Sechelt Public Library Community Survey Results May 2016 Community Survey Results Note: This is a summary of the completed surveys and is intended to provide a snapshot look at the overall results. Please see the complete survey for comprehensive details and results. - Q1. Have you used the Sechelt Public Library within the last 12 months? 88% yes No 7% Never used the library 5% - Q2. How often do you normally visit the library? How often do you normally visit the Library? 60.0% 50.0% 40.0% 30.0% 20.0% 10.0% 0.0% Daily Weekly Monthly A few times a year other - Page 1 of 13
Q3. When you visit the Library which of the following do you do? Select all at apply? 90% borrow books 51% pick up books on hold 43% Get help from library staff 30% Read magazines or newspapers 26% Spend time reading NOTES: most repeated comment was the need for staff assistance with technology Q4. Which of the Library s electronic services do you use? (Top 4 Responses) 70% library catalogue 54% Library website 50% Technology Training 30% Computers - Q5. Do you use other local libraries and reading rooms on a regular basis? 68% Gibsons and District Public library 27% Other 11% Roberts Creek 8% Pender Harbour 4% Davis Bay 1% HMB Note: More than half of respondents use Gibsons Library as well. 27% of respondents use or also use libraries not located on the Sunshine Coast. - Q6. Are you aware of the BC OneCard allowing you access to public libraries across BC? 54% Yes 46% No Note: BC OneCard will be marketed on our website. - Page 2 of 13
Q7 Overall what is your level of satisfaction with the library? 84% excellent or very good (48% excellent/36% very good) 13% good 2% average 1% needs improvement Note: There were 121 comments given for this question including these repeated themes: 26 STAFF - compliments 31 COLLECTION - suggestions, changes ( 6 happy) 8 HOURS - requested more hours incl. Sunday 10 RENOVATION - made comments which encourage renovation or expansion 8 UNHAPPY space, light, cost of photocopier, low shelves, sci fi collection 5 QUIET - need 4 TECHNOLOGY NEEDS more places to plug in, more computers 4 ACCESSIBILITY ISSUES - visual impairment - Q8: Overall, what is your level of satisfaction with our staff? 93% Excellent or Very Good ( 69% Excellent / 24% Very Good) AND Q9: Are our staff knowledgeable about services and the collection? 95% Yes Are our staff helpful and friendly? 97% Yes Note: There were a total of 158 comments given for these two question on staff and 156 extolled the virtues of library staff. Descriptors for staff include: courteous, friendly, welcoming, professional, knowledgeable, efficient, pleasant, cheerful, terrific, willing to help, extremely helpful, helpful beyond the basic, efficient, nice, always available, the best, amazing, couldn t be better, extremely positive, always helpful overworked, awesome, outstanding! A few of the comments: Page 3 of 13
The staff are always very helpful, efficient and friendly. I don t know of any other service provider I come in contact with that I can say that about! The front counter ladies have shown a great deal of kindness to some of our more fragile seniors who use the library. They are wonderful with my four year old daughter. If they aren't sure, they will consult staff who know. I believe they have coped well an inadequate space for years and produced excellent results. - Q 10. Which of the following free services are you aware of? Free access to computers 86.8% Popular DVDs to borrow 81.7% Free WI-FI 71.1% Downloadable e-books 56.1% Downloadable magazines and newspapers 30.6% One-on-one computer or e-book help 40.8% E-book training workshops 30.4% Borrowing materials from the Gibsons and District Public Library 71.1% No, I was not aware of these services 4.6% Note: Downloadable books, magazines and newspapers need to promoted in the community and in the library. - Page 4 of 13
Q11: The Board is in the process of looking at future Library services. Please tell us what you think the focus of the library should be over the next four years. NOTE: In a word cloud, the more times a word is mentioned, the larger it appears. The text from the comments was pasted into a program to create the image below. In some instances, words like library and libraries have been removed to reveal a more meaningful message. Promoting literacy and the love of reading to children and young adults 86.2% Contributing to literacy and lifelong learning 76.4% Providing an inviting space where people can connect 62.1% More community programs and events 39.8% Serving as a technology centre for our community 55.0% Providing information services for job seekers 35.2% Providing services for business and startups 21.1% Other (please specify) Page 5 of 13
Note: There were 121 comments given for this question including these repeated themes: 22 PROGRAMS - need for range of programming 21 COLLECTION - suggestions, changes 14 RENOVATION - made comments which encourage renovation or expansion 12 QUIET need 8 HOURS - requested more hours incl. Sunday 5 CAFÉ desire for some form of café 3 TEENS need for separate area 2 HOURS space, light, cost of photocopier, low shelves, sci fi collection 2 ART on display 1 ACCESSIBILITY ISSUES - visual impairment - Q12: What atmosphere do YOU want to experience when visiting the Library? (Select all that apply) Top five responses: 77% calm 62% warm 46% natural 43% thought provoking 41% creative Bottom five responses: 7% exciting 8% other 10% cutting edge 15% vibrant 21% stimulating Note: There were 52 comments given for this question including these repeated themes: 12 QUIET need quiet area 4 ART on display 2 RENOVATION - made comments which encourage renovation or expansion 2 CHILDREN appealing to children Q13: If the Library Board had more money to spend, how do you think it should be spent? Expand the print collections 49.9% Improvements to the Library 35.2% Page 6 of 13
