Colton Public Library - Facility needs assessment update

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Colton Public Library: Needs Assessment study Update 8/25/1999 6. Hours of Operation The Colton Public library is to be commended for maintaining a weekly schedule for the Main Library of 60 hours for public use. This may have required sacrifices in various areas of operation including salaries and capital outlay for major maintenance and equipment. While use statistics seem to indicate public approval of these hours, future budgets need to address critically needed additions to staff, collections and equipment. The long-range goal of the Main Library should be a further increase in hours to a schedule approaching 70 hours per week including at least four hours on Sunday. 7. Other Barriers to Acceptable Levels of Service Space restrictions in the existing library building are the most serious barriers to be overcome in providing an acceptable level of library service to the residents of Colton. The building's severe space deficiencies preclude implementation of adequate solutions such as: • expanded collections, • increased accommodations for users, • sufficient equipment for optimal use of electronic information technology • adequate number of staff • appropriate special purpose and meeting room spaces • provision of adequate and convenient off-street parking • well designed spaces for staff workstations including public desks • amenities such as a Friends of the Library book store Only a new, well programmed and designed library building can remove these barriers and provide a library facility which will permit the full realization of the community's Vision of contemporary public library service. 111. LIBRARY TRENDS Dynamic trends emerged during the past decade that will continue to shape future library services and the facilities that house them. Perhaps the most obvious has been the dramatic development of electronic information technology and resources. Automation first entered Library doors as a means of improving certain routine operations such as circulation. While this element continues to be refined, much. more attention is now being given the role of computer access to databases and the broadening world of telecommunications exemplified by the Internet. One of the most significant results has been the swift proliferation of computer workstations in public libraries. No library seems able to provide a sufficient number of terminals to meet the pressure of public demand. 4