li811 community needs analysis

7/28/2019 LI811 Community Needs Analysis

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Running Head: COMMUNITY NEEDS ANALYSIS

Sherwood Public Library Community Needs Analysis

Adam Carlson and Crystal Garcia

Emporia State University


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COMMUNITY NEEDS ANALYSIS

A Community Needs Analysis of Sherwood, Oregon

This analysis considers the community of Sherwood, Oregon, which is primarily served by

the Sherwood Public Library. Both researchers currently work as library assistants in circulation at

the Sherwood Public Library. While neither of us have ever been residents of Sherwood, we both

grew up and continue to reside in the area and have been witness to the significant growth of the

Sherwood community. We are both personally and professionally vested in the community and

consider this analysis as an opportunity to improve library services for the residents of Sherwood.

The Sherwood Public Library (SPL) is a municipal library that is a member of the

Washington County Cooperative Library Services (WCCLS) system, which is a seventeen member

cooperative. The library has existed in Sherwood since 1935 when it was established as a shelf of

books in a local drugstore. In 1969 the City of Sherwood elected to support the library and in 1986

the City built a 3,000 square foot library located directly across from the Sherwood Senior Center,

thereby creating a community hub. By the early 2000s the community had largely outgrown the

library, and in 2005 the library was moved to a new 14,000 square foot building located in Old Town

Sherwood. The construction of this building was principally financed by Urban Renewal funds which

were flowing into Old Town as part of a revitalization effort.

Sherwood is located within Washington County, which is the second most populous county

in Oregon with approximately 540,000 residents. It is surrounded by Multnomah, Clackamas,

Yamhill, Tillamook, and Columbia counties. Located at the southern end of the county, Sherwood

sits on the border between Washington and Yamhill counties. Sandwiched between the Portland

metro area 30 minutes to the north and the heart of Oregons wine country 30 minutes to the south,

Sherwoods desirable location lead to its rapid growth in the 1990s and early 2000s.


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To best understand the Sherwood of today, it is important to consider the growth Sherwood

has experienced since 1990. Sherwood has been considered one of the fastest growing cities in

Oregon over the past two decades and the population statistics for Sherwood demonstrate just how

fast this growth has transpired: in 1990 the population of Sherwood was 3,000, in 2000 the

population was 12,000, and today the population has risen to over 18,000. The development of rural

areas has lead to two different ideologies which have created a division. Those who adhere to the

Old Sherwood ideology tend to see growth as having a negative impact on the community and

advocate for the preservation of Sherwoods traditions and history. Those who adhere to the New

Sherwood ideology regard growth as unambiguously positive, advancing the community forward by

creating a more competitive economy. Interestingly, both groups value a small town atmosphere,

however those who have experienced Sherwoods growth feel that the community has lost much of

its so-called small town feel, while many those who are moving into Sherwood fro m the Portland

metro area are doing so because they feel Sherwood is a small town.

Relocating the library in Old Town is not an insignificant detail. Placing the library in Old

Town reveals the role the library is expected to play, which is to say that the library is meant to

promote connections within the community. Fostering community connections has been a priority in

Sherwood as rapid growth has lead to a schism between Sherwood residents. Since the library has

one of the few public meeting spaces in Sherwood, the majority of the conversations involving

bridging this schism and moving Sherwood forward happen at the library.

Sherwood is beginning to take steps to bridge the old and new ideologies. The most

obvious example of this effort can be seen in the movement to revitalize Old Town Sherwood. Old

Town is the historical area of Sherwood in which most of Sherwoods historic buildings and small,

locally owned businesses are concentrated. However, new buildings and spaces intended for

community use are also becoming a part of Old Town, such as the library, cultural arts center, and


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services devoted expressly for seniors. Specifically, the questions posed by this community need

analysis are: 1) What are the needs of seniors in the Sherwood community, and 2) How can the

library better serve these needs? To best answer these questions we employed the Community

Analysis Research Institute (CARI) model. The CARI model offers the following four categories of

analysis: individuals, groups, agencies, and lifestyles (Grover et. al. 2010). We will now examine

each category in relation to the Sherwood community.

