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 our residents and neighbors.
Each quarter we ask community members the following questions:
- Do you use the library? If so, which one?
- Why do you use the library, or why don't you use the library?
- What is something you'd like to see the library do?
From July to October, we heard from 984 community members and gathered the following feedback:
The top 3 libraries being visited: King Library, Educational Park Library, and Evergreen Library. (Keep in mind the report data is related to the number of people each reporting location talked to) Many people use multiple libraries that are not part of the San Jose Public Library system. Locations mentioned were Santa Clara County Libraries in Milpitas, Morgan Hill, and Campbell, as well as libraries further from San Jose such as Sunnyvale and San Francisco.
The top 3 reasons people are using the library: check out materials, attend programs, use the space.
The top 3 reasons people are NOT using the library: not have enough time, did not really know about the resources the library offered, general reasons, such as one person stating, "I don't want to."
When we asked people about what they would like from the library, responses ranged from: "continue WIFI hotspot checkout," "be open more hours (opening at 2pm on Monday is inconvenient and just weird!)" and "have more programs like community gardening and drawing classes."
As we continue to talk with our library neighbors and residents, and report back over this coming year on what we are hearing, we will analyze trends and get a clearer picture of how our residents feel about their San Jose Public Libraries.
Stay "engaged" as new feedback data will continue to be posted here quarterly.
What have we been hearing specifically from some of our 26 library location residents?
Read on to hear directly from library staff at the following locations:
Almaden Branch Library
We visited Cahalan Park as part of City of San Jose’s Viva Park’s program. We met families from around San Jose. There were families who regularly used Santa Teresa, Cambrian, Willow Glen, Almaden, Educational Park, Pearl, King, Evergreen, and West Valley. I was surprised by the diversity of branches represented in the families at the event. Most of them said that they used the library for borrowing books and for school. One or two families I gathered were not using the library, but they knew that the library was used for school and for borrowing books. I don’t know why they didn’t use the library. I dare guess they are too busy or using a school library. They all said they loved the library, and that it was a good place for children to read and check out books. A few mentioned that they liked the Summer Learning program, an incentive program to encourage children to read. In general, the families had a positive view of the library and associated the library with reading and learning for children. One actionable item from the outreach event would be to have families associate libraries with STEAM learning and afterschool learning since we are pushing children’s programming beyond the traditional reading and checking out books. It may be good to have families recognize libraries as a place of learning—including science, math, and coding for books and programs.
Alviso Branch Library
The Alviso Branch team was humming along this first quarter and made appearances at 3 well-attended outreach opportunities.
Moitozo Park - “A Good Problem”
In July, we tabled at Moitozo Park on 1st Street as part of the Viva Parks program coordinated by Parks, Recreation & Neighborhood Services. We were able to speak with up to 119 people. Interestingly, when people were asked “Do you use the library?”, we learned that a majority of the families in the area use a branch from the Santa Clara City Library system which was just a street over from the park. Many of those families were delighted to hear that there was another library close by in the Alviso neighborhood, so we shared about our upcoming programs, handed out flyers, and met a lot of potential patrons.
River Oaks Park - “A Deal with the Wheel”
In August, we attended another Viva Parks outing at River Oaks Park – just a few blocks from Moitozo Park. The population at this location was similar to that of Moitozo Park, but this time we brought the Prize Wheel which drew in over 200 people to our table. For prizes, we gave away books, SJPL swag, and other fun giveaways. Given the allure of the Prize Wheel, we were able to get a goodly amount of responses for the “box fresh” Ask 4 Questions.
Similar to Moitozo Park, many of the folks in this area mostly use the Santa Clara City Library system. When asked Why they use the library, people mentioned they like that the library is a peaceful place that offers children’s programming. Most people said they come for the books! When asked what they would like to see at the library, answers varied from Working Spaces to Gardening which may hint us towards more Adult Service programs.
Our last question was regarding programming types and we left it up to people to vote via Post-It note. Among the choices were STEM Programs, College & Career Prep, and Adult Programs - the last two being the popular choices. Given this information, Alviso will plan more programs for adults and high school students to offer programs of interest.
