Extended evening and weekend hours, more family-oriented programming and increased support for homeschooling families could soon become part of the Columbus-Lowndes Public Library System’s mission.
These were some of the recurring ideas voiced by library patrons and board members during a focus group held Monday at the library’s main branch on Seventh Street North. These ideas will help shape the system’s five-year strategic plan, something Library Director Erin Busbea said the library has never had before.
“It felt like a good time now to say, ‘OK, libraries are definitely changing,’” Busbea said. “They’re a living, growing organism that is always changing. The library of today is not the library of 10 years ago, 20 years ago, definitely not 50 years ago.”
The strategic plan, Busbea said, will ensure the library continues to evolve with the needs of the community.
“We’re in the library every single day, so we see the people that are coming in, but we don’t see the people that aren’t coming in, and what is it that we might be missing on providing to them?” Busbea said. “That’s kind of what we’re wanting to do.”
To guide this effort, Busbea enlisted Jackson-based freelance library consultant Louisa Whitfield-Smith, who is hosting a series of focus groups with library patrons, board members and city officials.
Among those participating Monday was Columbus resident Rachelle Slade, a mother and advocate for homeschooling families. She said the library already serves as a meeting point for many homeschoolers, but the efforts are disconnected.
“All of the homeschooling families are kind of isolated and creating their own activities, and it’s not really connected or consolidated, but we all access the library,” Slade said. “I can’t tell you how many homeschool groups meet at the library already, but they’re all disconnected, so if the library could just kind of be the hub, that would be amazing.”
Slade suggested the library could offer dedicated space for collaborative classes and social events to help foster a stronger sense of community among homeschooling families.
Other attendees expressed interest in expanding multigenerational programming, which cater to all ages and families, as well as extending the library’s hours to evenings and weekends.
Busbea said she is particularly excited about hosting more multigenerational programs.
“I think that’s something that will bring the families together here at the library, and that’s something that’s exciting, to let them explore the library together as a family,” Busbea said.
Busbea emphasized that some ideas will take more time than others to implement.
“This is a five-year plan, so there will be things that we can say, ‘Yes, we can tackle that within the next six months,’” Busbea said. “To have extended hours, because we are already a small staff, that takes a little bit longer than six months because, again, we need to make sure we have money to support a staff.”
Melissa Duncan, the library’s adult services and program coordinator, said the plan will also prioritize engaging residents outside the walls of the library.
“There are plans to be in the nursing homes more, be in the Crawford and Artesia communities a little bit more,” Duncan said. “We’ve already got some programming out there … but there is some sort of barrier getting them in, and I’d really like to know what that is and how we can bridge that gap, and if it means taking the library to you, that is what I am willing to do.”
The library hosted another public focus group meeting Tuesday evening in Crawford, with a third and final public focus group meeting planned for 5:45 p.m. Thursday at New Hope Community Center. An additional, invitation-only session is planned for city officials.
Once the feedback is gathered, Busbea and Whitfield-Smith aim to complete the strategic plan by June.
Busbea said she is relieved that the Columbus-Lowndes library programs aren’t heavily reliant on grants, which currently have an uncertain future.
“We’ve always been very resourceful in doing things with less and less,” she said. “We have a wonderful Friends of the Library group because they fund 100% of our programs. Without them, we could not do the programming that we do because we don’t take it out of our regular budget.”
Community members can RSVP for Thursday’s focus group through the library’s website. Those who attend will be entered into a drawing for a $50 Kroger gift card. Those unable to attend can complete an online survey, also available on the Lowndes Library website, for a chance to win a $100 Kroger gift card.
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