To ask you how to encourage more people to use the library?

[LibraryLibrary]

My local library wants and needs to attract more users. It's set up a group of volunteers to brainstorm ideas. Predictably, the volunteers are mostly drawn from the people who already use and value the library, which I think is limiting our ideas. Can you help with any suggestions, based on what the library you go to does well? Or based on what you'd like your local library to do? And what do you think puts people off from using the library?
A bit of info on our library: It's in a small to medium-sized town which is socially quite mixed. It's close to several schools (primary and secondary) and to a supermarket. It has parking, but the car park is sometimes full. It has a large open space, plus a couple of meeting rooms.
Among other things, it would be good to hear what you think about opening hours. When would you like your local library to be open? And if the library has to have an annual 2 week shut-down period, to save on costs, when would you prefer that period to be?
Thanks!

I've had more interaction with our local and bigger less local library in the last 3 months than in the years before that combined.

Someone from the library came to the primary school (which has a total of 15 children but they came anyway) to talk to the parents about the services offered and sign up children who didn't already have cards.

We live very really and one of the services they offer, which everyone was interested in, was delivering a box of books.

It's completely free, you get a box of 20?? books. You can choose the books or give them ages/interests and they choose them for you or even a mix. The box is delivered and collected and they'll even leave it in a safe space if you won't be home.

I sort of knew about it before but assumed it was for people who couldn't physically get to the library, but in fact they were really encouraging it.

This meeting also made me realise that our less local library is open on a Saturday morning - on a day I spend traipsing my younger two round that town for 3 hours while the older one is at gymnastics.

They have a whole, quite separate children's library. It's a really lovely spot with lots of seating so I can sit with the little two and read and not feel like I'm disturbing anyone else. We will spend a lot of time there on Saturdays over the coming months.

Finally, they made me aware of the many apps (not just Libby) and I've used them a lot for audio books, checking what's available in physical books from the library and e-books.

Bring back Mobile libraries to the villages. Especially with a system for ordering books from the main library that you can then pick up from the mobile library.

I know the Main library is brilliant. But I have to drive for 25mins then walk for 10mins, pay a fiver for parking, then so the same on the way back. Its easier to buy the same book second hand on amazon.

Our library has seating for macmillan to offer advice about cancer

A local church has a room where charities can use for two weeks as a thrift shop. At the end of the 2 weeks, the charity clears the room of anything unsold and another charity moves in. It's old style jumble sale, chaotic but popular as cheap and constant rotation of stuff for sale

Our library had colouring sheets for kids

Local pub has a homework club after school. Coffee for parents, milk for kids, cookies for all

My local library is tiny, but excellent. They are open 2.30-5pm three week days, 6-8pm one week day and 10-12 Saturday. So a real mix of days and time to capture after schools, and people who work. They have two computers, some chairs and tables to read at, a local history area and a kids area. They also get authors in to do talks. I would say, even then, it's rarely busy, and I do wonder if people just don't habitually think to use a library like they used to, which is a shame.

By contrast, the bigger one in the local city is rubbish for actual readers. Loads of stuff for kids, tea, activities etc, but the books are arranged just as fiction vs non fiction. So you can't just browse a genre you want to read - totally useless! But much more popular, so I guess the other stuff is what people want these days?

Quiet places, you know, like they used to be. I no longer use my local library because it's become far too noisy.

Yes, my first thought was to have a designated quiet space where people can read or write or browse without distraction

Become food bank collection point (i.e. where people drop off donations) - we've found that brings in lots of footfall, it's actually been quite transformative.

Mine did a mother and baby group singing nursery rhymes and I attended a couple of those. They also do children's activities in half term, took my son to one about coding

I visit my local library with my grandchildren a lot. It is closed one and a half days during the week which is a pain.
I think it has volunteers as well as paid staff. There are no toilets for the public which would be helpful. It has Lego, some toys, provides information about local resources. There are craft activities and several different clubs.
There’s singing for younger children, activities relating to seasonal events.
It’s a really good local resource as it is (it is also free which is important for a lot of people) but could be improved further. I think it’s limited by lack of funding though.

Our library (in Norfolk) has a machine outside where you can scan your library card and get in out of hours. So I can go and take out and return books even when it’s closed which is (imo) bloody brilliant! We’re only a village but it has so much going on and there’s a crochet blanket people can just sit and add a few rows to, adult colouring books and at some parts of the day free teas and coffees. There’s obviously the technology available for other library services to have the out of hours opening if someone can be persuaded to pay for it.

it’s a shame that it doesn’t seem very well advertised - you have to go there to find out what’s going on

Over the summer on days my DH was watching the kids I needed a wfh place so often went to the library. Usually go to coffee shops. So I think working spaces are needed where it’s ok to take calls.

