Six-Year Circulation History:
Circulation Trend:
Circulation has dropped significantly in the last two years (almost 12% decline in 2002 and an additional 11.5% decline in 2003). Many factors may account for the decline. For example, hours have been reduced (closed on Mondays and no morning hours other than Saturdays), and population in the area has declined. This library also suffers from an undersized parking lot and a very cramped interior. Users on the Southern edge of the Brownlee Woods service area have opted to use the Poland Library instead of the Brownlee Woods Library.
Year Built: 1968
Year(s) of Additions: None
Year(s) of Major Remodeling: None
Year(s) and Nature of Refurbishing Projects: None
Total Size: 5,040 sq. ft.
Space Currently in Use: 5,040 sq. ft.
Reason(s) Total Space Not in Use: All space is in use
SF per capita (using service population): .23 sq. ft. per capita
Physical Condition Rating:
(5 point scale - 1 = Very Poor, 2 = Poor, 3 = Fair, 4 = Good, 5 = Excellent)
Overall Condition: 3
Structural Integrity: 4
Roof: 2/4
HVAC: 3
Electrical: 3
Plumbing: 4/2
Fenestration: 4
ADA Accessibility Issues: 2
Ambiance: 3
Other (specify): (Unused periodicals space) 3
Site/Location Rating:
(5 point scale - 1 = Very Poor, 2 = Poor, 3 = Fair, 4 = Good, 5 = Excellent)
Overall Site/Location Rating: 3
Convenience: 3
Visibility: 3
Curb Appeal: 4
Parking: 2
Size of Site/Expansion Potential: 1
Proximity (to shopping, services, etc.): 2
Distances to Nearest Branches/Main:
Struthers 2.0 miles
Poland 2.8 miles
East 2.9 miles
Campbell 3.3 miles
South 3.4 miles
Main 3.8 miles
Boardman 5.4 miles
Current Hours of Operation: http://www.libraryvisit.org/locations.htm
Estimated Annual Operational Cost (2003):
$ 234,088
Estimated Staffing Costs (2003):
$ 140,229
Professional/Clerical Bi-Weekly Pay Percentage (2003):
56.54% Professional, 43.46% Clerical
Current Collection Size:
40,984
Cost per Circulation:
$ 3.37
Circulation per Sq. Ft.:
13.78
Circulation per Hour Open:
41.46
Visits per Capita:
1.71
Visits per Hour Open:
22.19
Reference Transactions per Hour Open:
1.11
Turnover Rate:
1.69
Brownlee Woods summary:
The Brownlee Woods Library serves a population of more than 21,000 people from a small, and somewhat hidden, facility built in 1968. At 5,040 square feet, the Library provides .23 square feet per capita compared to the .6 square feet per capita suggested for a neighborhood community library. An analysis of patterns of use of all of the PLYMC branches reveals that the Brownlee Woods Library and the Struthers Library, which are just two miles apart, are used somewhat interchangeably.
Population in this area has declined significantly in the past fifteen years and continues to do so. While usage of the Library is still quite healthy given the size of the branch and its hours (closed Sunday and Monday and no morning hours with the exception of Saturday), circulation declined by more than eleven percent in 2002 and by a similar percentage in 2003.
The Brownlee Woods facility is structurally sound; however, its interior is dated and the layout of the Library is poor. The visibility of the Library is poor because it is located in a residential area. The site is also quite small and off-street parking is extremely limited.
Recommended action for Brownlee Woods/Struthers, adopted by Library Trustees on March 18, 2004:
The current 5,040 square foot Brownlee Woods facility should be replaced with a new facility of approximately 12,000 - 15,000 square feet designed to serve residents of the Brownlee Woods / Struthers areas, pending further cost modeling that demonstrates the long-term cost-effectiveness of such an approach. A community/neighborhood branch of this size would effectively serve approximately 25,000 people by providing .6 square feet of library space per capita. It is estimated that the combined populations of Struthers and Brownlee Woods areas will continue to decline and that it will reach the 25,000 level by the year 2020. It is expected that a combined library could offer a significantly larger selection of materials and services and could be open additional hours at a lower cost then operating each independently. |
Library Catalog
