Library staff are soliciting feedback on existing services as well as future needs and opportunities. The survey opened Aug. 9 and will stay open until Aug. 30.
“We want to get a current voice for the citizens of Southlake and saying, ‘Hey, we’ve been through a lot in the last five years; let’s talk about the library' ... and we understand that the library is too small for this community,” city librarian Cynthia Pfledderer said.
Southlake Public Library has a current collection of 42,000 items in its physical library. It has circulated more than 5.6 million books, movies, audiobooks and other materials and has had more than 2.4 million visitors since opening nearly 20 years ago.
The library has previously completed two prior surveys, in 2006 and 2016, to assess community needs. Following the 2016 survey, the city was considering the library's new location inside Carillon Parc, a $290 million mixed-use luxury development at the corner of North White Chapel Boulevard and SH 114. However, the project, which was approved July 2018, has yet to break ground and its timeline is unknown at this point.
It is estimated that the Southlake Public Library needs around 30,000 square feet just for library services to property accommodate citizens. Currently, the library is around 10,000 square feet. Community input will be used to determine whether the library should build a new facility and what programing to include in the future.
Pfledderer said no concrete plans have been made so far.
“It’s been part of our long-range planning ... but at this time, we don’t know if now’s the right time [for a new facility]," she said. "So we’re trying to find out ... what does the community need?"
Editor's note: The original post has been updated for clarity that the Southlake Public Library has circulated more than 5.6 million items since its opening, but currently has 42,000 items in the physical library. It has also been updated for clarity that the Carillon Parc project's status is unknown at this time.
