Library asks patrons to weigh in on plans

By NEAL RENTZ

The Pound Ridge Library is conducting its first survey of residents in seven years.

At the April 22 board of trustees meeting, Library Director Jennifer Coulter discussed the survey and the state’s Minimum Public Library Standard that mandate every library have a board-approved, community-based written long-range plan.

The state also requires libraries to conduct periodic evaluations of the services it provides and plans that address community needs in their long-range plans, Coulter noted.

The childrens' reading room at the Pound Ridge Library.

The questions laid out by Coulter at last week’s meeting were:

— “How often do you physically visit the Pound Ridge Library? When you visit, how long do you typically stay? What prevents you from using the library more often?”

— “Which improvement(s) would most increase your use of the library?”

— “How often do you interact with the library online?

— “Which new service(s) would you be most likely to use?”

— “Please rate how important each of the following roles is for our library in our community? 

The survey also includes a section for additional potential comments from the survey-takers.

The library is sharing the survey with schools, the Town House, as well as local businesses and community organizations. In-library promotions are also being conducted. 

The survey was released April 23. It coincided with National Library Week, April 19 through 25, Coulter said after the meeting. 

“It will be available on social media, on the library website, and hard copies will be available at the library,” she said. “By completing the survey, either hard copy or digital, you are entered into the raffle to win an Amazon Fire Max Tablet 11, which you can use to enjoy all of the digital offerings of Pound Ridge Library and Westchester Library System.”

The hard copies were made available at the library on April 23. The survey is open through May 31.

Following the completion of the surveys there will be a four-week collection and analysis of the results, and a report will be presented to the library board. 

Coulter said at the meeting the expected outcomes for the survey are: to accumulate data for the library’s 2026-27 strategic plan; provide clear priorities for budget allocation and grant proposals and provide documented evidence of community engagement for stakeholders.  

Residents can take the survey online via a link on the library’s website homepage: poundridgelibrary.org.

Reserved parking programs

Coulter also informed the trustees about the new reserved parking pilot program. 

Several patrons have expressed concerns about times when there is  a lack of parking in the 25-space library lot and the board has been considering a plan to expand the lot. In the meantime, the new program was created to deal with parking scarcity during periods when popular morning programs are being held, Coulter said. Those registered in the popular programs will each be eligible for a parking space, she said.

Spaces are held until the start of the programs, she noted. The free permits are valid until the program ends and late arrivals lose their space, she said. 

Since the program was recently implemented, “We have to turn away very few people” from the parking lot, Coulter said. 

In addition, the library began setting aside two express parking spaces to allow for short stays at the library for such purposes as picking up reserved material or using the library’s copiers and computers, Coulter said. 

For more information, call the library at 914-764-5085 or email info@poundridgelibrary.org.