MH Public Library doing a Community Needs Assessment this fall
By ANNA SMITH Local Journalism Initiative on September 5, 2024.
asmith@medicinehatnews.com Looking to chart the course of its future, the Medicine Hat Public Library will be undertaking a Community Needs Assessment this fall. Through attending various community events and engaging with residents, board members will determine what MHPL can do to best meet and serve the needs of the community. Other research, an online survey available at surveymonkey.com/r/5SWT2TD, and this engagement will help board members and staff determine various factors, including what is needed locally for the community and residents to thrive, what services are working well, which are lacking and what barriers to accessing services are keeping residents out of the library, among other factors. “MHPL board members have committed to engaging more than 1,000 people in Medicine Hat in person, through surveys and online to inform our next Plan of Service,” said Megan Hilgendorf, MHPL board chair. “We want to hear from everyone, those who use the library and those who don’t – yet. We want to hear about what you love about library services, what you’d like to see and what you think we could improve. We value your input and thank you for contributing to this important work.” The new Plan of Service will define the library’s priorities and plans over the next several years, and is expected to be completed in 2025, when the current plan of service expires. Under the province’s Libraries Act, Alberta libraries are required to complete a Plan of Service every five years. 8-7
