“Two cheers for democracy: one because it admits variety and two because it permits criticism.”
— E.M. Forster
The people have spoken, or at least 793 did, when the Bartholomew County Public Library asked for input about its teen section. This came after a tempest in a teapot in our community because a few people have asked the library to remove books they dislike.
The Republic has used this editorial space to praise the library for being proactive in this matter and going directly to the public. We Americans like to knock our government for not listening to us, but you can’t say that about the BCPL. By conducting a survey open to anyone in the community — and by getting a pretty impressive response — the library has received excellent data and community input to improve its vital service to the public.
And in an initial overview of the public response, The Republic’s Jana Wiersema reported that the survey said:
- About 80% somewhat agreed or strongly agreed with this statement: “The teen area is a safe, welcoming space for all that meets the library’s mission to serve as the community crossroads — connecting people, ideas, information, and experiences to empower everyone on their journey of lifelong learning.”
- 78% agreed somewhat or strongly with this statement: “The teen collection provides relevant materials that meet our diverse community’s needs.”
So the big-headline takeaway from the survey is this: Of the nearly 800 people who responded, more than three out of four gave the library a thumbs-up. That’s a landslide vote of confidence in our local library, and moreover, it’s a community sentiment that needed to be expressed. Because as we know, just because some voices might be loudest, that doesn’t mean they speak for the majority. It’s often the other way around.
The library didn’t just ask those questions in its survey, it also offered those who responded a chance to offer thoughts and suggestions. And from those — including teens who said they wanted a “place to chill” — the library is undertaking a relocation and expansion of the teen section. As Wiersema reported, the library’s plan is to move the contents of the Indiana Room — which hosts the library’s genealogy collection, as well as resources on state and local history — to the top floor. The Indiana Room would then be converted into a “teen programming room” with a staff desk, tables and computers. The teen collection would be located just outside of this room, as there is not enough space in the room to host both the collection and programming.
Library Director Jason Hatton said the local genealogical society, the main user of the Indiana Room, expressed approval of the move. Hatton also “noted that one of the reasons they chose the Indiana Room as the new teen programming space is because it provides a door to deal with sound and creates a place where ‘teens can be teens,’” Wiersema wrote.
The library asked the public how it was doing, how it could do better, and for tips and suggestions. The public responded. The library listened and acted.
Any local official interested in good government should take note. And if you need someone to assist in developing a public survey, you can always ask a librarian.