The CARI Model

Individuals

In order to better understand the needs of seniors within the Sherwood community we must

first provide an overall demographic picture of the individuals in the community as a whole. Some of

these demographics will be more pertinent than others to our target population and will, thus, be

more closely examined.

Age. According to the 2010 U.S. Census (Bureau, American FactFinder) Sherwood is a

relatively young community. The median age of 32 is less than the county as a whole (35) as well as

the rest of the state of Oregon (38). Age breakdowns include 20% the population of Sherwood being

under 10 years of age, indicating that many young families live in Sherwood. Correspondingly, only

about 7% of Sherwoods population is over the age of 65. By comparison, the states percentage over

65 is nearly twice that amount.

Race. According to the 2010 census, Sherwood is 89% white/Caucasian. While there are

some small pockets of Asian and Hispanic communities , Sherwood is primarily homogenous.

Education. Sherwood is a highly educated community. Those with a bachelors degree or

higher make up 41% of the community. By comparison, only 29% living in Oregon have a bachelors

or higher.

Occupations. Sherwood is primarily composed of white collar workers. Over 72% of

workers work in management, the arts and sciences, business, sales, and the service sector. Only


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about 16% work in manufacturing or other areas that would traditionally be considered blue collar

jobs.

Industry. Despite the occupations of its residents, Sherwood has a strong mix of industries.

As an example, 17% of businesses are either in the education, health care, or social services

industries, while about the same percentage (16%) of industry is in manufacturing.

Commute. Corresponding to the above mentioned occupations and industries, the average

commute time of residents of Sherwood is 26 minutes. The drive time to downtown Portland, the

areas major population center, is 33 minutes. These numbers, then, seem to suggest that the majority

of Sherwood residents do not work at businesses within the community, but instead commute to

Portland.

Socio-Economic Conditions. Highly educated, white-collar workers usually make more

income than others. Not surprisingly, Sherwood households make, on average, nearly $83,000 a year.

Sherwood is one of the most affluent communities in the state. Today, only 4% of Sherwood

residents are living below the poverty line compared to 14% throughout Oregon. In addition, the

unemployment rate in Sherwood is 4.4%. This is about half of the Oregon state average. While the

Sherwood of today is an affluent community this has not always been the case. In 1990, the median

household income was about the state average. Today it is nearly 160% of the state average.

Family Structure. Demographic data confirmed the researchers assumption that Sherwood is

composed primarily of young families with children. However, the data revealed a significant finding

pertinent to our target population, which is that Sherwood saw nearly a 100% increase in the last ten

years of households with someone over the age of 65.

Rate of Growth. The population of Sherwood has increased significantly over the last 20

years. As previously mentioned, the population was only about 3,000 in 1990. Today it is around

19,000, seeing a over a six-fold increase. However, Sherwood has slowed down in growth. New


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building permits in Sherwood were 698 in 1996 and 540 in 2005. By contrast, in 2011, after the

recent economic recession, there were only 11 new building permits.

Much of the development that occurred between 1996 and 2005 were new housing

developments which were, relatively, affordable. Only 13% of Sherwoods homes were built before

1990 and homeownership in Sherwood is 79%, well above the state average of 64%.

Changes in Demographics. While Sherwood has seen significant population increases in the

last 20 years, perhaps the most important change in the demographics of the population itself are the

number of older residents. Generally speaking, in past ten years the population of individuals who are

over the age of 40 has increased at a faster rate than those who are under 40. The population of

individuals age 60-64 saw an increase of 145%. In addition, those over the age of 85 saw over a

three-fold increase in their population.

Although the percentage of older adults is increasing, Sherwood is still a young community.

