Demonstration of Need
The Board of Directors has consulted many methods and resources to develop a comprehensive demonstration of need, including:
- Statistical Comparisons & Analysis
- Community Feedback
- Southington Plan of Conservation and Development
- Current Building Conditions & ADA Compliance Assessment
Statistical Data
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The existing facility was built in 1974 and was not constructed for a community of our current size. Population in 1974: 33,600 Population in 2019 43,791 That is an increase of over 30%. |
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Usage has grown exponentially in many ways—but the building has remained the same.
For practical purposes, the building size has actually shrunk, as current codes require more open space than when the building was originally constructed. The current building size is 21,000 sq ft. |
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Statistical charts based on pre-pandemic usage, developed by the Connecticut State Library, allowed comparison of the Southington Public Library to other local libraries or those similar in size (population) and wealth (ANGELC).
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Community Feedback |
Feedback from the community was sought at many different times and in many different ways for more than 10 years. Some of those avenues are discussed below.
Long Range Planning
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Community Survey, November 2019A community survey from November 2019, received more than 1,300 responses and over 2500 narrative comments from both library users and non-users, and helped develop the top four community wants:
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Comments and data from this survey:
Post-Pandemic Outlook Survey, June 2021
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A final survey, to ensure the community still stands behind their needs and wants from 2019 and before the pandemic, was conducted in June of 2021. There were 370 responses. The first question asked "What is the most important feature for a new library?" to determine if there were different community priorities.
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The second question asked: “Please select your top priority for the future building.”
The survey provides the three priorities that don’t relate to necessary infrastructure and Code compliance. Survey participates were allowed to select more than one option. The second chart shows write-in options.
The survey provides the three priorities that don’t relate to necessary infrastructure and Code compliance. Survey participates were allowed to select more than one option. The second chart shows write-in options.
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The Participants were asked if they had additional comments.
Out of 149 written comments, 145 were "in favor of" the new building and only 4 were "against." This chart shows priorities for the new building. |
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Post-Pandemic Outlook Survey, June 2021
The Southington Public Library is not expected to be adequate for community needs to 2026. The full plan can be viewed at the link below.
Existing Building Conditions & ADA Compliance Assessment
Accessibilities (Americans with Disabilities Act)
- Not all of the Southington Library is accessible to everyone.
- Aisles, bathrooms, elevator, and entrances are not fully accessible.
- Space between aisles should be 36"-42", but our shelves are as narrow as 23''-28'' in places.
- The elevator is too small to maneuver wheelchairs.
- The bathrooms do not have wide enough doors and do not have enough maneuvering clearance.
- Many doors and interior walls do not meet fire codes.
- As Fire Codes have changed over the years, program space capacity has also shrunk. This means that fewer people can benefit from the program and event opportunities than even a few years previous due to our limited space.
- Mechanical room drainage and other elements do not meet current building codes.
- Infrastructure elements such as the HVAC, plumbing, and electric systems are far past their expected lifespan and require costly annual repairs.