More electronic resources 28.3% More technical support and training for the community 28.3% More study space and reading space 29.3% Longer and better hours 39.0% Other (please specify) Community Survey Results Note: There were 111 comments given for this question, including these repeated themes: 28 RENOVATION - made comments which encourage renovation or expansion 17 COLLECTION - suggestions, changes 17 HOURS - requested more hours incl. Sunday 10 PROGRAMS - need for range of programming 6 QUIET need 7 TECHNOLOGY community support, low shelves 5 CHILDREN / TEENS engagement, gaming station, teen area, more books 4 ACCESSIBILITY ISSUES wider aisles, 3 TEENS need for separate area 2 HOURS space, light, cost of photocopier, low shelves, sci fi collection 2 ART on display Page 7 of 13
2 CAFÉ desire for some form of café 2 ARCHIVES concern for space for the Sechelt Community Archives A few of the comments: Absolutely more space. Make the library a centre piece for Sechelt. Make the front of thelibrary face south as a gathering place for the District of Sechelt. Have a coffee at the library. More spaces to use laptops, preferably in individual spaces rather than group tables. Continue to provide all staff to get further training, they are our front-line/first there people, they are the ones who need training to keep up the good work they do. More adult space: heftier magazine selection. Quiet environment very important. Q14: Which of the following best describes you? Student 5.0% Working 29.9% Retired 65.5% Not working 4.0% Other (please specify) Note: There were 59 responses to other. This is a list of answers in order of most common answers: semi-retired, stay-at-home parent, disabled, life-long learner, author, artist. The following answers were given by two respondents: researcher, student, unemployed, senior, work at home, active, teacher, volunteer, parent. And unique answers: grandparent, father, retired. Page 8 of 13
Q15: When you visit the library, how long do you usually stay? 10 minutes or less 10.6% 30 minutes or less 53.4% one hour or less 26.1% More than one hour 10.0% Other (please specify) Note: 79.5% of respondents spend 30 to 60 minutes in the library when they visit. Q16: What is the primary language in your home? English 98.6% she shashishalhem 0.3% French 1.8% Other (please specify) 2.4% Note: Other languages recorded by respondents include German (5 respondents), Dutch ( 3 respondents) and the following individual responses: Fillipino, Spanish (with friends) Arabic, visual language, Norwegian, Yiddish, Russian, Chinese. Q17: NON-USER QUESTION (Non-users - Please start survey here) Please tell us why you have not visited the library in the past year? No specific reason' libraries just aren't part of my life 35.0% I prefer to purchase my own materials 27.5% I don't know what the Library has to offer 16.3% Library location is not convenient 16.3% Library hours do not suit me 8.8% The Library does not have the materials I want 5.0% I do not feel comfortable or welcome at the Library 0.0% Page 9 of 13
Notes: 27.5% respondents who prefer to purchase their own materials reveals that this segment of the community has the economic means to purchase rather than borrow. Q18: What are your general interests? Please select all that apply. Top Overall interests % of respondents Subject area 63% General fiction 48% Literary fiction 43% Documentary (non-fiction) 43% Canadian fiction 42% Art (creating art) 42% Mystery fiction 41% History 40% Fine arts 40% Gardening Bottom Overall Interests % of respondents Subject area 8% Parenting 10% Sports 12% Law 12% Business 13% Languages 17% Aging Top Fiction Interests Top Non-Fiction Interests Most borrowed Non-Fiction 2013-2015 1. General 1. Documentary 1. Food & drink 2. Literary 2. Art (creating art) 2. Personal health 3. Canadian 3. History 3. Gardening 4. Mysteries 4. Fine arts / Gardening 4. Food & drink 6. Nature 5. Animal Husbandry Page 10 of 13
Q19. Which of the following most accurately describes you or the person(s) on whose behalf you are completing the survey? (these are Census divisions) Age Group 0-4 5-14 15-49 50-69 70-79 80+ Library Survey respondents 0% 9% 18% 45% 25% 6% 2011 Census SCRD Populations 4% 2.5% 34.5% 37% 10% 9% Note: In comparison with the local demographics, survey responders between the ages of 50-79 and 5-14 are over represented with the remaining age groups being under represented. However, many people who use the library on a regular basis do not have library cards and therefore it is difficult to ascertain the actual age demographic of library users. Q20. Are you Male or Female? Are you male? female? Page 11 of 13
Q21: Where do you live? Where do you live? 64% District of Sechelt Area A (Pender Harbour & Egmont) Area B (Halfmoon Bay) Area D (Roberts Creek) Sechelt Sechelt Indian Government District (SIGD) Town of Gibsons 17% Halfmoon Bay 8% Roberts Creek 4% Gibsons 3% Pender Harbour & Egmont 1.4% SIGD 2.7% Other Other (please specify) Question 22: Do you have any comments? Note: There were 212 comments received for this question including these repeated themes: 142 - APPRECIATION positive comments, thank yous, general support & appreciation 32 RENOVATION - made comments which encourage renovation or expansion 24 STAFF - compliments 12 COLLECTION - suggestions, changes ( 6 happy) 11 QUIET - need 8 UNHAPPY 7 HOURS - requested more hours incl. Sunday 6 TECHNOLOGY NEEDS more places to plug in, more computers 5 CAFÉ - desire for some form of café 4 PROGRAMS need for general programming 4 CHILDREN bigger collection, love the collection, noise, teen space Page 12 of 13
3 CRITICAL electronics = environmental degradation, don t need library we have internet, find the books less interesting Page 13 of 13