The numbers of seniors in Sherwood remain relatively low compared to the rest of the state and

country. Still, demographic shifts are starting to point toward an aging population. The baby-boomers

are one of the most significant generations in history based on the sheer number of individuals

included in this generation. As they begin to retire and edge toward senior citizen age, it is a safe

assumption that the number of seniors in Sherwood will significantly increase in the coming years.

Groups

Several sources of information were used in gathering information regarding the various

groups in the Sherwood community. The main sources of information that were consulted were

bulletin boards, websites, and the Sherwood Gazette which is the local newspaper. There were 46

total groups identified, the majority of which (27) were religious groups associated with a church.

Some examples of those groups not associated with a religious organization include: a MOMS club,

two rotary clubs, Sherwood Cruisin Car club, Friends of the Tualatin River National Wildlife,

Friends of the Library, a book club, and a walkers group, among others. Out of the groups identified,


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only five were geared toward seniors and of these five, three were associated with a church. If groups

are, as Grover suggests, a measure of interests in a community (2010 p. 92) an analysis of the

groups in Sherwood suggests that residents are greatly involved in their church communities,

indicating that there may be many opportunities for the library to partner with churches to offer

services. Additionally, there are many stand alone groups (i.e. those not associated with a church)

which could benefit from library programs, such as parenting classes or health related lectures.

Agencies

To identify the agencies within the Sherwood community we first consulted the Chamber of

Commerce directory and the City of Sherwood website. Additional information was gleaned from

telephone directories and several windshield surveys (i.e. drive-arounds). While the Chamber of

Commerce directory included several organizations, it was by no means an exhaustive list, and many

organizations were identified only by driving through the community, which demonstrated the

importance of using a variety of methods when gathering agency data rather than relying solely on

information collected by third parties. Using the methods mentioned above, we were able to identify

the following agencies:

Government. There are eighteen city departments listed on the City of Sherwood website, as

well as a budget committee, library board, planning commission, parks and recreation board, city

council, Sherwood cultural arts commission, and Sherwood Urban Renewal Agency.

Religious. A directory of the City of Sherwoods website identifies 15 churches, the majority

of which are Christian. Windshield surveys and conversations with community members indicate that

there are at least two more churches, however these churches do not own a building, instead they

meet at an event space in Old Town and at the Sherwood Middle School.

Health Care. The Sherwood Chamber of Commerce lists seven dentists, one audiologist, four

chiropractors, three fitness centers (plus a YMCA), one holistic medicine practitioner, two medical

clinics, two massage therapists, and four optometrists.


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Cultural. Sherwood has two photography studios, one performing arts group, one music and

dance studio, one dance academy, one pottery studio, and one art gallery. Additionally, the City of

Sherwood website includes plans for the construction of a new cultural arts center.

Education. The Sherwood School District includes seven public schools, including a charter

school (four elementary schools, two middle schools, one high school). Additionally, there are two

private schools (Catholic and Lutheran).

Businesses. A scan of Sherwood businesses, from the Chamber of Commerce website and

from windshield surveys, suggests the following generalizations:

The majority of businesses are retailers. The largest employers in Sherwood are big-box retailers (Home Depot, Target).

Abundance of child care centers (9) and doggies daycare providers (3) are indicativeof the communitys commuter culture.

There are some residual signs of small-town/rural Sherwood, evidenced through afeed store, tractor retailer, and horse boarding businesses.

Locally owned businesses are concentrated in Old Town while corporate businessesare located along highway 99W (area of Sherwood developed over past 20 years).

As demonstrated by the sharp decline in building permits issued to retailers over the past five

to six years, Sherwood has certainly been affected by the economic downturn. However, the

economy is slowly improving and Sherwood is once again seeing an increased level of interest from

retailers looking to open businesses in Sherwood. This interest is most likely stimulated by the fact

that Sherwood, even in this difficult economy, continues to have a high median income, making it an

attractive community for retailers to grow their businesses.

