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 Winter Community Events.
Vineland | Hillview | Pearl Avenue | Biblioteca Latinoamericano
Vineland Branch Library
Vineland Branch Library staff hosted a Community Engagement event at the branch on Friday, December 27th during open hours in an effort to get feedback from library patrons. We had a question board with 4 questions to get a sense of how they were feeling about their community and the San Jose Public Library. From the responses, we found that our neighbors want to live in a community that is safe, inclusive and kind. Many participants felt that their community currently isn’t friendly and there is too much trash and crime. They felt the library could help create the community they want by hosting more programs and for a variety of ages. We also asked what they like about the library and the responses showed they appreciate the materials, the staff available to help them and the library environment.
We want to use feedback we get from our library users and community to try to improve our library and services. Based on the feedback we received from Vineland Library patrons, we hope to create more programs for a variety of age-groups. We will continue to provide a welcoming environment where everyone feels safe and comfortable. We are actively recruiting for volunteers so we can support more programs.
Hillview Branch Library
Hillview Branch Library staff attended the Renaissance Middle School Fall Resource Fair in October where they spoke with parents and middle school students. During this outreach, staff learned that the community enjoys the free programs the library provides and would like to see more of them. Something else that came up was that the English as a Second Language
(ESL) programs were greatly valued as well. When asked what kind of community they wanted to be part of, many said a “good, caring, nice community” where people got along. Staff thought it was nice that this was already reflected in their responses to the following question—"what is the best thing about San Jose?” Many responses indicated they liked the people and communities in this city. Other mentionable aspects they liked were opportunities, diversity, libraries, and technology. Having this input helps us see what we are doing right and continue to do (provide free programs) and what we can help with (facilitate community interaction and relationship building).
Pearl Avenue Branch Library
Pearl Avenue Branch Library staff reached out to their local schools and preschools at their Back to School Nights, and to their Literacy Nights. Most of the responses that we got were that they loved our book collections, and the programs that we present. Some of the suggestions that we have gotten is to have more craft programs for adults, as well as more programs in the evening and on the weekends.
Many of the families that use the Pearl Avenue Library branch like that they can easily walk to the library from their homes. Some of the older adults also like making the library part of their walks in the neighborhood. It is also a nice place to have contact with others.
At the school outreaches, staff found that many of the families that went to the Literacy Nights, also went to the library. They appreciated having a library that was close by, and that it was often able to provide books that their schools were not able to. One person mentioned that the library is providing so many resources already, but that they need to put in more effort to discover all that we have to offer. Others had no idea that the library had so many electronic resources for all ages.
Based on the feedback we have received, we will be trying to find the right venue for adults to enjoy programs for them, as well as having more programs that showcase the many cultures from our neighborhood. So far, we have a lot of Friday Fun events that range from cultural events to crafts to games, so that all of our people can join in for fun, and to interact with each other in a low stress way.
Biblioteca Latinoamericana Branch Library
Biblioteca Latinoamericana Branch
- As with many neighborhoods in San Jose, safety is an ongoing concern for our patrons. We know that our patrons find our branch to be a safe space, as evidenced by a conversation a couple weeks ago when a patron felt unsafe waiting outside for the bus and entered library because they felt safe and comfortable here.
- Many of our residents hail from, or have relatives who came from Mexico or neighboring countries, and in the Fall we offered a Learn Nahuatl program. It was very popular and there are ongoing requests to offer this program again, as well as other programs related to the cultures represented in our community.
- The improvements to our Wee Play area with the new toys earlier in the year have been much appreciated and are well-used. Our storytime guests would like even more ways to engage and interact with young children within the library and in our programs.
- In the Fall we began passive programming with scavenger hunts that gamify learning how to use the library for patrons. The number of participants, as well as casual conversations with patrons, indicate this is a popular way for folks to engage with our branch and is something we're happy to do more of to increase library use and engagement in the future.
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