All respondents said they use the Library frequently, and all expressed surprise at the level of local membership (7,000 from a population of 20,000). All had high praise for the Library, for the excellent collection, and for the friendliness and competence of the staff. Everyone sees it as the heart of Westmount and as an exceptional library in its own right.

I was surprised at the requests for services which already exist, and for more publicity about the activities the library offers, for if we are not reaching active library users then we are not reaching the rest of the community. To quote one respondent: “work on the form of the message, because the content and the container are just perfect.”

Some of the recommendations are easy to deal with; more effort to return magazines to their shelves, more materials for men. Some recommendations were already in the works: tip sheets and mini-courses on our new library system will start this month; an increased budget for media and the DVD collection that will translate into more items for loan. The monthly lists of new books, undoubtedly our best communication tool, will be redesigned to include listings of audiovisual material, and this will be complete by the fall. An email notification system is being prepared, and if you would like to be included, please let us know your address. The Library Committee has prepared a series of mini-profiles of library members for The Examiner, to increase public awareness of the benefits of library membership

Other suggestions will need more time and consideration, and have budget implications. These ideas included creating a used bookshop and starting a small coffee concession.

We are surveying all new members registering at the Library to learn what brought them to us; was it a friend’s recommendation, a library program, the Internet, the building itself, the collection, etc.? Word-of-mouth is by far the most effective tool for bringing in new members, so I urge you to talk about the Library with your neighbours and friends.

If you are too busy to make it to the library there are many library services now available from home through the Library Web site and catalogue at www.westlib.org.">www.westlib.org.">www.westlib.org. Ask the Library staff about them if you need help, tell them about your situation – the Library is a community service which has been adapting to demands for its services since it was founded in 1899! We have one of the best community libraries in Canada and we want you all to take advantage of it in your own way. Thank you again for all of your thoughts and ideas, and please encourage others to take a look at what we offer. If there are any other comments or concerns, please contact me at 514 989-9752 or kduncan@westmount.org.



Kathleen Duncan is City Councillor for District 4 and Commissioner of Library Services.