Senior Service Agencies. There are two assisted living facilities in Sherwood, one senior

center, and one independent living organization. It is important to note that while there is one senior

center in Sherwood, multiple organizations are involved in the operations of the center, including: the

City of Sherwood, Loaves and Fishes, Faith in Action, and the Friends of the Senior Center.

According to Grover, the two questions information professionals should consider in relation

to agencies are: (1) Which of these agencies could benefit from information services offered by the


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library, and (2) which information agencies could be partners in offering information services to the

public? (2010, p. 150). An analysis of the agencies in Sherwood offer the following possible library

collaborations:

Collaborate with the senior center to create programs or extend services to the seniorpopulation (possible partnership between the Friends of the Senior Center and theFriends of the Library groups).

Partnering with photography and other art studios to provide educationalopportunities in the arts could be particularly beneficial by improving services andbuilding relationships between the library and artists in preparation for thedevelopment of the new cultural arts center.

Partner with health care agencies on programming.Lifestyles

History. Sherwood was established in its particular location because of its proximity to the

Tualatin River. This connection to the Tualatin River and the surrounding environment still exists

today and is apparent through the establishment of organizations such as the Tualatin River National

Wildlife Refuge, which is a large part of Sherwoods identity. While Sherwood was a rural

community throughout most of its history, it now finds itself merging with the Portland metro area.

This history explains the remaining agricultural businesses and also the tension between old and

new Sherwood.

Values. Based on the researchers 10+ years of experience working with Sherwood residents,

coupled with the large number of churches and church activities in the community, it is apparent that

religion is central in the lives of Sherwood residents who seem to build their sense of community

largely through their churches. Library management has, over time, learned that Sherwood is a

conservative community and has made adjustments in terms of programming and collection

development based on this understanding.

While there are some services for indigent populations, Sherwood has the third highest

median income in Oregon which, perhaps, allows residents to place more value on non-social-


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services organizations such as the Cat Adoption Team (cat rescue shelter) and the Wildcat Haven

Sanctuary (sanctuary for bobcats, cougars, and lynx).

Additionally, Sherwood is a very young community that highly values children as evidenced

through public schools with high ratings, exceptional youth sports programs, and strong library

programs for children.

Traditions. There are many traditions that help define the community and that have become a

part of residents lives. The Robin Hood Festival is the largest and longest running tradition in

Sherwood which involves a parade and a knighting ceremony in which prominent community

members are selected to be knighted. Sherwood also has an annual car show, Crusin Sherwood,

which brings thousands of people into the Old Town area. The annual Friars Trot is a run that

benefits a local church and another annual run, the Give n Gobble occurs every Thanksgiving and

benefits the food bank at a local church. The City of Sherwood is involved in producing many of the

traditions of Sherwood, including a summer concert series, movie series, and library summer reading

programs.

Newer events have been established in Sherwood with the hope and intention that they will

become traditions, weaving them into the fabric of the community. Most of these new events involve

supporting local businesses within the Old Town area. For example, the City of Sherwood has begun

a First Friday program which encourages residents to explore the local businesses in Old Town on

the first Friday of each month. Likewise, the Chamber of Commerce established the Season of

Giving Holiday Scavenger Hunt three years ago which has become an annual event that encourages

residents to do holiday shopping at local businesses. A Saturday market has also been established in

Sherwood which encourages residents to shop local during the summer months. An analysis of these

events seems to indicate that while Sherwood has grown to include several large box-store retailers,

community leadership and residents appear to be pulling back from corporate growth and reinvesting


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themselves into their local businesses, which possibly indicates that Sherwood, as a community, is

reevaluating its values and priorities and establishing new traditions to reflect these changes.

Mapping Users

In order to get a more accurate picture of where seniors in the Sherwood community are

coming from, we decided to map the addresses of 50 library users over the age of 60. This

information was gathered by generating a list of registered SPL patrons over 60 using their date of

birth information. The patrons were selected randomly using a systematic sampling of every 20th

patron on the generated list. Their registered addresses were then inserted into a private Google map.

