Library board requests new Lincolnton, East Lincoln libraries

Earlier this year, Kimberly Bolan and Associates completed an in-depth facility study for the Lincoln County Public Library System in North Carolina.  

“Our board was tasked to present our priorities from the Kimberly Bolan and Associates study in February,” library board chair Dr. Becky Reavis said. “You may recall that they did community groups, focus groups and surveys, and they had a very good response rate. Overall, there were very strong sentiments from the residents of Lincoln County that the overall library capabilities and resources were lacking in several different areas.”

In April 2017, the commissioners voted unanimously to move forward with the construction of a new West Lincoln library facility on 35 acres of donated land near West Lincoln High School. The original plan was to build a 10,000 square-foot library to replace the current 2,500 square-foot facility located in a shopping center off of Highway 27 in Vale. That plan has since evolved, expanding the future library to 12,000 square feet, but the library board is requesting a minimum of 14,000 square feet to accommodate space for patrons of all ages and interests.

2006 - 2007 Teen Focus Group Summary

Between October 2006 and January 2008, I held a series of teen focus groups and conducted two online surveys in communities across the United States. Over 800 teens responded. They were asked what they would like to see in libraries. The top fifteen common responses were:

• More space for teens
• Separate, distinct teen area
• Comfortable furniture
• Warm, welcoming environment
• More technology such as computers, TVs, listening stations, sound domes, gaming equipment
• Teen-only computers (like in the children’s room)
• Areas for talking and socializing as well as quiet study
• More nature light and better, “cooler” artificial light
• More up-to-date materials such as graphic novels, music, DVDs, popular books, magazines, and video games
• Good signs that look nice and make it easy to find things
• Color (no white walls)
• Food and drink options (e.g. vending machines or a library café)
• Better advertising of services and programs
• Cleaner, better organized library
• Helpful staff and good customer service

Over 75% of online survey respondents said having a space just for teens that is comfortable and welcoming where they could hang out would make them want to use the library more. Other top responses to increase teen library use included having a café (68%), bringing in more technologies such as listening stations, TVs, etc. (58%), adding music and DVDs (56%), adding more books (55%), and adding more computers (51%).

For more information see my new book on teen space and teen services coming in 2008 (published by ALA Editions).

Teen Furniture, Misleading Advertising & Getting Patron Input

In the August 16 edition of E-Product News from American Libraries, I was a bit frustrated to see the following as the lead item: Teens Love the New Big Cozy Books Booths.

As someone who has extensively researched teen space design as well as talked to thousands of teenagers about library furnishings and design concepts, I have yet to come across a teen (grades 7 - 12) who positively responds to Big Cozy Books (BCB) booths. Don’t get me wrong, BCB products can be a good option for children’s spaces, but not necessarily for teenagers (especially in their existing format). And…I definitely wouldn’t go as far as saying that teens “love” BCB booths. In reality, when I show teens these the booths side-by-side with other booth options, they hands-down choose the other options.

If teens were presented with hard, traditional, wooden library furniture vs. the BCB booths, then, yes, maybe they would choose BCB. Anything is better than traditional, hard, wooden library furniture. Even adults that I talk to in my focus groups would go for anything over the uncomfortable, traditional options.

When it comes to furniture and design selection and “true” likes and dislikes of library patrons, this is why I am so adamant with library staff (whether dealing with teens or adults) about working directly with patrons, showing them all the options, and getting their direct input.

Tip #1: Work with your patrons, show them all the options (and make the options comparable), give them a choice and a chance to give their direct input. Research ALL the options so you can provide a good sampling. And…don’t sway their decision by only showing them one option, options that aren’t comparable, or options that are solely based on library staff likes and dislikes. In this case, I think perhaps librarians love the BCB booths, not teenagers.

My concern about this advertisement for BCB is that they are misleading people. Have they actually done any market research that suggests that teens prefer BCB booths over more traditional or modern booths? I don’t see any teen references or quotes or data suggesting as much.

Tip #2: When looking at any ad, ask yourself the above questions first and then go out and ask your customers before making any purchases. Don’t make assumptions!

Let me know if you need assistance with finding options. There are certainly a lot out there. See the vendor list on my blog to get a good start.

Rules for Brainstorming

No matter whether you're working to build staff relations and communications (e.g. Library/IT relationships) or conducting focus groups with the public, brainstorming is a great tool for improving communication and increasing collaboration. Sound easy? Not always. Brainstorming sessions can often turn into chaotic messes or unproductive shouting matches if not handled correctly. Below are a few tips for keeping things on the right track for communicating in an open, positive, and effective way.

1. Choose a topic
2. Assign someone to take notes
3. Go around the room – 1 idea per person
4. Think quantity, not quality
5. Say “pass” if no idea
6. Do not criticize or discuss ideas
7. Good natured laughter is okay
8. Exaggeration is encouraged!
9. Spend 20 – 30 minutes brainstorming

When you’re done brainstorming, move on to discussing the ideas that stood out during the brainstorming session. What ideas really work? What don’t? Decide what ideas to “act” on - the key word being "act."