FAUQUIER COUNTY PUBLIC

LIBRARY COMMUNITY NEEDS

ASSESSMENT STUDY

February 15, 2017

TableofContents

Introduction..3
CommunitySurvey:OverviewofMethodsandProfileofRespondents...4
SurveyRespondentDemographicProfile...6
CommunityLeadersForum:OverviewofMethodsandProfileofParticipants..11
SummaryofKeyFindings....12
StudyConclusions,ImplicationsandNextSteps....19
CurrentFauquierCountyPublicLibraryPatrons..21
LibraryUse..21
InterestinExpandedPrograms,Services,Resources26
Program/ActivityScheduling30
PrioritiesforFCPLImprovements...31
PastUsersandNonUsersofFauquierCountyPublicLibrary.35
Communications....39
Appendix
CommunitySurveyPressReleaseforFauquierCountyCitizens.45
CommunitySurveyQuestionnaire..46
CommunityForumParticipants LetterfromDirector56
CommunityForumParticipantsBackgroundandConstituencies.57
FauquierCountyPublicLibraries Profiles..58

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FauquierCountyCommunitySurveyandCommunityLeaders'ForumResults February2017
Introduction
.........................
Background
TheFauquierCountyPublicLibraryisavitalandhighlyregardedinstitution.Eachmonth,over22,000peoplevisitalibrary
branch;99%ofpatronssurveyedratedthelibraryasimportanttotheirfamily.

FauquierCountyPublicLibraryprovidesservicesfromthreelocations Warrenton,BealetonandMarshall.In2014,thethree
branchescirculated450,000itemsandover14,000peopleattendedalibraryprogram.Oneofeverytwocountyresidentshasa
librarycard.Librarycardsarefreetoallcountyresidentsandindividualswhoworkwithinthecounty.

Thelibrarysmissionistoprovideresourcesandprogramsthatseektoinform,educate,enrich,andentertaineverymember
ofourcommunity.Itsvisionistoprovideexcellentlibraryserviceswithresourcesandprogramsthatmeettheneedsofour
changingcommunity.

ThevitalroleFauquierCountyPublicLibraryplaysinthecommunityishamperedbylackofspace.Thelibraryhasroughly73%
ofthespaceandseatsrecommendedbytheLibraryofVirginiaforthepopulationserved,makingitdifficulttoprovidebasic
libraryservices.FauquierCountyhasadoptedacapitalimprovementsplanthatincludesfundstoconstructanew30,000
squarefeetcentrallibraryinWarrentonoverthenextthreeyears.Whenanew,modernlibraryisbuilt,itmustbedesignedto
meetthecurrentandfutureneedsoflibraryusers.Intheinterim,thelibrarymustensurethatconstrainedresourcesareused
tobestmeettheneedsofthecommunity.

TheFauquierCountyPublicLibraryreceivedagranttoconductacountywidesurveyamongcurrentpatrons,pastpatronsand
nonusersoftheLibraryandconductafocusgrouptoseekinputandrecommendationsfromrespectedcommunityleaders
whorepresentavarietyofconstituenciesinFauquierCounty.TheLibraryBoardofTrusteeswillusetheresultsoftheresearch
todeterminecurrentandfutureservices.Thiswillincludeuseofphysicalspace,allocationofresourcesbetweenphysicaland
digitalcollectionsaswellasprogrammingforallages,technologyneeds,communitymeetingspace,andhowbestto
communicatewiththecommunity.

TheLibrarypartneredwithaprofessionalmarketingresearchfirm,ResearchAmerica,Inc.,toassistinprojectdevelopment,
conducttheresearchandreportonthestudyfindings.

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FauquierCountyCommunitySurveyandCommunityLeaders'ForumResults February2017
CommunitySurvey:OverviewofMethodsandProfileofRespondents
.........................
SurveyDesignandImplementation
BasedondirectionfromtheFauquierCountyPublicLibraryBoardofTrustees,inputsfromLibrarystaff,andotherpubliclibrary
surveystheLibraryleadershipandResearchAmericaheldaseriesofmeetingsandcollaboratedonthedesignofthesurvey
fromJulytoAugust,2016.ThefinalsurveywassubmittedforfinalreviewbytheLibraryBoardofTrustees.

InSeptember,2016thesurveywaslaunchedtothreepopulationsegmentsincluding:1)CurrentFauquierCountyPublicLibrary
(FCPL)Patrons;2)PastFCPLPatrons;and,3)residentsofFauquierCountywhohadneverusedtheLibrary.Virtuallyallofthose
invitedtoparticipatewereadultsbutaspecialeffortwasmadetoincludeasegmentofteens13to17yearsoldamongcurrent
patrons.

Allsurveysconductedamongcurrentpatronsaswellassomepastpatronswereconductedusingaselfadministeredweb
surveywithanoptionforcompletionusingapapersurvey,ifpreferred.Themajorityofinterviewswithpastpatronsand
countyresidentswhohadneverusedthelibrarywereconductedbytelephone.

Acomprehensiveapproachwasusedforrecruitmentincluding:

1)EmailinvitationsfromtheLibrarytoallactivepatrons

2)Pressreleases

3)InvitationpostedontheFauquierCountyPublicLibrarywebsite

4)PostingofnoticesateachLibrarylocation

5)TelephonerecruitmentofFauquierCountyresidentsconductedfromtheResearchAmericacallcenter

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FauquierCountyCommunitySurveyandCommunityLeaders'ForumResults February2017
ThesurveywasconcludedinNovember,2016withahigh
responserateof1,607participantsincluding1,404current
patrons(usedLibraryinpast3years),92pastpatrons(>3
yearsago)and111FauquierCountycitizenswhohadnever
usedtheFauquierCountyPublicLibrary.Virtuallyallofthose
interviewedwereadultswiththeexceptionof29patron
interviewscompletedwithteens,13to17yearsold.

Amongcurrentpatrons,allthreeFCPLbrancheswerewellrepresentedthoughclearly,WarrentonCentralhasbeenusedbythe
vastmajority.Additionally,twothirds(64%)or900currentpatronshavevisitedthewww.fauquierlibrary.org websiteinthepast
threeyears.

Note:Multipleresponsesallowed.
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FauquierCountyCommunitySurveyandCommunityLeaders'ForumResults February2017
SurveyRespondentDemographicProfile
Thedemographicprofileisacriticallensthroughwhichthereadershouldinterpretthesurveyfindings.Giventhatrespondents
generallyselfselectedtocompletethesurvey,careshouldbetakenextrapolatingfromwhattheresultstellusaboutsurvey
respondentstowhatwebelievetobetrueaboutthefullFauquierCountypopulation. Toprovideperspectiveondifferences
betweenofthesurveyedpopulationwithdemographiccharacteristicsoftheCountypopulationFauquierCountycensusdatahas
beenincluded,whereavailable,alongsidethedemographiccharacteristicsofsurveyrespondents.

