The Bucks County Free Library is a seven-branch system, headquartered in Doylestown, PA and serving communities from just north of Philadelphia to rural communities approximately 35 miles away, just south of Bethlehem, PA. The system shares resources and collaborates with 11 separate and independent public libraries in the county.
Facilities across the system were seen as serving their communities inconsistently due to condition and/or demographic changes. This, in conjunction with new strategic priorities, prompted the library to undertake a Facilities Master Plan, to allow the Bucks County Free Library to reimagine how facilities can enhance service delivery, and communicate recommendations clearly and confidently to the board and key stakeholders.
The process included Existing Facility Review and Assessment, which documented each facility’s ability to expand or change, and placed branches in context relative to each other to prioritize those locations most in need. Staff were engaged to assess how well facilities allowed library services, identifying physical or other real or perceived challenges to carrying out the work of BCFL service.
The project team coordinated a trip for leadership and key staff to visit recently completed Cuyahoga County Public Libraries, to see first-hand how these facilities responded to traditional and emerging library service needs in flexible, inspiring buildings.
The library invested in Gale Analytics for demographic analysis, a product design specifically for libraries to understand the makeup of each community served as well as map the current usage.
The report documents proposed facility types by size, as well as alternatives to traditional facilities for service delivery options. The plan also includes policy documents regarding: Delivery Guidelines; Siting Library Facilities; and Co-Location of Library Facilities.
The report further outlines fiscal implications of the recommendations, in terms of operational needs or construction costs to modify existing facilities. The report concludes with next steps, which outline a recommended starting point to initiate improvements as outlined in this report.
