Cuyahoga County Public Library is a national leader in library service excellence. They also recognize that as their public face in the community, each branch in their system should reflect the same level of quality as services provided. Over time, a quality disparity developed among facilities, stemming from the history of branch development in each community. A Facilities Master Plan was commissioned to quantify these differences, to aid decisions about the location, design and function of branches, so that, over time, all CCPL branch libraries may equitably and effectively serve their communities.
This Facilities Master Plan determined and prioritized future capital improvements. To reach these conclusions required an understanding of how the existing facilities work today and to what extent they support services consistent with the mission and priorities of the Library. This study evaluated the physical condition and functional adequacy of each branch, which provided the Library the data required to effectively target capital improvements where required to minimize the documented service inequities.
This plan also established benchmarks against peer institutions, and documented demographic data for Cuyahoga County Public Library service area. Over the summer of 2009, all borrower data was collected and mapped to show density and patterns of usage for each branch and system-wide. This data was prepared as a useful tool to assist the Library with future decisions about proposed improvements and potential relocations of branches.
