Calvert Library’s Prince Frederick location
Prince Frederick, MD – The effort to revise the facilities master plan for Calvert Library is underway. Let the record show that the process began with free pizza. On Thursday afternoon, Feb. 16 over 20 Calvert County youths who are frequent users of materials at the county’s four library locations gathered at the system’s flagship location in Prince Frederick for a very informal meeting about the future of local libraries.
The teens were the first focus group to offer input. Meetings with business leaders and the Calvert County Chamber of Commerce, healthcare providers, nonprofits, parents of preschoolers, educators and “active adults” will also present an opportunity to discuss visions and wish-lists for the local library system.
According to a Calvert Library press release, “an outside consultant has been hired to create a plan which will ensure that the library continues to make the best decisions for the community regarding library services and facilities.” To hire the outside consultant, Calvert Library officials are using grant funding obtained through the Maryland Division of Library Development and Services. The consultant, Providence Associates, will gather data, facilitate the community engagement process and produce a final report. Library officials stated that Providence Associates will use the services of RRMM Lukemire Architects “to analyze Calvert Library’s current facilities. The system-wide study will result in recommendations about library sizes, features, locations, updates and critical services with an eye to flexibility for long-term success.”
In addition to the focus groups, community input meetings are planned. The first one will be held Tuesday, Feb. 28 at Calvert Pines Senior Center at 7 p.m. On Wednesday, March 1 there will be a public meeting at Northeast Community Center in Chesapeake Beach from 2 to 4 p.m. That evening the third public meeting is to be held at the Dunkirk Fire Hall at 7 p.m. The final community input meeting is set for March 8 at Southern Community Center in Lusby starting at 7 p.m.
The teen focus group, which huddled in a partitioned meeting room while enjoying pizza and soda, was moderated by Calvert Library Prince Frederick Circulation Supervisor Megan Jones. Among the comments offered by attendees, “you should open early,” “you need better chairs,” and “you need more lounge space.” One teen opined that the library staff “needs slightly more technical training.”
All branches of Calvert Library are closed Sundays, however, that did not appear to be an issue with the teens. When Jones asked the group what they would like to see in a new library building if one were to be built, the suggestions included a computer lab, a sun room, a larger Braille section and better technology. Being able to accommodate more laptops would also be a priority. While Calvert County officials have long-range plan of building a new library in the Lusby area and identifying a bigger location in the Twin Beach area, one youth suggested establishing libraries in Huntingtown and St. Leonard might also be a good idea.
As to what would make the library a more welcoming place for other teens, there was consensus that planning more special events and better publicizing of those events might work. One youth also suggested laser tag might draw numbers of new teens.
In addition to the youth, area adults have also found Calvert’s libraries, particularly the decade-old Prince Frederick facility to be a great place to conduct business. According to library officials, even more customers use the library remotely, including online chatting with a reference librarian.
All of the events planned for gathering input will include the serving of light refreshments for attendees. For more information, call Calvert Library Public Relations Coordinator Robyn Truslow at 410-535-0291.
Contact Marty Madden at marty.madden@thebaynet.com