Back-to-School - “Snakes & Chains”
In August, we held a Back-to-School program where attendees learned about our e-resources, crafted, and participated in a backpack giveaway. Caregivers and their children attended the e-resources presentation (we had snacks to keep the kids entertained!). After the presentation, several parents approached the librarian for further information on our resources. Kids made backpack name keychains with special oversized silicone beads. These were a hit! We see kids come into the library with the keychains on their backpacks. We held a backpack raffle, complete with backpacks in varying colors, books and other supplies in the bags. The kids and their families were so excited to participate in this. The event was followed by the For Goodness Snakes program, which was well-attended and such a great opportunity for kids to interact with wildlife. We had 158 attendees for the event. Such a fun and memorable event!
Bonus Content:
Day on the Bay
The annual Day on the Bay event took place on October 4th. We were very prepared for a big crowd and our booth was in a great spot, right next to the pumpkin patch. Regular customers and new ones came by to see what we had to offer. We also shared about upcoming programming at the library. The visitors loved the giveaways! We had pamphlets with resources, upcycled bookmarks, bookmarks advertising the park passes, SJPL branded mini notebooks, SJPL branded pencils and pens, a Halloween grab and go craft, seeds and more. One of the neatest things was we found cardboard binoculars in bulk (which we branded with SJPL stickers) and they were a hit with the crowd. All were given away in the first hour and a half of this five hour event. It was fun to see people use their binoculars on the Bay! Customers shared their interest in us having garden programs. We had 570 visitors stop at our booth! It was a very positive and wonderful day in the Alviso community.
Alum Rock Branch Library
Alum rock staff visited James Lick High School for their parent teacher’s night on September 18th. The event was largely students and parents plus a few teachers thrown in for good measure. In a sea of tables with other community services organizations, I set to work trying to find out what district 5 wants from libraries.
In line with prior years, the district 5 community feels a strong connection to free resources offered by the library. The majority of the respondents highlighted that free books are a major factor in coming to the library in general. Community events were also a topic of discussion since people were asking when trunck or treat was happening at Alum Rock.
People in district 5 are looking for events that foster community. Alum Rock Library staff have been discussing how to offer more community building programming. One program that I am planning for is to host community screenings of local documentaries. At the larger branch level, we are partnering with several community organizations to host a family literacy night by the end of the year. Trying to build community takes some imagination, thankfully libraries are surrounded by imaginative thinking.
Educational Park Branch Library
Educational Park Branch Library
On July 7th, the Educational Park Branch attended Vivia Parks at the Mayfair Community Center. The event was lively, filled with families from the area, music, and cheering from reaching the top of the rock wall.
During the event, we rolled out the new ASK4 Questions and brought along Plink-o to entice people to answer. They received a Plink-o token for every question they answered, to win some library swag. This not only allowed for people’s voices to be heard, but they had fun doing so. We found that a majority of families in the area visit the library for Wi-Fi, programs, and books. When asked what they would like to see at the library, people stated more cultural festivals and resources.
Since then, Educational Park has offered a variety of resource tables with community partners and monthly heritage programs.
West Valley Branch Library
July-Sept. was a busy time for library outreach. West Valley Branch librarians attended numerous community and school events, and more than 90 community residents completed a brief survey about their library usage and the services they would like the library to provide. The overwhelming majority of respondents were library users, although a significant percentage used non-SJPL libraries, such as the Saratoga and Campbell libraries.
The most common reasons respondents gave for using the library included proximity to their homes, the availability of books for children, and the library’s suitability as a place to study. When asked why they visited the library, many simply responded “I love the library!” Those who did not use the library said they either did not know about the library or that they were too busy.
When asked about things they would like to see the library do, community members gave a wide variety of responses, but the most common request was for more events for children (especially on weekdays, after school). Less frequently, respondents requested more programs for seniors, educational programs about AI, and events for the entire community. Requests tended to be very general, although a few respondents mentioned they would like more STEM programs and book clubs for kids. The feedback we received affirms the value of our library facility, collections, and programs for the community, especially our weekly STEAM Club for children and Bingo and craft programs for seniors.
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