Teen Survey Report

The Friends of the Library have created an entire room dedicated to the educational needs of teenagers, and, to understand where we currently stand with this age group, it was Bette's decision to survey Mathews teens. We wanted to find out they were thinking, and we also wanted to promote awareness of the library's offerings.
The survey had ten questions which covered how often teens came to the library, what they did when they came, and what things they liked and didn't like about current library options. It also asked them what they want to see from the library in the future.

We received 297 surveys. We advertised in the middle and high school with posters and announcements, and the school librarian and school principals were very helpful. Of the total group, twenty-eight (9%) teens come to the library "all the time," twenty-four (8%) once a week, one hundred sixty (54%) come "not very often," and eighty-five (29%) said they never come.
We did not ask on the survey if the teens had library cards. Based on our own research on those who gave their names, we confirmed that seventy-seven (25%) of the 297 responders have library cards. It's likely that many more have cards; since the majority of responders did not write their (full) names on the surveys, we cannot determine the actual percentage of card holders among the respondents.
Overall the students recorded positive impressions of the library. Many said they liked the quiet of the library, that it allowed them a dedicated place to study and spend time with their friends, and that the library offered books and computers which were useful to their studies.

Many offered suggestions for what they would like in the future. A section dedicated for teen use was a very popular suggestion! Numerous people also asked for newer books or more computers.
One respondent said he hoped we would have events for teens just like we had for kids. Anticipating this, a survey question asked whether teens would like to attend a school related event, like tutoring or SAT prep, or a "just for fun" event, like a concert or creating a project, at the library. Ninety-one (31%) said they would like a school-related event, while 188 (67%) said they would like a "just for fun" event.
Finally, many students are interested in dedicating time to the library. Twenty-five survey respondents said that they would like to volunteer in the library, and seventy-seven said they would like information about volunteering.

Mary Bull, December 2013