where would you start?

- How do you stay up to date with community library offerings?

- Do you feel like you’re getting your money’s worth from your community library?

- Do you feel like the library is valued a benefit of the tax payers money?

On the community engagement of this library and libraries in general

- How do you see our community utilizing this library?... is that all?

- From your perspective, what do you think this library’s main priority is when serving the community?

- How do you receive information about Library events?

- What would you say are - currently - the major community anchors within this neighborhood? Do you feel the community library has gotten higher on that list, or lower - why is that? How does this compare with ten or fifteen years ago?

- Have there been any community events you have attended here? If so, can you tell me about them?

- Are there other community spaces and resources you utilize? (Think Post Office… book stores… coffee shop…) How do you stay connected with those establishments?

Appendix

INTERVIEW QUESTIONS » NON-MEMBEROn this library and libraries in general

- Have you received information about the library even though you do not attend? How was this communicated?

- Is the community library irrelevant?

- Where do you go first for information?

On your experience with this library

- Why don’t you go to your community library?

- When was the last time you went to your community library? How do you envision the community library - what is it offering, from your past experience?

- What is your perception of the community library? Do you have any experiences that stand out to you?

- Do you know anyone that regularly goes to the library?

Appendix

INTERVIEW QUESTIONS » ARCHITECTOn libraries as evolving spaces

- When thinking about designing a new community library, what were some of the things you took into account?

- Who did you find is accessing the library most frequently?

- Were there any strategic initiatives brought to you when considering the design of this new community space? If so, who were these proposed by?

- As an architect, did you bring any new strategies for the stakeholder review panel to consider? If so, what were they and where did they come from?

- Was attracting new members part of your strategy when setting out to design a new library? If so, how did you go about solving for this?

On working with and within a community

- How does Tiverton (host community for new library) differ in its needs from a more urban community library? Did you happen to study other models when designing this new space?

- Were there any surprising requests from the community as you set out to design this new space?

- Were you met with any community opposition when discussing plans for the new library? If so, what did they pertain to?

On designing a physical space

- What are some new technologies we could observe walking into your new library?

- Do you feel there are currently barriers to joining a community library? If so, are these barriers physical, mental, emotional, etc…

Stakeholder: Who H

e / She is? “______________________________________”

Activities, Daily Routine

Observer: ___________________________ D

ate: _______________ Location / Event: ___________________________

Core Values, Aspirations, Role M

odelsInteraction w

ithin the space, Com

munity

Quotes:

Professional Notes:

Dem

ographics:

IDU

S 711 / Group 2 / Field G

uide / 1

Appendix

FIELD GUIDE » ONE

Appendix

FIELD GUIDE » TWOO

bserver: ___________________________ Date: _______________ Location / Event: ___________________________

What

How

Where

When

Why

Professional Notes

location? occasion?

needs / problems

Interaction

during activitytypes of services

IDU

S 711 / Group 2 / Field G

uide / 2

Observer: ___________________________ D

ate: _______________ Location / Event: ___________________________

Area of Opportunity

Needs M

et

Com

pensating BehaviorsD

issatisfactions

Perceptions

Associations

BarriersIDU

S 711 / Group 2 / Field G

uide / 3

Appendix

FIELD GUIDE » THREE

Appendix

PROJECT MATRIXResearch Questions

Source of Data Research M

ethods Research Tools

Where

What do w

e need to know

W

hat do we need

to know

What do w

e need to know

How

are com

munity libraries

defining them

selves?

Librarians, M

embers,

Partners, Secondary Sources

Primary &

Secondary R

esearch O

bservation (Shadow

ing, Fly on the W

all), Interview

ing

Field Guide, Idea

Mapping,

Environment

Mapping, Audio /

Video, Note

Transcripts

Com

munity

Libraries

What are all the

services offered at libraries currently both for m

embers

and the general public?

How

do stakeholders view

libraries of today? W

here is this inform

ation derived from

? Does this

align with current

use?

What efforts have

been made to

remain relevant

to stakeholders? H

ow have those

been successful?

Where are the

opportunities for libraries to change and grow

to meet

the evolving needs of their m

embers

and comm

unities?

Librarians, M

embers,

Partners

Image / W

ord Sorting, Prim

ary & Secondary R

esearch O

bservation (Shadow

ing, Fly on the W

all), Interview

ing,

Photos, Audio, Video, Field G

uide notes, experience / environm

ent m

apping

Libraries, C

omm

unity C

enters, C

omm

unity Art C

enters, Cafes,

Coffee Shops,

Internet Cakes,

Bookstores, Higher

Education Libraries

In what w

ays do libraries already serve their m

embers? Are these

services specific to the library?

How

are non- libraries servicing users, w

hat are the sim

ilarities / differences to how

libraries are serving m

embers?

What are all the

comm

unity / m

ember

interactions that take place daily? Is there a pattern?

What is the current

relationship betw

een com

munities and

their libraries, and w

hat are the libraries doing to create, foster, and m

aintain this?

Librarians, M

embers,

Partners

Diary Study,

Interviewing, Im

age / W

ord Sorting, Interview

ing, Shadow

ing

Photos, Audio, Video, Field G

uide notes, experience m

apping, Note

Transcripts

Com

munity

Libraries

Com

munity / Library

relationship interactions, activities, adm

inistrative

External C

omm

unication , including m

edia used

What are the

responses to the com

munication

sent to mem

bers / com

munity?

Positive or N

egative?