MEETING OF COUNCIL - Town of Cambridge

COUNCIL MINUTES
TUESDAY 27 NOVEMBER 2012
CR12.176 2012 CAMBRIDGE LIBRARY BIENNIAL COMMUNITY SURVEY
PURPOSE OF REPORT:
To advise Council of the results of the 2012 Cambridge Library Biennial Community Survey.
BACKGROUND:
The Cambridge Library conducts a community survey every two years as part of its
commitment to continuous improvement. The sixth Cambridge Library Community Consultation
was conducted throughout the month of September 2012. The survey sought member
feedback on current services and customer input on priorities for service development. The
survey was advertised in the local newspaper, on the Library and Town websites as well as
being emailed to library members.
DETAILS:
Biennial Community Survey
422 responses to the survey were received which is the highest survey response to date and
355% higher than the 2010 survey. This strong response was due to the survey being emailed
to members for the first time. A copy of the survey is included as Attachment 1.
Age Group Respondents Members
0 - 14 2% 19%
15 - 19 1% 8 %
20 - 29 4% 15%
30 - 39 11% 14%
40 - 49 24% 17%
50 - 59 17% 11%
60 -74 30% 11%
75+ 11% 5%
Total 100% 100%
57% of responses were received from people over 50 years of age, however, it is noted that the
email survey solicited a higher response from the 40-49 years age group than previous
surveys, up from 15% to 23%. Although the largest number of respondents (30%) are from the
60-74 age group, this needs to be kept in perspective when considering results, as it over
represents the actual 11% of members in this age group. It is therefore important that the
survey information is considered, in conjunction with other feedback mechanisms, by staff to
ensure all user group needs are reflected in service development strategies. Other data
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