Survey seeks input on library master plan

San Diego residents can give their opinions on the future of the city’s 36-branch library system by participating in an online survey that will be available through April 17.

The input will help city officials create a new library master plan in the post-COVID-19 world. The plan will guide how branches operate, which services they provide and what role technology will play.

“To craft a blueprint for a state-of-the-art, forwardlooking library system, we need to hear from the residents who will benefit from its programs and services,” Mayor Todd Gloria said.

The survey is available in English, Mandarin, Arabic, Farsi, Vietnamese, Tagalog and Spanish. The goal is getting feedback from every neighborhood and community in the city.

The master plan hasn’t been updated since 2002, when it was adopted based on census data from 1990. The plan doesn’t accurately reflect how the library has evolved and is used today, city officials said.

“The Library provides critical help for all San Diegans working toward a better life,” said Patrick Stewart, chief executive of the San Diego Public Library Foundation. “And by participating in this survey, all San Diegans have the opportunity to shape the blueprint for the library of the future.”

The foundation, a nonprofit providing financial support to city libraries, is jointly coordinating the survey with city officials.

Focus groups and other community engagement efforts also will be conducted to ensure harder-to-reach populations can weigh in, officials said.

Printed versions of the survey will be available at branch locations for those who cannot participate online. Once completed, they can be dropped in any library book return.

“To ensure our libraries are addressing the needs of all San Diegans, it’s imperative we update the current Library Master Plan so it can incorporate new technologies and reflect how libraries are used today,” said Misty Jones, head librarian.

The survey is online at surveyhero.com/c/sdpl. For details on the master plan, visit supportmylibrary.org/master-plan.