This map showed great diversity in the locations of SPL patrons over 60. While more than half of the

patrons came from the inner downtown core of Sherwood, about one third of patrons were traveling

from areas far outside the city limits. While there were a few patrons coming from one of the three

local retirement communities, they did not appear to form a disproportionate subgroup. It should also

be noted that no patrons that were mapped came from other urban areas closer to the metropolitan

area of Portland. All those that were outside the Sherwood city limits were coming from rural areas.

Registration Information and Observations

Using the Sherwood libraries integrated library system database of registered patrons, we

found that SPL has just over 12,000 registered patrons. Of those patrons, about 1,500 are over the age

of 60. About 12%, then, of registered patrons are seniors. By comparison, only about 7% of the

Sherwood population is over 60.

While these numbers tell us that seniors are obtaining more library cards than the Sherwood

community as a whole, they do not tell us whether registered seniors are actually using their cards.

To find this out we did a random, stratified, sampling of 25 registrants over 60 and 25 registrants

between the ages of 25 and 45. The data gathered was the age of the patron, the number of checked

out materials they had made within the last year, and the number of days since the patron had had

any circulation activity on their account.


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The findings of such a small sample should not be taken as conclusive or robust. But we did

find interesting results. When the two age groups were compared, it was found that, on average, there

was not much difference in the amount of materials checked out. Seniors averaged 48 items per year

while the 25-45 group averaged 42. There was, however, a large difference between the two groups

in how often the library was used. On average the seniors used their accounts once every 139 days

while the younger group used their accounts only once every 233 days. In addition, six seniors

surveyed were found to have used their accounts the same day the data was gathered. While only one

patron in the 25-45 group had done the same. Again, this was a small sample that may not represent

the community of users as a whole. But these findings do give us initial impressions that seniors

within Sherwood do form a large portion of the libraries heavy users.

While our circulation data indicated the senior population may use the library more often

than others, our initial systematic observations of use did not match this. Observing the library on a

Wednesday night, from 6-8pm, we saw only two patrons, out of a total of 40, that looked to be over

the age of 60. These conflicting findings could mean a couple of different things. They may mean

that our initial data may not have a large enough sample to accurately represent library use. Since

many church programs are held on Wednesday nights, our observations of use may also defend our

assumption and impressions that Sherwood, and especially Sherwood seniors, are a very religious

community.

Additional Data Gathering

It should be noted here that because both researchers work at the Sherwood Public Library, it

is our intention to continue this community needs analysis beyond the length of this course. Because

professional relationships take time to develop, and because we are presenting ourselves as library

staff rather than students, we did not feel it prudent to rush the interviews with our community

contacts. Having said that, after researching our community and gathering data, we decided to

interview one key contact, Kristen Switzer, the Community Services Development Director for the


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City of Sherwood. We felt Kristen was in an appropriate position to give us an understanding of the

operations involved in the Sherwood Senior Center and also to offer us insight into the Sherwood

senior community in general.

As part of her position as the Community Services Development Director, Kristen serves as a

liaison between three groups which are involved in the operations of the Sherwood Senior Center: the

City of Sherwood, Loaves and Fishes, and the Senior Center. Kristen sits on the Sherwood Senior

Center board and is a member of the Loaves and Fishes steering committee. The City of Sherwood

owns the senior center building and maintains the facility. Loaves and Fishes is in charge of the daily

operations through a contract with the City. The following are the salient points from our interview

with Kristen:

The library is not often considered as a resource or possible partner by any of the threeorganizations involved.

There appears to be an interest in reading and literature at the center, over the past year alibrary has been established by a volunteer at the center.

When discussing the senior population there is an assumed low-income level. However, inSherwood seniors at the center are more interested in recreational activities rather than socialservices.

The senior center is interested in trying to attract younger seniors to the center. Currentlymost of the seniors that come to the center are between the ages of 70-80.

