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Athens-Clarke County Library

Focus Groups

SummaryPrepared By Gail Griffith

August 2012

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Purpose of Focus Groups

To collect data from key stakeholder groups (patrons and partners) for input into the Strategic Plan

To enhance relationships and opportunities for collaboration

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Four Groups

Teens 8 teens, ages 12-17, including 2 homeschooled students

Parents of Young Children 6 mothers (and their infants)

Baby Boomers Grant Advisory Committee

6 people, including 2 authors and grant staffers from Library and Lyndon House

Adult Patrons from Athens Library

7 adults, including 1 homeschooling parent, a homeless individual, and a former volunteer

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What They Use and EnjoyTeens Parents Boomers Adults

•Books

•Staff actually call to tell them their book is in!

•Computers

•Live Action Role Play (LARP)

•DVDs

•Contests

•Variety of programs

•Summer Reading—would like to have for older kids

•Ticket to Read for little kids

•Books

•Place holds, order books

•Computers (for 5-year-old)

•Infant Storytime

•Music time

•Little ones like to play here

•Place holds, order books

•Activities for grandchildren

•Downloadables

•Passport

•Cultural events, movies

•Galileo

•Heritage Room

•Resources for writers—reference, writers conference

•Books

•Internet and computers

•DVDs

•Large Type

•Magazines

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What They’d ChangeTeens Parents Boomers Adults

•Have every book in a series available

•Have recommendations of books to read

•More graphic novels

•Video game collection

•More new movies

•Language learning videos

•Sports instruction videos

•Music and cooking programs about different countries and cultures

•More opportunities for parents of young children to meet and interact

•Wonder if parents who most need library are coming here?

•Anxious to see renovation finished

•Shelve all fiction together, not by genre

•Libraries in general buy too much rubbish, need to improve readers, provide more prize-winning books

•Improve cleanliness of public computers?

•Better interior building maintenance

•Provide quiet areas

•Filters sometimes block wrong things

•Private study space

•Improve behavior of other patrons, get security to intervene more effectively

•Can’t figure out how to request purchase of a book online and be notified when it’s available

•Want access to older editions of magazines and ability to do word searches (like Nexus)

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Trends

Teens Parents Boomers Adults

•Technology: headphones, Kindles and e-books, text or email when book is due, self-checkout, online renewal

•Computer classes on how to do animation, movie and photo editing

•Want to learn more about science and space—make NOVA accessible?

•Economy—people borrow more, need more than 2 weeks

•International community, want tapes in other languages

•ESL, mostly for Hispanic people

•Full Bloom closed, library has opportunity to become place where parents meet each other

•Environmental awareness

•Increasing diversity—library can help us learn and enjoy

•Death of the physical book—need e-readers

•Self-publishing

•So polarized in talking about issues—library could encourage discussion, not shouting

•Community can become fragmented, library can be a hub to help people connect

•Technology

•Cell phone etiquette is nonexistent everywhere

•There is less civility everywhere

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How else could library improve?

Teens Parents Boomers Adults

•More programs: movies, crafts, book trivia, Battle of the Books, board games, Jeopardy, heavy metal jewelry show, how to type

•After school program: read, homework, hangout—have bus bring us here

•Send customized alerts based on a profile we create

•Library more mobile—delivery by truck or mail?

•Longer checkouts

•More Infant Storytimes—crowded

•Tag items with a kid’s recommendation

•Music Jam for infants

•Website needs improvement, glad to see prototype

•Blog specific to J or YA department so we could know more?

•Newer, more interesting and varied baby videos

•Need lots more publicity—radio PSAs? Events for press?

•Longer hours on Sundays

•Would pay a library tax

•Help people improve employment

•Run literacy programs or refer to partners

•Community needs to know more about Pinewoods

•Space for writers groups to meet more frequently

•Longer hours

•Can’t get a computer if not here early

•Show independent and classic films

•Show online lectures from universities and host discussions. NASA, Cornell have good science presentations

•Have all books in a series

•Cleaner restrooms

•Metal detector at the door?

•Need more than 2 hours on a computer. Timers don’t all work right, may need to have batteries on motherboards replaced

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How do you hear about library services or programs?

Parents Adults

•Other moms

•Facebook

•WUGA

•Athens conscious parents listserv (?)

•Newspaper--Flagpole

•Written material around service desk

•Bulletin boards downstairs

•Home page

•Newspaper, if you’re looking

•Would like to see libraries connect their local heritage programs around the country to make access easier

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Partnership Opportunities the Library Should Pursue?

Parents Boomers Adults

•Schools

•Senior groups, council on aging

•Museums, like the natural history museum on campus

•UGA—involve their students in programming as a way to offer more programs like infant storytimes

•UGA Library—want to place hold on their books and have them sent here

•Business community—ex. Banks might fund an ongoing ad campaign to show their investment in community; would also demonstrate value to elected officials

•UGA Library—want to use my ACCL card there, use their computers and extended hours for study

•Need coordination of info for homeless people

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Keep at All Cost…

Parents Adults

•Programming, it gets people in the doors

•Computers are important for the community—not everyone has internet at home

•Don’t cut books at all (3)

•What library does now is basic and essential, don’t want to surrender anything really (2)

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$1,000,000 Gift, No Strings!

Parents Adults

•More books! More titles and copies

•More staff

•Multimedia

•Suggestion box at front desk or online to get ideas

•Getting the word out about things

•Books

•E-readers, and coordinated way to request something for your Kindle, or use one only in the library

•Book groups—remembers they had a Jewish lit discussion group. Are there other opportunities for these?

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Anything Else?Teens Parents Boomers Adults

•Would like to work or volunteer at library—shelve books, check holds, etc.—but don’t want their volunteering to put anyone out of a job

•Listen to the patrons—things keep changing

•Continue to increase online presence

•We LOVE the library! Has lived here forever and looks at library a whole new way since becoming a parent. Invaluable!

•Appreciates art books at Lyndon House

•Likes regular schedule of programs throughout the year

•Authors and writers are natural partners with library

•Promote local authors?

•Partner with businesses to get 10% off coffee when you show library card?

•A fine library system!

•More family-oriented movies, don’t cover rating with a sticker

•Partner with businesses for rewards for kids

•Library can help people find government info

•How often do you conduct inventory?

•More training on how to set up and use computers

•Keep up the good work!