2016.01.13 Parks Packet - Laserfiche WebLink

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TRAVEL TIME TO THE LIBRARY — In concert with placing libraries near population centers, studies have shown that the closer a library is to a person's home, the more likely an individual is to use it. A reasonable benchmark is that most households will not regularly use a library if it is more than 15 minutes from one's home. Thus, successful libraries are usually placed near population centers and/or other high traffic areas, such as business, commercial or shopping districts. Washington County does have areas, such as the northeastern and southeastern sectors, that have relatively sparse populations compared to the larger communities in the County. These areas are also not expected to grow significantly in terms of population. Rather than drive time for these locations, factors such as the nearest larger commercial districts that these residents use may determine library placement. WORK AND EMPLOYMENT PATTERNS — How the majority of a population works or how they travel to work can impact the type, size, and location of libraries. For instance, a large percentage of Washington County residents do not work in the County, so locating libraries on well -traveled transportation corridors for ease of access before or after work is a likely consideration. ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT— Public libraries, particularly large libraries, often attract hundreds of people to a location daily. In general, most people, make more than one stop when running errands, and some communities have used new libraries to stimulate new growth and economic development in an area or region. More broadly, some communities have marketed new libraries as a community amenity, alongside good schools and parks, to attract new businesses or developments to the area. TYPE OF SFRVICF MODEL AND LIBRARY — There is no one model for public libraries today, and there are multiple service models and types of facilities that can match community needs most effectively. For example, Washington County currently has at least four different service models of libraries in the County. That said, a simple juxtaposition is whether to build one large, regional, full-service library or multiple small, community -oriented libraries. There are advantages and disadvantages to both models. The large libraries are usually more efficient and cost-effective, can provide a much broader range of services, and typically have longer hours. Smaller, community-based libraries are better able to meet specific community needs, and build stronger attachments and sometimes per capita use. For the diversity of Washington County, one would expect to have multiple service models, as currently exists, to serve the population well. Thus a mix of large, regional libraries; medium size area libraries; smaller community libraries; express locker -type libraries; and perhaps some newer, innovative models, may best fit the make-up of the County system in the future.