Kristen sees a fair amount of seniors who are involved in city government. Retiredindividuals sit on the Cultural Arts Commission, Urban Renewal Committee, Parks andRecreation Board, and the incoming mayor is a senior who is retired military. Some arelongtime Sherwood residents, others are individuals who relocated to Sherwood afterretirement.

According to Kristen, the director at the senior center is most concerned with providingmeals to seniors and fundraising.

The seniors who visit the center are very interested in lectures (particularly historicallectures) and programs for beginners. She offered the examples of a beginning painting classand a beginning Spanish class which are both popular at the center.

Kristen was able to give us several contacts, including the director of the senior center, tospeak with as we move forward with our community needs analysis.

Summary of Salient Findings

Although we are in the beginning stages of a much larger community needs analysis, our

research thus far offers someinitial findings which we feel have been helpful in informing the


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direction we will take moving forward. At this point, our most significant finding has been that

seniors in the Sherwood community are smaller in number than we previously thought. Prior to this

research, we used intuition and our impressions of the community to conclude that there was a

significant portion of seniors in Sherwood. After taking a more systematic approach to gathering

data, it can be seen that while seniors are heavy users of the library, they make up a relatively small

portion of the Sherwood population.

It was also assumed that most seniors in the community lived near the library and that a

significant portion of them would be living in retirement and/or assisted living communities. The

research thus far seems to indicate that this is not the case. A greater sample size may be needed to

form more conclusive findings, but, the initial data tells us that many seniors are coming to the

library from far out, rural, areas.

Through our conversation with Kristen Switzer, we found that there seems to be great interest

in community programming among seniors. Seniors at the senior center seem to desire introductory

classes on a variety of topics. Seniors want to be exposed to new topics they had little time to explore

earlier on in life. It was also learned that the Sherwood senior center has created a small library.

Finding that a library had been established at the senior center was particularly surprising given that

the Sherwood Public Library is located relatively close to the senior center. This discovery is

heartening because we now know that there is an interest in books and literature at the center.

However, it also reveals a disconnect between the public library and the senior center that needs to be

bridged.

Although the current senior population of Sherwood is small, the census data collected

indicates that this population is growing at a significant rate. The data does not indicate that

Sherwood residents are moving away from Sherwood, as is the case in other communities affected by

the economic downturn. In short, Sherwood is both growing and aging, indicating a greater senior


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population who will require greater services in the years ahead. If current trends continue, lifelong

learning classes will be important in meeting the needs of the new senior population. We see great

potential for the library, the senior center, and area businesses and residents to work together to

create programs for Sherwoods senior population.

Next Steps and Recommendations

Based on our findings thus far we have outlined a series of next steps as we move forward

with our community needs analysis. Firstly, we feel that it is necessary to collect larger samples of

data in order to determine the accuracy of our initial small-scale data collection. Secondly, we will

move forward with interviewing and establishing connections with the contacts Kristen Switzer

offered us and also with the volunteer who created the library at the senior center in order to,

hopefully, establish a relationship between the two libraries and increase communication.

Additionally, we will need to interview a few key senior residents who are the gatekeepers within

the community. Lastly, based off of our initial findings and discussions, we would like to conduct

focus groups involving both current library users and non-users. These conversations will hopefully

allow us to learn about the needs of Sherwoods senior from the senior residents themselves.

Answering our research questions What are the needs of seniors in Sherwood [and] how can

the library better serve these needs? naturally offers improvements to existing services and/or

suggestions for needed services. We believe that the combination of an aging population, the senior

centers desire to attract younger seniors to the center, and the demand for programming among older

seniors has created an ideal environment for a Community Learning and Skill Sharing (CLASS)

program (Brack, 2007). Developed by the Salina Public Library, CLASS programs are community

classes offered by the library which are taught by community members who have knowledge of a

particular topic or skill. The younger seniors in Sherwood have many skills which they could share

with the community at large, and also with older seniors who are interested in learning about new

topics and developing new hobbies. Our research suggests that seniors are greatly interested in


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programming, unfortunately, the Sherwood Public Library does not offer programming for or by the

senior population. The CLASS model of programming services both purposes by allowing seniors to

both become involved in the community as teachers and/or as students. Additionally, successful

programming fosters goodwill and aids in developing a better connected community through lifelong

learning. In Sherwood, a more connected community will serve to bridge the gap between old and

new Sherwood.

