Camden County Wants to Build a 'Library of Your Dreams'

The Camden County Library System is seeking input from its customers and the public in general about how it meets their needs and what it should do in the future.

The survey is part of the library’s strategic planning as it considers what to keep and what to change for the next five years in terms of programs, services and materials.

“Circulation of our materials, visits to the library and the number of people attending our program events at all eight branches have been consistently rising over the years, so we know that we are doing a lot of things right,” Linda Devlin, director of the library system, said. “But we want to plan for the future and evolve to meet the changing needs and interests of our customers.”

The short survey consists of only two open-ended questions and a ZIP code request.

What is your favorite thing about your library?

We want to build the library of your dreams. What would make you use the library more often?

What is your ZIP code?

The public can take the survey online or by filling out a paper form available at any one of the system’s eight branches and returning it to any branch. Each branch will have a specially marked box at its circulation desk to collect the surveys for those who choose to use the paper form.

Devlin sees the survey as a critical first step in the process of planning how the library can better help its users over the next five years. “We could be complacent with our current success, but considering how we can build on that success for the future will insure that our libraries have a dynamic presence in the communities we serve,” she stresses.

The Camden County Library System has branches located in Bellmawr, Camden (Ferry Ave. and Rutgers), Gloucester Township, Haddon Township, Merchantville, Winslow Twp. (South County) and Voorhees.