Rockville, MD-based Library Systems Services Inc. (LSSI) is holding a series of meetings with representatives from schools, business, local officials and staff, service clubs, and other community-based groups in Hollister and the county to begin a facility needs assessment to determine their wants and needs for the county library. The hoped-for result would be a comprehensive understanding of operational and building needs that would eventually lead to a Technology, Educations, and Library (TEL) Center.
To participate in the survey, click here. There is one more virtual meeting scheduled for Wednesday, Nov. 2
LSSI was chosen to head up the study after it was the sole respondent to a request for proposal (RFP) the county issued on behalf of itself, Hollister, San Juan Bautista, and the County of San Benito Joint Intergovernmental Committee.
The goals of the needs assessment were spelled out in an Aug. 26 BenitoLink story, in which Dana Braccia, vice president of LSSI, said that after the collection of data, the company would analyze it, and then draft a report for the county Board of Supervisors.
Braccia told BenitoLink on Oct. 20 that she was in Hollister a couple weeks ago, at which time county officials gave her a number of people in the area to contact before the meetings. She will be returning for the first public meeting on Monday, Oct. 24, along with Barbara Howison, regional director for western operations and Dave Maxfield, chief technology officer.
“A library can be anything the community wants it to be,” Braccia said. “It’s about thinking of the bigger picture about what are some of the needs and hopeful dreams. We’re also looking for additional documents and plans that we should be looking at. We’ve invited certain folks to respond, but we certainly welcome anybody to meet in person, as well as some virtual sessions.”
Braccia said LSSI also hopes that people who cannot take part in the meetings will call to express their views. She said it’s all about getting as many diverse ideas as possible. By the number of RSVPs received, so far she’s only expecting a few people to show up for each session, but hopes more will ultimately come.
Braccia will meet with the board of the Friends of the Library on Oct. 24, at 5 p.m. at the library. She said LSSI is looking for any feedback, from what people would like to see more of in the library to a full-blown TEL Center.
“There’s a focus on workforce development, technology and bringing a lot of opportunities to the community,” she said. “The young people, in particular, want to know if there will be professional opportunities or if they’re going to have to leave the area. One young lady I talked to left the area to go to college and then she came back, but had not been to the library in 10 years.”
From her initial conversations, Braccia noted that there are a lot of strong groups in the area and a library can be a collaboration point for them.
“We talked with the (Hollister) mayor (Ignacio Velazquez) and he recommended that we go look at the College of Business and the library at Cal State Monterey because of some of the things they have going on there. So, we’re doing a field trip Monday (Oct. 24),” she said.
She said LSSI’s information technology (IT) person will be meeting with the county IT staff to see where the current infrastructure capabilities are, in order to determine what would be needed for a new TEL Center.
The deadline for LSSI to deliver its report is Dec. 13.
The meetings are:
In-person sessions (Library)
Monday, Oct. 24: 1, 2 and 3 p.m.
Tuesday, Oct. 25: 9, 10 and 11 a.m., and 2, 3, 4, and 5 p.m.
Virtual (WebEx)
Wednesday, Oct. 26: 4 and 6 p.m.
Wednesday, Nov. 2: 1 p.m.
Email at dana.braccia@lsslibraries.com for more information or to provide input. She can also be reached by phone at 480-710-8909.