Conclusion

The time for the Sherwood Public Library to begin the process of designing and

implementing more services to its senior community is now. More research, discussions, and

connections must be made. But it is important that the library begins, right away, to show that it is

responding to any input given. Diagnosing the needs of a community does not mean that nothing gets

done until one is sure that the treatment administered is the absolute best and right one. Instead, we

must begin the process of treatment now, and learn as we go the broader and deeper needs the

community has that may only come out through some trial and error. Our intention, then, is to

approach community needs analysis as an ongoing examination of our population rather than a finite

study. Only through a constant process of implementation and assessment will we best be able to

serve our community,


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Appendix A: Questionnaire

create cover letter to explain questions and value to them test it give to ALL focus group participants

1. If you feel comfortable telling us, what is your age? Income level? Education level? And

family structure (living alone, w/ family, etc.)?

2. About how far would you say SPL is from your current place of residence?

____ less than mile____ less than 1 mile____ about 1 mile____ between 1 and 2 miles

____ between 2 and 3 miles____ more than 3 miles

3. Do you use the Sherwood Public Library?

____ Yes (Please skip questions 6 and 7)____ No (Please skip questions 4 and 5)

4. If you answered yes to question #3, what would you say is the primary reason you use it for?

____ books

____ multimedia____ socializing and getting out____ computers____ other reasons

5. If you answered otherreasons to question #4 please write what you mean by other below.

6. If you answered no to question #3, what would you say is the primary reason you do not use

the library?

____ unfriendly or unhelpful staff____ I do not see a need to use it____ It is too hard to get to____ It does not have what I need____ It is not a comfortable environment for me____ other reasons

7. If you answered other reasons to question #6 please write what you mean by other below.


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Appendix B: Sample Questions from Interview of Kristen Switzer

1. Describe your position and its place within the Sherwood community.

2. What relationships do you have with senior focused organizations in the community? How do

you primarily interact with seniors in the community? (Senior center)

3. How have those relationships come about? What have you done to foster these relationships?

4. Describe a typical senior in the Sherwood community? What are they like? What comes up

in conversation when you interact with them?

5. What do you think are the primary needs of seniors in the community? What do they talk

about needing?

6. How involved are seniors in city government and library affairs? Are there particular areas in

which they seem more concerned and/or are more aware of? How do seniors see themselves

within the community?

7. Are government and private agencies in Sherwood doing a good job of supporting seniors

needs? If so how? If not, why?

8. Who in the community would be good to talk to about library services to seniors in Sherwood?


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Appendix C: Coded Observations of Library Use

Field Observations:

Date: 11/28/2012

Time: 6-8pmPlace: Sherwood Public library front desk

Details: Conditions outside were dark with cold, mostly dry weather.

1. Seniors around building: (walking by Pine St.) (driving by) (30 min)

Those coming into library Not coming in

(Not yet completed) (Not yet completed)

2. Total number of seniors (both entrances) (appear to be 60+) (60 min) (6-8pm Wednesday

night)

Senior Not Senior

2 38

3. Area Seniors are In: (60min)

Childrens DVD NF Mags CPUs Fic YA CDs

Self Front

1 1 1

4. Use: (60 min, in conjunction w/ area use)

CPU Internet Copies Books Media Study Read Social

Other

11


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Appendix D: Quantitative Sampling of Library Use

Age of library user, number of Checkouts in last year, and days since last in library.

