The Los Angeles Public Library system has certainly had its ups and downs over the last half decade.
Service was dramatically cut back several years ago, with Sunday and Monday hours only recently restored.
Librarians and staff are doing more than ever before, with fewer resources.
At the same time, Echo Park and Silver Lake have seen new libraries open in the last decade with huge success.
Solid solid "friends" groups have developed along side them to supplement programs with proceeds from book sales.
Echo Park and Los Feliz branch libraries also continue to serve the community as well.
During this time, of course, libraries have become major repositories of digital content and expertise, elevating the importance of librarians and libraries in our culture.
Against this backdrop, Tad Yenawine, a newly elected member of the Greater Echo Park Elysian Neighborhood council, sends word that the library has begun a strategic planning process.
He shared the following link sent to him by Nils Bartels of the Edendale branch.
It links to a short and sweet survey:
www.surveymonkey.com/s/VisionYourLibrary
A key question is "How has the library touched your life?"
Planners will use the results to help decide the library system's future priorities.
Yenawine encourages anyone who cares about the future of our libraries to take it by the end of the week.