Geographically,thedistributionofallsurveyrespondents(patronsandnonpatrons)fromaroundthecounty,byzipcode,is
similartotheFauquierCountycensus.Currentpatronslivingoutsidethecountywereallowedtoparticipateandareexcluded
fromthecomparisonofFauquierCountyrespondentstotheFauquierCountycensus.

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FauquierCountyCommunitySurveyandCommunityLeaders'ForumResults February2017
Thedemographicprofileofadultsurveyparticipantsbyage
trendsolderthantheFauquierCountypopulation.This
maybeduetoacombinationoffactorsincludingtheself
selectionforsurveyparticipationandpossiblereal
differencesintheprofileoflibraryusersandnonusersin
comparisontothecensus.Still,thesamplesizesacrossage
groupsaresizeableandallowforsubanalysiscomparison
acrossagesegments.

Amongtheteenagers(n=29)participating,28of29arecurrentpatrons.Almost60%oftheteenagersare15to16yearsold.
ManyoftheteenagersarehomeschooledwithKettleRunHighSchoolandLibertyHighSchoolnextmostrepresented.Caution
shouldbeusedinprojectingteenagerresultsbasedonthesmallsamplesizeand,likeadults,theselfselectionforsurvey
participation.

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FauquierCountyCommunitySurveyandCommunityLeaders'ForumResults February2017
Amongadults,thewidestdemographicdifferencebetween
theFauquierCountypopulationandcurrentFauquierCounty
PublicLibraryusersisineducation.Ahighpercentofcurrent
usershave4yearcollegedegrees.Veryfewrespondentswho
arecurrentLibraryusershaveahighschooleducationorless.
Again,thismaybeacombinationoftheselfselectionfor
participationbutalsosuggestsaskewtowardslibraryuse
amongcitizenswhoaremorehighlyeducated.

Thedistributionofsurveyrespondents,byhouseholdincome,
isgenerallysimilartocensusdata.Itisnotablethatthose
makinglessthan$50,000arelesslikelythanaveragetobe
currentlibraryusers.Incontrast,thosewithincomesfrom
$50,000to$149,000aremorelikelythanaveragetobe
currentlibraryusers.

Thedistributionofinterviewsbyfamilystructureisgenerally
similartothecensus.Itisnotablethatpastlibraryusersare
lesslikelytohavechildrenundersixyearsofagecomparedto
thecensusandrelativetobothcurrentlibraryusersandthose
whohaveneverusedthelibrary.

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FauquierCountyCommunitySurveyandCommunityLeaders'ForumResults February2017
Therearedifferencesinthedemographicprofileofadultpatronsbasedonthelibrarylocationvisitedmostoften.Theprofiles
ofWarrentonandJohnMarshallusersaregenerallysimilartoeachotherbutBealetonvisitorshaveaclearlydifferentprofile.
Theytendtobeyounger,morelikelytohavechildrenunder18athome,aremorelikelytobeworkingandlesslikelytobe
retired,andthemajoritydonothaveacollegedegree.Incontrast,morethantwothirdsofpatronsusingWarrentonandJohn
Marshallmostfrequentlyhaveafouryearcollegedegreeorgraduate/professionaldegree.

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FauquierCountyCommunitySurveyandCommunityLeaders'ForumResults February2017
RespondentSegmentation
Inanalyzingthesurvey,andinadditiontoexaminingcurrentusers,pastusersand citizenswhohaveneverusedFCPL,
additionalsegmentationwascompletedbasedonage,thelibrarylocationusedmostbycurrentusers,andwhetherornot
therearechildrenathomeunderage18.

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FauquierCountyCommunitySurveyandCommunityLeaders'ForumResults February2017
CommunityLeadersForum:OverviewofMethodsandProfileofParticipants
.........................
ObjectiveandParticipants:
CommunityLeaderForumParticipants
Theresearchdesignincludedorganizingameetingofcommunityleaderstoevaluate
anddiscussthepreliminaryresultsofthecommunitysurvey. Ms.LynneRichmanBell

Theobjectiveofthismeetingwastogatherinput,exchangeopinionsonthe Mrs.CarenEastham
implications,anddeveloprecommendationsfromcommunityleadersfortheLibrary
tooptimizeservicestotheFauquierCountycommunity. Mrs.GingerHilleary

Ms.AmyKuhler
Ninecommunityleadersparticipated.Theseindividualswereidentifiedbasedon
recommendationsoftheFauquierCountyBoardofSupervisorsandtorepresenta Mr.CarterNevill
widevarietyofCountyconstituents.
Mr.StevePayne
Process: Mr.DennisTaylor
TheCommunityLeadersForumwasheldonThursday,November10th,2016from7 Mr.MaxTufts
pmto9pmintheJohnBartonPaynebuildinginWarrenton.Thediscussionwasledby
aprofessionalmarketresearchmoderator,Mr.ThomasRamsburg,fromResearch Ms.KarenWhite
America,Inc.,theselectedpartnertoassistindesignandexecutionoftheproject.
SeeAppendix(Page57)formore
Thediscussiontopicsincluded:1)RoleofLibraryinServingtheCommunity;2)Current informationontheparticipantsand
UseofLibrarybyCommunity;3)HowcantheLibrarymosteffectivelyserveFauquier constituenciesrepresented.
County?;4)HowcantheLibrarymosteffectivelycommunicatetotheCommunity?

Preliminaryresultsfromthecommunitysurveywereinterspersedbytopicareaand
presentedbythemoderatortofurtherfacilitatethediscussion.

