Mid-Columbia Libraries offer online survey to find out how to improve services
Mid-Columbia Libraries is asking residents across the Mid-Columbia what its branches could be doing to help more people.
The three-week survey, which closes June 22, asks the community to rate the importance of quality-of-life issues such as cultural diversity, career programs, access to resources and more.
The 18-question online survey is open to anyone over 18 who lives in the cities with Mid-Columbia Libraries location in Benton and Franklin counties and parts of Adams county.
Participants will be prompted to enter their zip code when taking the survey to ensure they are in an area with a library location.
Sarah Schwan, MCL advocacy and development manager, said the survey hopes to focus on the diverse communities where the 12 libraries are located.
“(We realized) what a diverse district we had, and we wanted to hear what the needs were of the people from within the community,” Schwan said.
Before the survey opened, the library district held nine town hall sessions and focus groups to gather other kinds of data.
That helped the district get feedback to create the questions for the survey.
“Members of every community pay for library services, so we want to make sure that we’re meeting the needs of as many people across our district,” Schwan said. “We want to hear from a very diverse group of individuals.”
“Our communities created these libraries,” she said. “... So we need to continue providing not just resources, but the right resources, based on community feedback, in the right venues and with ease of access.”
After completing the survey on the MCL website, participants will be entered to win an Apple iPad mini. The survey is offered in English and Spanish.
