Community Needs Analysis : Collecting and Analyzing Community Feedback

1. Community Needs Analysis: Collecting and Analyzing Community Feedback Anthony Chow The University of North Carolina at Greensboro (UNCG) -- Seth Ervin, Tom Cole, Michael Wozniak, Beatriz Guevara, Bethany Scott Charlotte Mecklenburg Libraries (CML)

2. Overview • The Project – How to Develop a New Strategic Plan • Data Triangulation • Quantitative and Qualitative Factor Analysis • Identifying and Articulating Community Needs • Clear Needs Increase Precision of Strategic Planning – A Community Mandate 2013 NCLA Biennial Conference, Winston Salem, NC

3. The Project • The Need - Why do we need a community survey? • Re-establish good will and gratitude to the public after 2010 cutbacks. • To check that the Library still understood what the public wanted from the organization. • To determine the effects of demographic and technological changes within the county and how these changes would affect the Library’s strategic planning. • Identify clear set of information needs and community goals to ensure alignment of strategic goals. • Goals become community and fundable mandate 2013 NCLA Biennial Conference, Winston Salem, NC

4. The Project • The Process - • Consultant asked to build internal capacity of CML • 12 Staff Members tasked with facilitating five community forums within the County. • Forums focused on same 15 questions used for online survey and staff forums and survey • Online survey (n=2,989) • Feedback and Comments  Data  Goals and Measures of Success 2013 NCLA Biennial Conference, Winston Salem, NC

5. Setting Future Goals = Strategic Planning Librarian Library Goals Patrons 2013 NCLA Biennial Conference, Winston Salem, NC

6. Data Triangulation • More Than Our Perspectives Library SWOT’s Staff perspective Community Perspective 2013 NCLA Biennial Conference, Winston Salem, NC

7. Data Triangulation • We relied on prior survey to identify areas for in-depth questioning • We made promises of confidentiality to all participants • We asked open-ended questions and recorded all feedback given. • We conducted by community forums and an online survey. • Marketwise conducted a random telephone sample • Lee Institute conducted focus groups 2013 NCLA Biennial Conference, Winston Salem, NC

8. Community Forums • See Handout 1 • Two facilitators and two note takers • Distributed through the County 2013 NCLA Biennial Conference, Winston Salem, NC

9. Factor Analysis • Also known as CODING. Taking a statement such as this: I like all services, especially the free access to the internet and the large range of books on all subjects. I don’t like that newspapers and magazines have pages missing, like for a recipe for mac and cheese. :) Or coffee shop please and creating a framework that codes and quantifies these anecdotes giving them a numerical value that we can further analyze to steer our organization. 2013 NCLA Biennial Conference, Winston Salem, NC

10. Factor Analysis It ends up looking something like this. Each question from the survey questions are codified and organized to present a uniform picture of what the public desires from the Library. See Survey Results 2013 NCLA Biennial Conference, Winston Salem, NC

11. Factor Analysis Another example: 2013 NCLA Biennial Conference, Winston Salem, NC

12. Community Survey • What do you believe are the three most important programs and services the Charlotte Mecklenburg Library provides to benefit the community? 2013 NCLA Biennial Conference, Winston Salem, NC

13. Community Survey (2) • How important, on a scale of 1-10, are the following to you? 2013 NCLA Biennial Conference, Winston Salem, NC

14. Community Survey (2) • How important, on a scale of 1-10, are the following to you? 2013 NCLA Biennial Conference, Winston Salem, NC

15. Community Survey (3) 2013 NCLA Biennial Conference, Winston Salem, NC

16. Community Survey (4) 2013 NCLA Biennial Conference, Winston Salem, NC

17. Community Survey (5) Please tell us if you have used the following Charlotte Mecklenburg Library services during the past 12 months: 2013 NCLA Biennial Conference, Winston Salem, NC

18. Community Survey (6) 2013 NCLA Biennial Conference, Winston Salem, NC

19. Community Survey (7) 2013 NCLA Biennial Conference, Winston Salem, NC

20. Identifying Clear Needs • From the coded survey results the needs of the community and the service areas of the Library are made clear: 2013 NCLA Biennial Conference, Winston Salem, NC

21. Identifying Clear Needs Charlotte Mecklenburg Library Strategic Plan 2014-2017. (2013). 2013 NCLA Biennial Conference, Winston Salem, NC

22. Goals and Strategic Planning These findings directly influenced the Library’s Strategic Goals for the next three years. Charlotte Mecklenburg Library is rebranding to further emphasize the many services and resources the library brings to Mecklenburg County. So without further ado: 2013 NCLA Biennial Conference, Winston Salem, NC

23. Charlotte Mecklenburg Library Strategic Plan 2014-2017. (2013). 2013 NCLA Biennial Conference, Winston Salem, NC

24. Setting Future Goals = Strategic Planning County Librarian Library Goals Patrons 2013 NCLA Biennial Conference, Winston Salem, NC

25. Data Dashboard • Next Phase – Tracking progress on goals and meeting staff and community needs • Real Time • Annual Basis 2013 NCLA Biennial Conference, Winston Salem, NC

26. Panel Discussion • Additional comments • Q & A • Thank You! • More Information: • Dr. Chow – aschow@uncg.edu • Seth Ervin - servin@cmlibrary.org • Tom Cole - Tcole@cmlibrary.org • Bethany Scott - BScott@cmlibrary.org 2013 NCLA Biennial Conference, Winston Salem, NC