The San José Public Library is committed to connecting and listening to San Jose residents. One way we do this is by visiting public events and talking to residents and neighbors. Here is what we've been hearing from some of our 25 library locations during our Summer Community Events.
Almaden Branch Library
This quarter we visited schools and reached out to our own library community to see how they felt about the community they lived in. Most discussed how they liked the library and how it was a safe and quiet place for them to read and study. They loved the books we carried. Some expressed that they wanted more of one or another type such as Manga. They also expressed interest in having more gaming programs, art and craft programs for children, and Read to Cats. I interpret that as a love for our Reading to Furry Friends program.
In terms of the larger community, I think some of the reflected opinions focused on the multi-culturalism within our neighborhoods and how people did not have the time or the wherewithal to get to know one another better. There was a reflection about kindness and helping one another. One expressed a need for community for young adults and GenZ. Another commented on the walkability of the neighborhood and the affordability for housing in San Jose. In general, the community loved the library.
When I provided outreach to the schools, I felt that the library was less used and appreciated. We have some library champions, but many in the neighborhood did not even know that we existed or were aware of the programs that we provided. I was doing a lot of library promotion at the outreach event. In general, they liked the services that we provided and were interested, but frankly, I think many of them were too busy with work, family, and the activities that they were committed to.
As a result of the feedback we received, I will focus on providing families with more of the fun activities that they are looking for to connect and meet with other families—such as Halloween story time, Lunar New Year festivities, and maybe more fun Valentine and cultural activities. At Almaden, we have for many years in the Fall, partnered with PRNS to provide a blast of an event for families, the Harvest Festival. We will continue to partner with PRNS to provide other events to bring people in the community together.
Alviso Branch Library
Alviso Branch Library staff held a “Back to School Family Night” in August where we received some community feedback. This was our sole opportunity during the quarter because there weren’t many outreach opportunities in the area. Usually, the Alviso area tends to have a lot more going on during the Fall (Day on the Bay) and Winter seasons (Santa Visits Alviso). Nonetheless, those who participated in our “Back to School Family Night” provided us with some adequate feedback, especially from young students.
When asked “what community do you want to be part of”, responses were varied. Some responses included “a more united community”, “a community with more cross cultural sharing”, and “a community with a national night out”. Similar to last year, we can surmise that community members still want plenty of opportunities to connect with each other. At the Alviso branch, we have made efforts toward this by scheduling Family Nights to play games and do crafts with each other. We plan on continuing this and hope that more of the community is able to come out!
Next, we asked “how is that different from your current community”. Responses included “lack of quality parks and play grounds”, no community center”, and “no access to variety of recreation”. These responses do describe issues in regards to development in the Alviso area. Other than residence, there are few businesses in the area and the park is mostly open field. Given our partnership with the Parks, Recreation, and Neighborhood Services, we may share these concerns with them and hope they may be addressed in the future.
The next question, “how could the library help create that community”, participants were able to elaborate on their initial responses from the first question. Some of the responses include “make more programs” and “be a participant/co-sponsor of village events”. We are fortunate to have a partner in the Legacy San Jose Alviso Youth Foundation, that helps our branch with program funding and we plan to use much of that funding towards programming. For sponsoring events, this was an interesting suggestion that we may need to look into for the future.
For our final question for our community members, we asked “what is your school year goal”. Some of the students stated that they hoped to find more friends, improve math skills, and improve reading ability. We certainly can help with these goals! We currently host a monthly Math Festival to help students get comfortable with different ways of thinking and logic through puzzles. For reading, we plan on scheduling Reading Buddies in the coming year once we get more volunteers on board.
Alum Rock Branch Library
As the long nights of summer transform into the steady pace of the school year...
Alum Rock Branch Library staff moved into its Fall outreach. Over several weeks, staff went all around the Alum Rock School District to meet the community head on. September 14th saw me at the William Sheppard Middle School back-to-school night with library information in hand waiting for the surge of students and parents. In between new students trying to find the right sticker and parents asking about tutoring, I set to work on seeing how the District 5 Community saw the direction it was heading to.