I never know when the library is open. It’s a faff to get the information from the council website. Go to the website search for libraries, look for my own library, then look at the hours, then they are often wrong. The council website doesn’t feel up to date therefore it doesn’t feel reliable. If I looked now, I bet there would be information about an event in 2023.

They are open at the most inconvenient times. When my dc were at secondary school there was one half an hour a week they could get to the library. If they walked fast. There must be a thousand secondary school children walking right past twice a day. A lot of them would use it if they felt like it was for them. And if it was open.

Actually both my girls went in July to volunteer for the summer reading challenge and nobody got back to them.

A good baby and toddler group, a free 30-45min class where you sing / play games and of course read a book each week. It needs someone extroverted to lead the session. Maybe some toddler toys too.

Can the library hold a breastfeeding support session too?

Comfy chairs, a rug, chairs for kids to sit on.

Different themes and decorations changes

In the summer holidays a read challenge for kids with stickers.

Midday natter and knit / read for adults who might be lonely

Lego club - you can have Lego out Thursdays 4-6pm

I think focusing on what the community needs and uses might be good place to start.

Hide a geocache in the library.

I used to use the library so much, but hardly go now. The quality of the fiction for both children and adults is really poor. I will only take out non-fiction for myself now as a result. I miss being able to return books out of hours through a letterbox. I like that our library supports local crafts people by selling their products and we have the usual storytime/kids activities. It's a pleasant place, just very hard to find the books we'd like to read - and no, they're not available to request either.

Many moons ago our library had meeting rooms which were used for evening classes. I don't know if yours has space.

Another option again depending on space ( on walking routes, local history, anything to do with Egypt, etc etc)

I'm thinking of peripherals but in terms of getting people to actually use the library itself advertise more new and popular books, better low light seating spaces to read away from the "stacks". Do libraries still hold literacy lessons?

I also think the difficulty will be getting staff for these events - but libraries need to be open for longer as people live different lives these days.

You have 3 main audiences -
Retired community - clubs/company/social. So book club, knit and natter etc. Hot drinks would be a winner.
parents - child friendly groups, activities like Lego, special events at Xmas, Easter. Summer hol activities.
Readers - good range of books, easy ordering of books, displays of new books, author events.
If you get a decent number of these groups in, make them part of your community and then ask them to spread the word.
Adverise events in local shops/schools. Build a community hub.

Warm, comfy seating, accessible toilet, free WiFi and decent coffee.

Easy to return and renew. I stopped using the library because I kept getting fines.

I did take the children when young but the selection was poor. It was possible to order in any titles, but part of the joy for a chikd is looking through the racks and finding something.

Make it an actual quiet library rather than a child minding, toy shop, soft bloody play, hugely noisy facility. Or have adult only quiet times, maybe see next point….
Open in evenings.
My local library is small but never stocks new or recent releases so you have to pay £1.20 per book to be able to get them from libraries further away to read them. It very quickly adds up. I get having to contribute something for the transporting, but it’s literally every book I want to read so it’s easier and a lot of the time cheaper to just look on Amazon kindle/unlimited for free or 99p deals.

Open until at least 8 several times a week and at weekends.

Books! High quality books that I want to read. Not Mills and Boon, not the carefully curated woke issue du jour selection. Access to recent books without having to wait a year. Recent cook books.

Things I don’t want:
Activity groups
political messaging

I don’t use our county’s physical libraries because they are never open and not near me. I do rate their online service for magazines. I don’t use their ebooks as they aren’t compatible with kindles and I don’t let any other screens upstairs.

Running a bookclub with a small entry fee.

Annual 2 week shut down - in the summer. There is plenty of stuff to do outside so don't generally go to the library much. Either that or Christmas holiday period - I don't think people would expect the library to be open over this period.

Our library's main users seem to be:

• secondary school students studying for their exams.
• children with families (such as us) going to get books or going to the organised children activities (rhyme time, storytime, crafts etc.) another library local to us has a big box of Lego and Duplo, and a table with crayons and colouring sheets which the kids love to play with.
• elderly and specific meetup groups such as knitting club, chess club, games club etc.

Creating spaces and opportunities for these groups could help bring people in.

Other libraries also offer services for the homeless or low income such as an advice and legal hub, a donation box for necessary supplies, and a warm space where they can sit, read the newspaper etc.

I misread that as Grenache.

Could you hold events to attract people? Santas grotto (each child receives a library card?)