Average =

69 48 139 35 42 233

Zeros =

9 6 11 1

Age (60+) #CO Days Since | Age (25-45) #CO Days

61 11 7 32 8 82

77 23 14 42 5 4

75 0 180 44 33 27

68 56 0 37 0 746

63 74 0 37 5 29

76 1 72 45 0 392

77 0 284 38 7 80

67 2 64 44 20 29

73 2 60 33 25 21

62 51 0 28 0 385

64 0 607 29 0 1042

65 69 0 28 0 316

68 7 6 31 0 166

65 117 15 29 7 5873 0 89 33 140 21

74 0 603 43 570 0

65 137 2 32 75 5

75 0 0 36 90 7

60 3 5 28 0 527

78 0 445 44 0 493

69 0 586 39 0 511

64 2 35 26 38 3

70 0 384 30 0 174

66 22 12 28 18 2363 612 0 39 0 675


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Appendix E: Sample Focus Group Questions

Focus Group Questions (6-8 library users)

On what topics do you currently seek information the most?

On what topics do you think you will seek information the most in the future?

What would you describe as the most important values you have?

What do you value in the Sherwood community?

Does the Sherwood communitys values match up with your own?

Have you used libraries in the past compared to now?

What do you feel is the most important service offered at the public library?

What should the library focus on providing for the community?What do you feel are the needs that seniors have in the Sherwood community?

What should the library focus on providing you?

What are your needs in the Sherwood community?

Is the library meeting any of those needs?

Do you have any ideas how the library might meet those needs?

What would it take for the SPL to earn a gold star from you?

Describe what the perfect library would be to you.

If a friend or peer of yours were to ask you about the Sherwood libraries services to seniors, whatwould you tell them?

What is your favorite service the library provides?

If you were in charge of the Sherwood Library, what kinds of changes would you make?

If you could change one thing about the libraries services to seniors, what would it be?

And what is the main reason that one thing needs changing?

Can you tell me 5 positive things (big or tiny) about the SPLs services to seniors?

On what topics would you like to learn more?

What service would you like to see offered at SPL that is not currently offered?

What do you think about the new library? Did you use the old library in Sherwood?

What changes have you seen over time at the library and in the community?

What changes have you liked? What changes have you disliked?


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Focus Group Questions:(6-8 non-library users)

On what topics do you currently seek information the most?

On what topics do you think you will seek information the most in the future?

What would you describe as the most important values you have?

What do you value in the Sherwood community?

Does the Sherwood communitys values match up with your own?

Have you used libraries in the past compared to now?

What do you feel is the most important service offered at the public library?

What is one thing or things the library could do to help make you a library user?

On what topics would you like to learn more?

What should the library focus on providing for the community?

What do you feel are the needs that seniors have in the Sherwood community?

What should the library focus on providing you?

What are your needs in the Sherwood community?

Is the library meeting any of those needs?

Do you have any ideas how the library might meet those needs?

What do you think about the new library? Did you use the old library in Sherwood?What changes have you seen over time at the library and in the community?

What changes have you liked?

What changes have you disliked?


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References

Brack, L. &. (2007). The future of adult programming in the public library.Public Libraries, 46(3), 40-

44.

Bureau, U. S. (n.d.). Retrieved November 10, 2012, from Oregon QuickFacts from the US Census

Bureau: http://quickfacts.census.gov/qfd/states/41000.html

Bureau, U. S. (n.d.).American FactFinder. Retrieved November 10, 2012, from Search Results for City

of Sherwood:

http://factfinder2.census.gov/faces/tableservices/jsf/pages/productview.xhtml?pid=ACS_11_5YR

_DP02&prodType=table

Grover, R. J. (2010).Assessing Information Needs: Managing Transformative Library Services. Denver,

CO: Libraries Unlimited.

Westbrook, L. (2000). Analyzing community information needs: A holistic approach.Library

Administration & Management, 14 (1), 26-30.

Williment, K. (2011). It takes a community to create a library.Public Libraries, 50 (2), 30-35.

li811 community needs analysis

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