Thegroupwasenthusiastic,invested,freelysharedtheiropinions,exchangedideas
andmaderecommendations.
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FauquierCountyCommunitySurveyandCommunityLeaders'ForumResults February2017
SummaryofKeyFindings
.........................
The2016FauquierCountyPublicLibraryCommunitySurveyandCommunityLeadersForumprovidetheLibraryand
FauquierCountygovernmentwithanunderstandingofcurrentcommunityuse,needsandpreferencesfortheLibrary,
identifyopportunitiesforattractingCountycitizenswhoarenotcurrentlyusingtheLibrary,andoffervitalinformationfor
planningcurrentandfuturephysicalspace,librarycollections,servicesandprogramofferings.
MajorthemesthatemergedfromtheCommunityLeadersForumwereforwardthinkingandpragmaticandprovidea
foundationfromwhichtoviewresultstotheCommunitySurvey:
WhatistheexperiencethatpeoplewillwantattheLibrary?
Trytogetoutsidetheboxofourtraditionalconceptionofalibrary.
Wearetransitioningasacommunity moreretiredcitizens,forexample.
Lookatourpopulationdemographicsandprojections
Weneedtoprepareforpeoplewhoarehereandforpeoplewhoarenothereyet.
Peopleshouldreallywanttobethere[thelibrary].
Valueourhistoricalinformation itsecuresouridentityandsenseofplace.
RoleofFauquierCountyPublicLibrary
Atitscore,communityleadersdescribedtheprimaryroleoftheLibraryasprovidingthecommunitywithaccessto
information.Examplestheyidentified,innoparticularorder,included:repositoryforhistoricalrecords;internetaccess;job
seekingresources;genealogyresources;and,asourceforbooksincludingebooksandbooksonCD.Thegroupexpanded
ontheprimaryrole,labelingtheLibraryasacommunitycenter;spaceformeetingandgathering;spacefortutoring;a
locationforsummerprogramsforyouth;andasasourceofrecreationandpleasure.
TherolecommunityleadersdescribedisconsistentwiththestatedFCPLMission:Aninformedcitizenryandfreeaccessto
informationarefundamentaltoourdemocraticsociety.TheFauquierCountyPublicLibrary,abasicgovernmentservice,
providesresourcesandprogramsthatseektoinform,enrich,andentertaineverymemberofoursociety.
CommunityleadersalreadyseetheBealetonCommunityLibraryandJohnMarshallNeighborhoodLibraryasfillinga
communitycenterrole.TheysimultaneouslyviewedWarrentonCentralLibraryashavingmorecompetitioninfulfilling
thisrole.Providingmorespaceformeetingandgatheringwasidentifiedbythegroupasaneededfocusforimprovement,
particularlyforWarrenton.
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FauquierCountyCommunitySurveyandCommunityLeaders'ForumResults February2017
LibraryUse
AllthreeFCPLlocationswerewellrepresentedbytheCommunitySurvey.Whilemanycurrentpatronsvisitmultiple
locations,70%useWarrentonCentralmostfollowedbyBealetonCommunity(19%)andJohnMarshallNeighborhood
(11%).Judgingbycurrentpatronsparticipatinginthesurvey,currentusersareusingtheLibraryfrequently.Twothirds
(65%)visittheLibraryeveryfewweeksormoreoften.Theageprofileofcurrentadultpatronsskewsolderthanthegeneral
FauquierCountyadultpopulation.Inadditiontoage,currentusersofFCPLaremorehighlyeducated.Seventypercentof
currentpatronswhorespondedhaveatleastafouryearcollegedegreecomparedto32%oftheFauquierCounty
population.SurveyparticipantswhohaveneverusedFCPLweremoresimilarinlevelofeducationtotheoverallCounty
populationstatistics.
ThoughcurrentusersoftheLibrarytendtobeolderandmorehighlyeducatedthelevelsvaryacrossLibrarylocations.
ThoseusingBealetonCommunityLibrarymostaredistinctlyyoungerandlesseducatedthanusersofWarrentonCentral
andJohnMarshallNeighborhoodLibraries.
Themostidentifiedlibraryservicesusedbypatronsareconsistentwithhistoricalusesforlibrariesincludingborrowing
booksorothermaterials(91%)andreceivingassistancefromalibrarian(77%).Allotherservicesareidentifiedbylessthan
50%ofcurrentusers.ThehighestoftheseisfordownloadingeBooks,audiobooks,anddigitalmagazinesfollowedbyusing
freeWIFI.NotableisthehigheruseofBealetonandJohnMarshallforWIFIandBealetonforusingthelibraryscomputers
forinternetaccessandtheonlinedatabases.Thoseuserswithchildrenunder18aremuchmorelikelytousetheLibrary
forattendingprogramsforchildren/teens.
Amongcurrentpatrons,64%indicatehavingvisitedtheFauquierlibrary.orgwebsiteinthepastthreeyears.Themost
frequentuseoftheFauquierlibrary.orgwebsiteistobrowsethecatalogandreservebooksorothermaterialsfollowedby
accessinglibrarynewsandinformationonevents.Aminorityvisitthewebsitetodownloadmaterialsoraccessonline
databases.
Themajorityofpatronsgivehighratingstoalllibraryresources.ThoseresourcesgettingthefewesthighmarksarethePCs
availableforpublicuse;overallquality,comfort,andamountofphysicalspace;and,thequality/quantityofprogramsand
activitiesforteens.
Thelowerratingsforteenprogramsgeneratedquestionsbycommunityleadersincluding:HowgoodistheLibrarys
relationshipwithhighschools? Dostudentsknowenoughaboutthelibraryandprogramsavailable? Dopeopleknow
abouttheWarrentonprograms?Isthedifferencerelatedtostafforvariationsinthedeliveryoftheprograms?and,Does
competitionfromotherentertainmentandmoreopportunityforteenemploymentinfluencelowerratingsinWarrenton?

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FauquierCountyCommunitySurveyandCommunityLeaders'ForumResults February2017
Almost85%ofcurrentpatronsratetheiroverallsatisfactionwiththeFCPLexperienceeither4or5ona1to5scale
(5=Extremelysatisfied).ThoughthemajorityofpatronswhouseWarrentonCentralmostoftenaresatisfiedwiththeirlibrary
experience,overall,theyarelesssatisfiedthanthoseusingBealetonorJohnMarshallmostoften.WarrentonCentralisrated
loweronseveralresourcesincludingaspectsofphysicalspace(quality,comfortandamountofphysicalspaceandconvenience
/accessibilityofmeetingrooms)andtheavailabilityofPCs.Bealetonisthemosthighlyratedontheoverallquality,comfort
andamountofphysicalspace.
ThecommunityleadersgroupagreedWarrentonlacksphysicalspaceandparking.Doesspacehavesomethingtodowiththe
[lower]ratingsfor[Warrenton]?IsthereroomenoughatWarrenton?Theyalsoindicatedfunctionalityofspaceisvery
importantincludingcomfortandthesizeofactivityareas.Theyviewthebranchlibrariesasbeingsuperioronbothinterior
physicalspaceandparking.
InterestinExpandedPrograms,Services,Resources
Currentpatronsareveryinterestedinmorelifelonglearningprogramsandadultprograms/activities.Ofleastinterestismore
communitymeetingspaceandrooms.Itshouldbenoted,surveyparticipantswerequestionedontheirindividualinterestand
needs.Surveyswerenotcompletedfromtheperspectiveofcommunitygroupswhowouldlikelybemoreinterestedin
communitymeetingspace.Thecommunityleadersforumagreedsufficientphysicalspaceandgooddesignarecritical,
includingspaceformeetingsandgatherings.
TheleadersgroupexpressedsupportfortheLibraryasacenterforthecommunityincludingasocialmeetingplaceand
culturalcentersayingartsandmusicshouldbesupportedbythelibrary.Theyexpandedontheconceptsuggestingabookstore
feel,withlotsofworksbycontemporary,current,emergingauthors.
Thosepatronswithchildrenareinterestedinmorechildrenandteenprograms/activities.Interestingly,youngeradultsare
interestedinexpandedlifelonglearningprogramsandliteracyprograms.Communityleaderstooknoteofthehigherinterest
ofyoungadults(18to35)inlibraryprogramsandfeltitreinforcedtheneedtofurtherexaminethelibraryssocialpurpose.
Participatingteensratedinterestonadifferentlistofpossibleexpandedlibraryresources.Thereishighinterestinseveral
resourceswithcomfortableseatingforreading,authorvisits/sponsoredperformances,roomsforstudyingandvolunteer
opportunitiesatthetopoftheirlist.Thereisgenerallylowinterestbytheseteensintechnologyprograms,craftingprograms
andgamingevents.
Allcurrentuserschoseevents/activitiesthey,themselvesweremostinterestedinattending.Anauthortalkandfilm,play or
musicalperformancegeneratehighinterest.Valueforevents/activitiesis,atleasttosomeextentagedependent,but
virtuallyallagesplacethesetwoactivitiesnearthetopoftheirlist.

