Kimberly Bolan & Associates, an independent library consulting firm, was hired to conduct a needs assessment of the Liberty Lake Municipal Library. The assessment began with a community survey, in which, unprompted, many community members expressed the need for “bigger and better”. Our library deviates negatively in the number of visits and total funding relative to comparable libraries. LLML spends $47 per capita compared to $64 per capita for the Washington libraries of similar size and community.
Their research has shown that books are not going away, and despite popular opinion, the usage of Ebooks has plateaued, and patrons still enjoy physical books. The library is 9,612 sq ft in its current state and is at (or beyond) capacity. The consultant firm population growth figures in three separate methods, determining that a library to properly support the community should be 16,500-19,500 sq ft.
The next step will be to develop a one-year tactical plan including short term and long term solutions.
Liberty Lake City Council – December 17, 2019 Meeting / Public Hearing
