WORKSHOP REPORT - Laserfiche WebLink

The Library began the actual needs assessment process in June 2004 in order to quantify the space needed to serve not only current residents but also to serve the population once the city has reached build -out. Kathryn Page Associates, a Library- planning firm, was engaged to conduct the assessment. The consultants met with ten community focus groups, conducted eleven interviews with Library Commissioners, Pleasanton City officials and Pleasanton Unified School District personnel and worked with Library staff to conduct a general community survey. Interviews with eight groups of Library staff were held. Community demographic data was compiled and analyzed. Library usage and resource level statistics were assembled, reviewed and compared to similar data for libraries that serve comparable communities. A profile of space needs was developed that responds to the service needs and priorities of the community. Recommendations were developed for collection size, shelving capacity, seating, computer technology, meeting room and programming space, student support spaces, staffs work space, storage and other space needs. The individual space needs were aggregated and a building net -to -gross factor applied to identify the total square footage needs of the Library. A summary of the key findings of the Library Needs Assessment are as follows: Pleasanton's Library facility at 400 Old Bernal Road is an attractive 30,178 square foot building that has served the community at this location since 1988. The population has grown from 44,600 to more than 67,200 residents since the Library opened, a 51% increase. Originally a branch of the Alameda County Library, the City of Pleasanton took over operation of the Library in 1999. The City's increased financial support has raised Library service levels significantly over the past five years. Collections and programming have improved and service hours have increased. Lack of space is the building's primary limitation. When the City took over Library operations, the staffing and administrative space requirements that went along with an independent operation had to be shoehorned into existing Library space. Previously, the administrative "backbone" of the Library was handled off -site by the Alameda County Library System. The City has also increased financial support for the Library's operations to provide an expanded collection of books, magazines and media, public access computers and extensive programming, in keeping with the community's high interest levels and high expectations for Library service. Community response to the improvements to Library collections over the past five years is remarkable. Circulation has increased 78% since 1999/2000, the first year that the City operated the Library. Last year, circulation topped 1.4 million items. Page 5 of 9