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FauquierCountyCommunitySurveyandCommunityLeaders'ForumResults February2017
Parentsofchildrenunder12placeartsandcraftclassesandscienceprogramsamongactivitiestheywouldmostvaluefor
theirchildren.Communityleadersalsoidentifiedmulticulturalpreschoolprogramsandearlyreadingprogramsasemerging
needs.Theyalsotooknoteoftheparentsinterestinscienceprograms.Thegroupfeltscienceisoftensidelinedfortimeon
mathandlanguageandthelibrarycouldfillaneedforthelowergradeswithprogramsinexperimentalscience.
Parentsofchildrenandteens12to17identifytechnologyclassesandtestpreparationclassesastheirhighestpriorities.The
leadersforumsuggestedlibraryprogramsforSAT,ACTandGEDcertificationsaswellasseeingthelibraryasaplacefor
personaltutoring.Asuggestionwasalsomade,withtheincreasinguseofonlinecollegeprograms,tousethelibraryasa
placewherestudentscouldmeetforstudygroups.Thecommunityleadersalsoidentifiedselfpublishing(e.g.,digital)asan
emergingopportunityforteens.
Communityleadersidentifiedsocialopportunitiesforseniorsincludingclubs,lunches,gamesandsocialtime.
Allcurrentlibraryuserswereprovidedalistoftechnologyresourcesandaskedtoranktheirinterestinthelibraryexpandingor
improvingontheseresources.Downloading/streamingbooks,music,moviesandWIFIaccessarethehighestpriorities
overallwith3Dprinting,additionalPCs,availabilityoflaptops,tablets,eReadersforinlibraryuseorcheckoutamongthe
lowerpriorities.Interestintechnologyresourcesishighlycorrelatedtoagewithteenagersandyoungeradultshavinghigher
interestandthoseoverage65havinglowestinterest.Theloneexceptionisforprinting/copyingservicesatthelibraryin
whichteenagersareleastinterestedandadultsuptoage65aremorehighlyinterested.
Program/ActivityScheduling
Preferredschedulingforprogramschedulingforpatronparticipationvariesandisafunctionofage.Thoseoverage65most
preferweekdayafternoonsandweekdaymornings.Adults18to65mostpreferweekdayevenings.Teenagersmostprefer
weekendafternoonsandweekdayevenings.
Parentsofchildrenunder12preferweekendafternoonsorweekendmorningsthemostfortheirchildrentoattendeventsor
activitieswhileparentsofchildren12to17mostprefertheirchildrenparticipateeitherweekdayeveningsorweekend
afternoons.Thelatterisconsistentwiththepreferencesexpressedbyparticipatingteenagers.

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FauquierCountyCommunitySurveyandCommunityLeaders'ForumResults February2017
PrioritiesforFCPLImprovements
Currentpatrons,regardlessoftheirdemographicprofileorlibraryusedmost,placethehighestpriority,byfar,on
improvementstothephysicallibrarycollectionoverbothdigitalresourcesandlibraryprogramming.Itshouldbenoted,this
wasaforcedrankingofthethreeareas.Itdoesnotnecessarilymeanimprovinglibraryprogrammingisunimportantbutdoes
indicatepatronsviewthephysicalcollectionasmostimportantofthethree.
Currentpatronshighestprioritiesforaredesignedlibraryspacereflecttheoverallprioritywithalargercollectionofprint
booksandotherphysicalresourcesmostidentified.Morequiet/readingroomspaceisthehighestofthesecondarypriorities
followedbyexpandedchildrenandteenareasandmoreworkspaceforlaptopusers.CurrentFCPLusersstillvaluethe
traditionalrolealibraryhasplayedincommunities.
CurrentLibraryusersplacelowerimportanceonmoremeetingroomsandcollaborativespaceandanexpandedbusiness/
technologycenter.Thecommunitysurveyrepresentsopinionsofpatronsfromanindividualperspective.Theopinionsof
communityorganizationsandgroupsarenotdirectlyincludedotherthanperspectivesfromthecommunityleadersforum.
Communityleaderssaidsufficientphysicalspaceandgooddesignarecriticalincludingspaceformeetingsandgatherings.
CurrentuserswereaskedtoidentifytheirhighestpriorityforimprovingFCPLwithanondirected,openendedverbatim
response.Thefollowingisasmallsampleofquotesofthemajorthemesthatemerge:
Morespace,morecomfortableseatingforinlibraryreading;moreparking.
Accessibilityofdigitalbooks;theonesIwantarealmostalwayscheckedoutwithlongwaitlists.
Betterreadingareas.Morechoicesincollection.
Morechildrensbooksandactivities.
Morespaceforlaptopuseforschoolwork&allowingcoffee/drinkswhileworking.
RecommendationscorrelatedwiththelibrarylocationshowtheparkingissuetiedprimarilytoWarrenton.

