Community Insights

Community Insights

• High levels of satisfaction with library services. 90% of respondents in the 2018 City Resident Survey rate library services as either “good” or “excellent.” Patron feedback in the library community survey was very positive overall. The top four words that people chose to describe the library were wonderful, welcoming, awesome, and great.
• Sustained high levels of library use. 74% of respondents in the City Resident Survey had visited a CPL library in the last year. In the library community survey, 10% of respondents indicated that they use library services daily, and another 50% indicated that they use library services weekly.
• Library services are perceived as an essential public good. When asked to prioritize library services, community survey respondents prioritized physical collections and library staff to assist them. However, all listed services (physical collections, digital collections, events and programs, museum passes, library staff to help you, computers and technology, meeting rooms, and quiet areas to read and work) were rated as highly important by respondents. People spoke to the importance of the library as a vital civic asset for free access and for social equity and inclusion.
• Memorable and exceptional patron experiences. Community members especially praised the library as a destination; the welcoming atmosphere and sense of belonging; and the high caliber of service provided by attentive, knowledgeable staff.
• The Library is a vital community hub and social connector. Cambridge has a relatively high level of household turnover, which is driven both by higher education and the rising cost of housing. Residents spoke to the importance of both welcoming newcomers and preserving and celebrating Cambridge’s history and culture.
• Many versions of an ideal library experience. While many people spoke to their love of print collections and traditionally quiet library spaces, others celebrated our digital offerings and the library’s role as a lively community gathering place. Sometimes there is a tension between old and new directions. Library services and spaces need to be flexible to respond to this wide range of needs and interests.
• People don’t know all the library offers. Respondents often shared suggestions for services that already exist or described how they’d only recently become aware of some long-standing offerings.
• Challenges and opportunities. The community concerns identified in plans such as Envision Cambridge—especially rising inequality, declining housing affordability, changing nature of work, and growing economy and shifting core industries—were echoed by participants in the Library’s community process. While community feedback about the library was generally very positive, people identified some areas for action. Community members expressed a desire for facility improvements at the Central Square Library and for expanded hours at branch libraries. People also raised concerns about community homelessness and its impact on use of library spaces.