When asked about the kind of community that they want to belong to, there is a consensus around being in a “caring and safe” community. Some felt that their issues around accessibility and not knowing their neighbors made having “a safe and caring” community difficult. In this vein, one observation stuck out to me when I asked about “how is that different from what you see now?” The answer I received was, “not much different, just hope everyone can experience it”. There is an understanding that it is possible to create the kind of community District 5 residents want and the library as a whole factors in that equation.
The one question that everyone had an answer to was “What do you like about the library?” Answers ranged from “free knowledge” to “I like how it is organized & staff is Friendly.” There was a noticeable lack of answers regarding adult programming. One way that Alum Rock Library can improve is by bringing in programs that can attract adults looking for community (I.E. arts and gardening). Every other Sunday, Alum Rock Library has an early morning yoga class. The Next class will be November 17th (9am-10am).
Educational Park Branch Library
For this quarter of community engagement, Librarian Javier deLeon gathered surveys from ACE Charter High School’s Back to School Night and a Viva Parks Event @ Northwood Park. He talked to high school teachers, faculty, teens, and parents at ACE and general audiences at the Viva Parks Event. He gathered the survey answers by trading a survey for free books. Both venues were successful, and a lot of the answers were similar. Respondents want a safe community that they can gather and have fun events.
Currently, community members see gangs and homeless loitering in areas they used to use for family activities. Most people are too intimidated to interact in these public spaces or they have trouble connecting with those around them in their neighborhoods. The communities want clubs provided by the library to bring like-minded individuals together. Our 4th question was “What do you like at the library?” The respondents felt that the library is helpful and welcoming; they provide a lot of amazing books and a quiet place to study.
Educational Park Branch has a lot of ongoing activities to give patrons a place to gather and make friends. This includes lego clubs, art clubs, homework clubs, board games and video games for use; scheduled gaming events. We intend to keep up with patron demand and make Educational Park a popular hangout spot for the community.
West Valley Branch Library
The end of Summer and early Fall is a busy time for community outreach for West Valley Branch librarians. This year we attended Back to School and other Fall events at neighborhood schools, National Night Out at Payne Avenue Friendship Park, Movie Night at Starbird Park, and the West Valley Community Services’ Park-It Market. At these outreach events, we not only talked to neighborhood residents about library resources and programs, but we also listened to what they had to say about their community. Residents completed brief surveys where we asked them about their aspirations and concerns for the community and how they hope the library might play a role in helping the community meet those aspirations.
Community members expressed some common concerns. Many told us they wanted a safe, clean, and peaceful community. Others mentioned their desire for a close-knit and inclusive community where neighbors know each other and help each other. A few want a walkable neighborhood with abundant parks and community gardens. Safety was an especially strong concern for residents in the Starbird neighborhood. Overwhelmingly, residents in that area want a community free of gangs, vandalism, and public intoxication. They want a community where their children are safe to play outside. As one Starbird resident put it, she wants to “vivir en una comunidad donde no hubiera vandalismo, donde no diera miedo salir a la calle con hijos, donde no hubiera balasos, muertos, jovenes en drogas, un vecindario donde los hijos pudieran jugar sin miedo a jugar afuera” [to live in a community where there was no vandalism, where it was not scary to go out with children, where there were no bullets, deaths, young people on drugs, a neighborhood where children could play without fear of playing outside].
These community aspirations may be contrasted with how residents see their neighborhoods now. While some described their community in quite positive terms, most described unsafe neighborhoods (gangs, crime, etc.) where people are too busy to get to know each other. Others noted unsafe streets (i.e., people driving too fast), a lack of inclusivity (people siloed within their own ethnic or national groups), a lack of affordable housing, unreliable public transit, unsafe bicycle infrastructure, and car-dependent business locations.
When asked how the library might help address community concerns, residents provided a wide variety of responses. Some think the library is already doing a great job. One parent reported, “for me as a mother, the library is the best thing that has ever happened to me. The children have fun and learn from others. For example, they read a lot and learn.” Most said they wanted more library programs, especially for kids. Some specific programming recommendations for kids included drug and alcohol education, dancing, and a storytime program specifically aimed at older children. Residents also had program/service recommendations for adults, for example, establishing community gardens and seed libraries, programs to learn English, and educational workshops on renters’ rights. Some wanted to see the library play a facilitator or advocacy roll, for example, by helping to coordinate efforts by residents and City departments to address community concerns or by advocating for improved public transit.
Add a comment to: Community Engagement – Fall 2024