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FauquierCountyCommunitySurveyandCommunityLeaders'ForumResults February2017
AttractingPastUsersandNonUserstoUseFCPL
Pastusers(>thanthreeyearsago)offeravarietyofreasonsfornolongerusingtheLibrary.Lackofinterestandbeingtoobusy
areamongthetopreasons.Pastpatronsusedlibraryservicessimilarlytocurrentuserswithafewexceptionsgenerallyrelated
totechnologyservices;noteworthyisuseofthelibrarycomputersforinternetaccessandfreeWIFIwhereusewaslowerthan
seenamongcurrentpatrons.Thismaybepartiallyareflectionoflessavailabilityoftechnologywhenpastpatronswereusing
theLibrary.PastusersoverallsatisfactionwiththeirpastFCPLexperiencewasveryhigh.
Nonusersmostoftensitealackofinterestasthereasonforhavingneverusedthelibraryfollowedbypreferringtofind
informationonlineorbeingtoobusy.
Aswouldbeanticipated,pastpatronsaremoreknowledgeableaboutFCPLservicesthanarethosecitizenswhohavenever
usedthelibrary.However,ona1to5scaleratingofhowknowledgeabletheyareaboutFCPL(5=Extremelyknowledgeable)
mostpastusersratetheirknowledgelevel1to3(1=Notatallknowledgeable).Toattractpastusersandnonuserstothe
library,amongthefirststepswillbeincreasingawarenessofavailableresourcesandservices.
Likecurrentpatrons,pastpatronsandnonuserswereaskedfortheirinterestinprogramming,resourcesandtechnologythat
FCPLcouldpotentiallyprovide.Subjectsofhighestinteresttocurrentpatronsaregenerallyofhighestinteresttopastandnon
users.Atthetopoftheirlistsarelifelonglearningprogramsandclasses,childrensprograms,andprogramsonlocalhistory.
Theyexpresssimilarinteresttocurrentusersinattendingaperformance;however,past/nonusersaremuchlesslikelytobe
interestedinattendinganauthortalkorlecture.Technologyresourcesofhighestinteresttopastandnonusersinclude
downloading/streamingofbooks,musicandmovies,learningatechnologyskill,andWIFIaccess.
PastandnonuserswereaskedtoprovideaverbatimresponseonwhatwouldencouragethemtovisittheLibrary.Emerging
themesincludeclassesforcontinuedlearning,childrensactivities,informingthepubliconservices/resourcesavailable,
improvedparkingandonlineaccesstolibraryresources.
Thecommunityleadersmadespecificsuggestionstomarketresources,servicesandprogramstogeneratecitizeninterestto
visittheLibrary.Thesesuggestionscouldapplytocurrentusersaswellaspast/nonusers.Overall,thecommunityleaderssee
thelibrarybeingmarketedasacenterofthecommunity,socialmeetingplaceandculturalcenter.Amongspecificsuggestions
werelocalauthortalksandlecturespeakers.Thesemaybeoflowerinteresttononusersbutcurrentpatronsdoexpresshigh
interestintheseprograms.TheleadersforumalsosuggestedmarketingtheavailabilityofeBooksandbooksonCD,newand
contemporarybooksandbookclubs/groups.Othermarketingopportunitiesrelatedtophysicalspaceresources(e.g.,
meetingspaceforsmallgroups,nonprofitofficespace,grantwritersspaceinBealeton,amediacenter).Theyalsosuggested
prioritizingservicesandprogramstotheneedsanddemographicsofthelocalcommunityservedbytheindividualLibrary
location.
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FauquierCountyCommunitySurveyandCommunityLeaders'ForumResults February2017
Communications
Currentpatronscurrentlyrelyonthelibrarywebsite(Fauquierlibrary.org),thelibraryelectronicnewsletterandemail
notificationswithalmostequalfrequency.Thesethreesourcesarealsopreferredinthefuturewithemailfavoredmost.
Greateruseofsocialmediaisanticipatedinthefuturebutstillonlyamongaminority.
Pastusersandnonusersfrequentlyidentifythetopsourcespreferredbycurrentpatronsbutbothgroupsaremorelikelythan
currentpatronstowantinformationthroughlocalmediaandsocialmedia.Youngadultsinparticulardesirecommunication
throughsocialmediainadditiontoemailandthelibraryelectronicnewsletter.
Thecommunityleadersgroupsuggestedusingmanyofthesesamecommunicationchannelsincludingmonthlyemailsand
socialmedia.Theyemphasizedpartneringwithlocalelementary,middle,andhighschools.Theyalsosuggestedusinginternet
blogs,podcasts,producinganinformationalvideowithavirtualtourconceptaswellasoutdooradvertising/signage.
Threeineveryfourstudyparticipantsuseasmartphoneandnearlythatmanyhavealaptopcomputer.PCsandtabletdevices
arealsocommonlyusedandaboutoneinthreeuseaneReader.Only2%usenoneofthesedevices.
Useofspecificelectroniccommunicationdevicesdoesvary,tosomeextent,byage.Smartphoneandlaptopuseismore
concentratedamongadultsunder65withPCusemoreconcentratedamongadultsoverage35.Useofatabletdeviceand
eReaderisgenerallysimilaracrossagesegmentsamongadults.
Cableandsmartphonearethepredominantsourcesofathomeinternetaccess.Thereissomevariancebyagebutthereis
evenmorebasedontheLibrarylocationusedmostandpresumablyreflectstheirgeographiclocationinthecounty.
WarrentonandBealetonuserspredominantlyrelyoncableand/orsmartphonewhileJohnMarshallusersidentifysatellite
mostfollowedbysmartphoneandwirelessbroadband.
Twothirdsofallparticipantsindicatesomeuseofsocialmedia.Thehighestuseisamongadults18to35yearoldsat86%.
Aboutonehalfofthoseoverage65usesocialmediawithasimilarproportionofteenpatrons.Facebookisalmostuniversally
usedwhilefewerthanonehalfuseeachoftheothersocialnetworkingsites.YouTube,PinterestandInstagrameachareused
bymorethanonehalfoftheteenagersandyoungadults.

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FauquierCountyCommunitySurveyandCommunityLeaders'ForumResults February2017
StudyConclusions,ImplicationsandNextSteps
Theresultsofthe2016CommunitySurveyandCommunityLeadersforumprovidesinsightsforplanningcurrentandfuture
LibraryServices.
UsershighlyvaluetheFauquierCountyPublicLibrarysystemandaregenerallyverysatisfiedwiththeirexperience.
CommunityleadersseetheLibraryasanimportantcenterofthecommunity;aplaceforaccesstoinformationand
learning,meetingandsocialgathering,andasaculturalcenter.Theyindicatethecommunityisintransitionandsee
aneedforlongertermplanning.Theyalsosuggest:LookatthemostprogressivelibrarysystemsintheUSA what
aretheydoing?
ThedemographicsofLibraryusersservedbytheFauquierCountyPublicLibrarytrendtowardsolderandmore
highlyeducatedcitizens;thedemographicprofileofBealetonusersincludesmoreyoungerandlesseducated
membersofthecommunity.IsthissimplyduetothedemographicsaroundthelocationormighttheBealeton
experienceofferadditionallearningforattractingyoungerandlesshighlyeducatedcitizenstotheotherbranches?
BothcurrentpatronsandcommunityleadersagreeWarrentonCentralishamperedbyalackofphysicalspaceand
parkingineffectivelyfulfillingitsrole.Sufficientphysicalspaceandgooddesignarecriticalincludingspacefor
meetings/gatherings. Morequiet/readingroomspaceandexpandedchildren/teenareasarealsohighpriorities.
Communityleadersemphasizedtheimportanceofmorecommunitymeetingspace.Thiswasaddressedinthe
CommunitySurveybutfromtheperspectiveoftheindividualpatron,whodidnotratetheneedhighly.Anextstep
couldincludefurtherresearchordiscussionwithcommunitygroups.
ExpandingtheLibrarysphysicalanddigitalcollectionsarehighlydesired,particularlythephysicalcollections.
CurrentpatronshavehighinterestinLibraryprogramming.Morelifelonglearningprogramsandclassesaswellas
authorvisits,lecturesandperformancesareallindemand.Parentsplaceaheavyemphasisonageappropriate
programmingfortheirchildren.
Downloading/streamingbooks,music,moviesandWIFIaccessarethehighesttechnologyresourcepriorities.
ItisclearthatbothpastusersandthosewhohaveneverusedtheLibrarylackofknowledgeoftheservices.
Increasingtheirawarenessofresourcesandservicesisessentialtoattractingthemastheyexpressinterestinmany
ofthesameresources,servicesandprogramsascurrentpatrons.
CommunicationthroughLibraryemail,electronicnewsletterandwebsitearesufficienttoreachcurrentusersbut
reachingnonuserslikelyrequiresgreateruseoflocalmediaandsocialmedia.
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FauquierCountyCommunitySurveyandCommunityLeaders'ForumResults February2017
DetailedStudyFindings
.........................
ThefollowingsectionspresentfindingsfromtheCommunitySurveyandtheCommunityLeadersForum.Sectionsare
presentedindependentlyforcurrentusers,pastusers,andthosewhohaveneverusedFCPL.Wherecommonissuesare
evaluatedandwhereappropriate,comparisonsaremadebetweentheseuser/nonusersegments.

