Library Trustees Discuss East Falmouth Branch Improvements
Respondents of a survey for the East Falmouth Library branch identified various needs for expanded services and amenities at the location, including additional hours, a larger adult collection, and improved spaces for reading, events, and general community use.
The Falmouth Public Library Board of Trustees reviewed the results of the survey at its meeting on Tuesday, March 8. Library director Linda Collins reported that there were about 300 respondents to the survey, which was released to the public earlier this year after the library decided to shift its focus from looking at potential improvements to the North Falmouth Branch to the East Falmouth Branch after identifying it as an underserved area in town when it comes to available library services.
“There are a lot of kiddos over there,” she said. “We wanted to focus a little bit on what we could do for those guys.”
Of the 300 respondents, about 59 percent identified more hours as the most important service improvement. Close behind were calls for additional space in various forms: a community center space (51 percent), space for adult programming (49 percent), and additional outdoor seating (47 percent). The trustees also discussed a need for greater access to technology and enhanced teen and children spaces for aboth quiet work or reading and programming.
The building that the library is in was originally a private residence, meaning that the homescape and interior come with challenges when it comes to accessibility and having enough space for all of the library’s services. For example, the sunken main room is not handicapped-accessible and the basement level room, which is plagued by a chronic dampness, is not accessible for library use. Short of a full rebuild, Ms. Collins said there is no easy fix for these things.
Representatives from The Library Land Project, a nonprofit organization documenting public libraries in America, visited the East Falmouth Branch in early 2020 and reviewed it on their website. They commended the library’s interior aesthetics, but noted that there “isn’t much by way of work space… but it’s a cool place to check out.”
“We want it to be more than a cool place to check out,” Ms. Collins said. “We want it to be a library with services that support the East Falmouth village.”
Half of those surveyed identified Saturday as the preferred additional operating day, and 60 percent said more evening hours would be helpful. To satisfy the public’s request, Ms. Collins said that the East Falmouth Branch will launch a pilot program to be open on Saturdays from 9 AM to 1 PM from June through August.
“We’re going to do that with existing funds and see how it goes, and then we can put it into the budget next year if it’s used,” Ms. Collins said. “We’ll keep headcounts and see what happens.”
Additional evening hours at the East Falmouth Branch will be trickier to figure out, she said, because of the shared parking with Smitty’s Ice Cream, a popular spot on summer evenings. Evening hours may be a possibility on a seasonal basis, and something that the board will likely explore in the future.
Ms. Collins told the board that there are a few enhancements planned for the East Falmouth Branch in the immediate future. A new all-in-one printer/copier/scanner will be installed, as well as new carpets throughout the branch.
“If we wanted to make a big change to East, [such as] a renovation or a rebuild, we would go to the Massachusetts Board of Library Commissioners, which offers grants for library builds and it’s usually 40-50 percent of the cost,” Ms. Collins said.
To explore this route, the library would need to submit a letter of intent when the next grant round is announced. Because of a lengthy wait list, additional grant rounds are on hold until the wait-listed libraries are able to complete their projects.
The MBLC is aware of East Falmouth’s interest in the program and will alert library staff when a grant round is announced, but Ms. Collins said it could take between two and five years for that to happen.
Ms. Collins said she spoke with MBLC library building specialist Lauren Stara, who advised that the best route is for library staff figure out what exactly they want to offer and improve in terms of services at the branch until a new grant round is announced. The trustees recognized that as an opportunity to do more outreach and find out what the community would like to see at the East Falmouth Branch.
“[Ms. Stara] said to think about the building program and think about what you need, what you want, and what services you can’t offer because of the building that you have now,” Ms. Collins said. “Don’t jump the gun and come up with a plan, but just think about the program—what do we need to offer, [and] what library services are hampered by the space that we’re in.”