Theresultsarepresentedaccordingtothefollowingtopicscoveredincluding:

CurrentPatronsofFauquierCountyPublicLibrary

LibraryUse

InterestinExpandedPrograms,Services,Resources

Program/ActivityScheduling

PrioritiesforFCPLImprovements

PastUsersandNonUsersofFauquierCountyPublicLibrary

PastUsers

NeverUsedFCPL

AttractingPastUsersandNonUserstoUseFCPL

Communications

PreferredSourcesofLibraryInformation

CommunicationDevicesUsed/InternetAccess/SocialMedia Use

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FauquierCountyCommunitySurveyandCommunityLeaders'ForumResults February2017
CurrentFauquierCountyPublicLibraryPatrons
.........................
LibraryUse

MostcurrentusersindicatefrequentvisitstoanFCPLlibrary.Twothirds(65%)visitthelibraryeveryfewweeksormoreoften
and86%visitaleasteveryfewmonths.

Nomajordifferencesareseeninfrequencyofvisitsamongtheadultsbasedonageorbywhetherornottherearechildren
under18inthehousehold.Teenagersparticipating,however,aremorefrequentvisitors.

ThosepatronswhouseJohnMarshallLibrarymostaremorefrequentvisitorsthanthoseusingtheothertwolocationsmost.

21
FauquierCountyCommunitySurveyandCommunityLeaders'ForumResults February2017
 Over90%ofcurrentlibraryusersindicatetheyvisittheLibrarywebsite.Almost50%arevisitingthewebsiteatleastevery
fewweeksandtwothirds(68%)arevisitingeveryfewmonthsormore.Interestingly,useofthelibrarywebsitedoesnot
varythatmuchbyagethoughpatrons18to35arelesslikelytovisiteveryfewdays.

Themostfrequentuseofthefauquierlibrary.orgwebsiteis
tobrowsethecatalogandreservebooksorothermaterials
followedbyaccessinglibrarynewsandinformationon
events.Aminorityvisitthewebsitetodownloadmaterials
oraccessonlinedatabases.

22
FauquierCountyCommunitySurveyandCommunityLeaders'ForumResults February2017
Theprimarylibraryservicesusedbypatronsareborrowingbooksorothermaterialsandreceivingassistancefroma
librarian.Theusesofthelibraryvarybasedonageandtoalesserextentbasedonthelibrarylocationusedmostand
whetherornottherearechildrenunder18athome.NotableisthehigheruseofBealetonandJohnMarshallforWIFIand
Bealetonforusingthelibraryscomputersforinternetaccessandtheonlinedatabases.

23
FauquierCountyCommunitySurveyandCommunityLeaders'ForumResults February2017
Themajorityofpatronsgivehighratingstoalllibrary
resources.Thoseresourcesgettingthefewesthighmarks
arethePCsavailableforpublicuse;overallquality,comfort,
andamountofphysicalspace;and,thequality/quantityof
programsandactivitiesforteens.

TheWarrentonCentralLibraryisratedloweronseveral
resourcesincludingaspectsofphysicalspaceandthe
availabilityofPCs.Bealetonisthemosthighlyratedonthe
overallquality,comfortandamountofphysicalspace.

Thosewhohavechildrenunder18athomegivebelow
averagemarkstotheprogramsandactivitiesforteens.

24
FauquierCountyCommunitySurveyandCommunityLeaders'ForumResults February2017
Almost85%ofcurrentpatronsratetheiroverallsatisfaction
withtheFCPLexperienceeither4or5ona1to5scale
(5=Extremelysatisfied).

Overallsatisfactionishigheramongthosepatronsoverage
65.ThoughthemajorityofpatronswhouseWarrenton
Centralmostoftenaresatisfiedwiththeirlibrary
experience,overall,theyarelesssatisfiedthanthoseusing
BealetonorJohnMarshallmostoften.

25
FauquierCountyCommunitySurveyandCommunityLeaders'ForumResults February2017
 InterestinExpandedPrograms,Services,Resources

Currentpatronsaremostinterestedinmorelifelong
learningprogramsandadultprograms/activities.Ofleast
interestismorecommunitymeetingspaceandrooms.

Thosepatronswithchildrenareinterestedinmore
childrenandteenprograms/activities.Interestingly,
youngeradultsarealsomoreinterestedinexpanded
lifelonglearningprogramsandliteracyprograms.

26
FauquierCountyCommunitySurveyandCommunityLeaders'ForumResults February2017
Participatingteensratedinterestonadifferentlistof
possibleexpandedlibraryresources.Thereishighinterest
inseveralresourceswithcomfortableseatingforreading
andauthorvisits/sponsoredperformancesatthetopof
thelist.Thereisgenerallylowinterestbytheseteensin
technologyprograms,craftingprogramsandgaming
events.

Allcurrentuserschoseevents/activitiesthey,themselves
weremostinterestedinattending.Anauthortalkand
film,playormusicalperformanceareatthetopofthelist.
Interestinevents/activitiesis,atleasttosomeextent,
agedependentbutvirtuallyallagesplacethesetwo
activitiesnearthetopoftheirlist.Doingaonetime
projectandattendingageappropriateactivitiesarealso
popularamongyoungeradults.Interestinlearninga
technologyskillishigheramongolderadults.

27
FauquierCountyCommunitySurveyandCommunityLeaders'ForumResults February2017
Parentsofchildrenunder12andchildren/teens12to17wereaskedtoidentifytheeventstheyweremostinterestedin
theirchildrenattending.ThelistofeventswasthesameforthetwoagegroupswiththeexceptionofStorytimewhich
wasnotincludedforparentsofchildren12to17.Theeventsparentsareinterestedintheirchildrenattendingaremarkedly
differentbasedontheageofthechild.

Parentsofchildrenunder12placeartsandcraftclassesandscienceprogramsatthetopoftheirlist.Incontrast,parents of
childrenandteens12to17identifytechnologyclassesandtestpreparationclassesastheirhighestpriorities.

28
FauquierCountyCommunitySurveyandCommunityLeaders'ForumResults February2017
Allcurrentlibraryuserswereprovidedalistoftechnologyresourcesandaskedfortheirinterestinthelibraryexpandingor
improvingontheseresources.Downloading/streamingbooks,music,moviesandWIFIaccessarethehighestpriorities
overallwith3Dprinting,additionalPCs,availabilityoflaptops,tablets,eReadersforinlibraryuseorcheckoutamongthe
lowestpriorities.However,teenagershavemuchhigherinterestinsomeoftheseoveralllowerprioritiesforadults.

Interestishighlycorrelatedwithagewithteenagersandyoungeradultshavinghigherinterestandthoseoverage65having
thelowestinterest.Theloneexceptionisforprinting/copyingservicesatthelibraryinwhichteenagersareleast
interestedandadultsuptoage65aremorehighlyinterested.

29
FauquierCountyCommunitySurveyandCommunityLeaders'ForumResults February2017
 Program/ActivityScheduling

Preferredschedulingforprogramsvariesandisafunction
ofage.Thoseoverage65mostpreferweekday
afternoonsandmornings.Adults18to65mostprefer
weekdayevenings.Teenagersmostpreferweekend
afternoonsandweekdayevenings.

Parentsofchildrenunder12preferweekendafternoons
ormorningsthemostfortheirchildrentoattendevents
oractivitieswhileparentsofchildren12to17most
prefertheirchildrenparticipateeitherweekdayevenings
orweekendafternoons.

30
FauquierCountyCommunitySurveyandCommunityLeaders'ForumResults February2017
 PrioritiesforFCPLImprovements

Currentpatrons,regardlessoftheirdemographicprofile
orlibraryusedmost,placethehighestpriority,byfar,on
improvementstothephysicallibrarycollectionoverboth
digitalresourcesandlibraryprogramming.

Currentpatronshighestprioritiesforaredesignedlibrary
spacereflecttheoverallprioritywithalargercollectionof
printbooksandotherphysicalresourcesmostidentified.
Morequiet/readingroomspaceisthehighestofthe
secondaryprioritiesfollowedbyexpandedchildrenand
teenareasandmoreworkspaceforlaptopusers.They
placelowerimportanceonmoremeetingroomsand
collaborativespaceandanexpandedbusiness/
technologycenter.

31
FauquierCountyCommunitySurveyandCommunityLeaders'ForumResults February2017
Prioritiesforaredesignedlibraryspace,toanextent,areafunctionofageandwhetherornottherearechildrenunder18
inthehome.Thehighestpriorityamongadultsacrossallagesistoexpandthelibrarysphysicalcollection.Thehighest
priorityamongteensisanexpandedteenareafollowedbyalargerphysicalcollectionandmorequietspace.Youngadults
andparentsofchildrenunder18placeaboveaverageimportanceonexpandingchildrenandteenareas.Thesecond
highestpriorityforadultsoverage35ismorequiet/readingroomspace.

32
FauquierCountyCommunitySurveyandCommunityLeaders'ForumResults February2017
 Currentadultpatronswereasked:IftherewasonethingthattheFCPLcoulddotoimproveitsresourcesorservices,what
wouldbeyourtoppriority(s)? Belowisarandomsamplingofverbatimresponsesprovidedfromthe1404currentpatrons
participating,shownbythelibrarylocationusedmost.

Warrenton
Moreparkingspaces. Stayingrelevantwithtechnology.
Largerlibraryandcollections. Modernize/refresh.
Largeprintbooks/resources. Betterreadingareas.Morechoicesincollection.
AdditionalVirginianaandgenealogyresources.
Programs.
Morechildrensbooksandactivities.
Bealeton
Betterparking.
Books.
Updatereferencebooks,selectionofcurrentDVDs.
Morenewbooks(currentlytherearelongholdtimesfornew
Morespace,morecomfortableseatingforinlibraryreading/more releases).
parking.
MorenonfictionCDs.
Newfacilityandcertainlymoreparking.Thecurrentbuildingiscramped
MoreAfricanAmericanauthorsandselections.
andhasabadodor.Itisnotawelcomingplacetospendtime.Parkingisa
verylargeissueasthereareonlyaveryfewspaces. Smallmeetingspace.
Parkingspace. Informeveryonethatalibraryisaplacetobequiet.Noloud
Thereismoldinthestairways,itaffectsmychild'sasthma,sohepicksthe talking,noscreamingchildren.
booksonlineandmydaughterandIpickthemup.
Expandcollectionandinterlibraryloans. JohnMarshall
Changethecleanerthatisused.Notsurebutitsmellsvery1950's Tryingtofindawaytogetmorechildrenandteenagerstoread.
institutional. Helpthemtoread.
Informationonusingonlineservices,i.e.reservingbooks,CDs. Morespaceforlaptopuseforschoolwork&allowing
Accessibilityofdigitalbooks;theonesIwantarealmostalwayscheckedout coffee/drinkswhileworking.
withlongwaitlists. Morebooksontravelsites.
Parking.

33
FauquierCountyCommunitySurveyandCommunityLeaders'ForumResults February2017
Thenondirectedverbatimresponsesfromcurrent
patronsofrecommendationsforimprovingresources
andserviceswerecodedandtabulated.Thetop
responseoverallreflectsthepreviouslystatedhighest
priorityforanexpandedphysicalcollection.Other
prioritiesincludetheneedforadditionaldigital
resources,more/betterparking,morequietspace
andexpandedhours.

Recommendationscorrelatedwiththelibrarylocation
showtheparkingissuetiedprimarilytoWarrenton
andexpansionofoperatinghourstoBealetonand
JohnMarshall.

34
FauquierCountyCommunitySurveyandCommunityLeaders'ForumResults February2017
PastUsersandNonUsersofFauquierCountyPublicLibrary
.........................
PastUsers

Pastusers(>thanthreeyearsago)offeravarietyofreasonsfornolongerusingtheLibrary.Lackofinterestandbeingtoo
busyareamongthetopreasons. Manyalsoindicatetheygoonlinetofindinformation,getbooksandmovieselsewhere
oruseanotherlibrary.Forothersitistheresultofchildrenhavinggrown.Fewerprovideanycriticalcommentsthough
somesaythelibrarylocationistoofarorhoursareinconvenientwhilealmost10%indicatetheparkingisinsufficient.

Pastpatronsusedlibraryservicesonasimilarhierarchytocurrentuserswithafewexceptions.Theseexceptionsare
generallyrelatedtotechnologyservices;noteworthyisuseofthelibrarycomputersforinternetaccessandfreeWIFIwhere
usewaslowerthanseenamongcurrentpatrons.

35
FauquierCountyCommunitySurveyandCommunityLeaders'ForumResults February2017
PastlibraryusersratedtheirsatisfactionwiththeirPCPL
experiencehighlywith84%givingaratingof4or5ona
1to5scale(5=Extremelysatisfied).Thereareactuallya
higherpercentofpastusersprovidingatoprating
relativetocurrentusers.

NeverUsedFauquierCountyPublicLibrary

Nonusersmostoftensitealackofinterestasthereason
forhavingneverusedthelibraryfollowedbypreferringto
findinformationonlineorbeingtoobusy.Thereisalsoa
smallpercentofnonuserswhoindicatetheyarenewto
theareaordonotknowmuchaboutFCPLservices.
AttractingPastUsersandNonUserstoUseFCPL

Aswouldbeanticipated,pastpatronsaremore
knowledgeableaboutFCPLservicesthanarethosecitizens
whohaveneverusedthelibrary.However,evenamongpast
usersfewerthan30%ratetheirknowledgeeither4or5ona
1to5scale(5=Extremelyknowledgeable).

36
FauquierCountyCommunitySurveyandCommunityLeaders'ForumResults February2017
Likecurrentpatrons,pastpatronsandnonuserswereasked
fortheirinterestinprogramming,resourcesandtechnology
thatFCPLcouldpotentiallyprovide.Pastpatronsandnon
usersarelessinterestedthancurrentusersonvirtuallyall
options.However,theirprioritiesbysubjectaresimilarin
ordertocurrentuserswithafewnoteworthyexceptions.
Past/nonusersaremuchlesslikelytobeinterestedin
attendinganauthortalkorlecture.Theyarealsomuchless
likelytobeinteresteddigitalmagazinesandnewspapers.
Otherwise,thesubjectsofhighestinteresttocurrentpatrons
arealsoofhighestinteresttopastandnonusers.

37
FauquierCountyCommunitySurveyandCommunityLeaders'ForumResults February2017
Pastpatronsandnonuserswereaskedtocommentonthefollowingquestion:IftherewasonethingthattheFauquier
CountyLibrarycoulddotoencourageyoutousetheirservices,whatwouldbeyourtoppriority(s)? Arandomsamplingof
over200verbatimresponsesareshownbelow.Emergingthemesincludeclassesforcontinuedlearning,childrensactivities,
informingthepubliconservices/resourcesavailable,improvedparkingandonlineaccesstolibraryresources.

PastUsers NeverUsedFCPL
Selfhelpclasses. Offermorefortheyouth.
Parking. Accesstobooksviamyathomedevice.
Foreignlanguageeducation. Gettingoutthereandnotifyingpeoplethatthelibraryexists.Having
eventsthere.
Booksfrombefore1920.
Booksontape.
Iwouldlikemorepublicknowledgeofwhatthelibraryhastooffer.
Children'sactivities.
Classesincomputerapplications.
Havethingsforkids.
Morebooksonartandcrafts.
Writingseminarstohelpyoulearntowritebooks.
Children'sactivities.
Learningabouttravel.
Iwouldgomoreiftheyhadbetterparking.
Perhapsamobilelibraryforpeoplewhocan'tgetoutandaboutso
Notsure,shouldadvertisewhat'savailable.
easily.
Sendemailswithofferingsorupcomingevents.
Well,ifmycomputerbrokeImaywanttousetheirs.But,youcloseat
Computerclasses. 10pm
Parkingspace. NewBaltimorelocationand3Dprinters.
Tohavetheservicesfreetouse. Readingtutor.
Shuttleservices. Whenmykidsgetalittleolderwewouldbemorelikelytouse.
Trainingclasses(e.g.financial). Maketheirservicesmorewidelyknown.
Iftheycouldofferhelpwithfinancesandinvestments. Movies.
Audiobooks. Funcraftclassesoremotionalgrowthclasses.
Onlineresources. Accesstothingsonline.
Thehoursbeingmoreconvenient. Providemoreinteractionwithauthorsandotherpresentations.
Noopinion/notsure(n=17) Noopinion/notsure(n=8)
Nothing/none(n=29) Nothing/none(n=21)
38
FauquierCountyCommunitySurveyandCommunityLeaders'ForumResults February2017
Communications
.........................
PreferredSourcesofLibraryInformation

Currentpatronsrelyonthelibrarywebsite
(fauquierlibrary.org),thelibraryelectronicnewsletterand
emailnotificationswithalmostequalfrequency.These
threesourcesarealsopreferredinthefuturewithemail
favoredmost.Greateruseofsocialmediaisanticipatedin
thefuturebutstillonlyamongaminority.

Pastusersandnonusersfrequentlyidentifythetop
sourcespreferredbycurrentpatronsbutbothgroupsare
morelikelythancurrentpatronstowantinformation
throughlocalmediaandsocialmedia.Youngadultsin
particulardesirecommunicationthroughsocialmediain
additiontoemailandthelibraryelectronicnewsletter.

39
FauquierCountyCommunitySurveyandCommunityLeaders'ForumResults February2017
 CommunicationDevicesUsed/InternetAccess/SocialMediaUse

Threeineveryfourstudyparticipantsuseasmartphoneandnearlythatmanyhavealaptopcomputer.PCsandtabletdevices
arealsocommonlyusedandaboutoneinthreeuseaneReader.Only2%usenoneofthesedevices.

Useofspecificelectroniccommunicationdevicesdoesvary,tosomeextent,byage.Smartphoneandlaptopuseismore
concentratedamongadultsunder65withPCusemoreconcentratedamongadultsoverage35.Useofatabletdeviceand
eReaderisgenerallysimilaracrossagesegmentsamongadults.

Teensgenerallyarelesslikelytohaveusedeachofthesedevices.Thiswouldindicatetheyhavefewertotalelectronicdevices
comparedtoadults.

40
FauquierCountyCommunitySurveyandCommunityLeaders'ForumResults February2017
 Cableandsmartphonearethepredominant
sourcesofathomeinternetaccess.

Thereissomevariancebyagebutthereis
evenmorebasedonthelibrarylocationused
mostandpresumablyreflectstheirgeographic
locationinthecounty.Warrentonand
Bealetonuserspredominantlyrelyoncable
and/orsmartphonewhileJohnMarshallusers
identifysatellitemostfollowedbysmartphone
andwirelessbroadband.

41
FauquierCountyCommunitySurveyandCommunityLeaders'ForumResults February2017
 Twothirdsofallparticipantsindicatesomeuse
ofsocialmedia.Thehighestuseisamong
adults18to35yearoldsat86%.Aboutone
halfofthoseoverage65usesocialmediawith
asimilarproportionofteenpatrons.

Facebookisalmostuniversallyusedwhile
fewerthanonehalfuseeachoftheother
socialnetworkingsites.YouTube,Pinterestand
Instagrameachareusedbymorethanone
halfoftheteenagersandyoungadults.

42
FauquierCountyCommunitySurveyandCommunityLeaders'ForumResults February2017
 Thoughonly31%indicatedusinganeReaderover50%indicatereadingeBooksandeMagazines.Currentpatronsarethe
mostlikelytoreadeBooksoreMagazines.Thereislimitedvariancebyagethoughthoseover65aresomewhatlesslikelyto
readeBooksandeMagazines.

43
FauquierCountyCommunitySurveyandCommunityLeaders'ForumResults February2017