Tue, Jun 13th, 2023 - 3:14pm
October 23, 2020 - 9:49am | By Chris Larson
The West Fargo Public Library is moving into fall with two new events – Library Tricks & Treats and Welcome to West Fargo – to provide safe, fun activities for the community to interact with the library.
The first event, Library Tricks & Treats at Tintes Park, will take place 1 to 3 p.m. Saturday, Oct. 31, at Tintes Park (131 Sixth Ave. E.). This event is for West Fargo families, but all are welcome to attend. The library will be handing out Halloween activity kits, candy and other goodies.
The second event is the Welcome to West Fargo Open House, which will take place 1 to 4 p.m. Sunday, Nov. 15, at the Rustad Recreation Center (601 26th Ave. E.). This event is for new West Fargo residents, but is open to the public. Representatives from City of West Fargo departments and the West Fargo Park District will be available to answer questions and provide information about city services.
During both events, attendees will be able to interact with the library and provide feedback on the future of the library. The feedback gathered at these events will be a major input in the library’s strategic plan, which has been in the works since early 2020.
So far, the library has conducted user interviews, collected feedback from stakeholders and worked with staff to define the library’s values and assess existing data. The next step in the process is to host public input opportunities. In addition to the two in-person events, the library is also working closely with the West Fargo Public School District to virtually collect feedback from middle school and high school students.
The library has taken the safety of staff and attendees into consideration while planning all public input opportunities. For the Tricks & Treats event, social distancing between households and masks will be encouraged. Kit pickup will be contact-less and all interaction with the library team will be brief, including the gathering of public input. For the Welcome to West Fargo event, room capacity will be monitored throughout the event. Social distancing will be encouraged and facilitated through the placement of each station. As an open house style event, interaction with staff is intended to be brief. Masks are required at the Rustad Recreation Center.
After the public input events, the library will move to the final phase of data collection, which will be through a community survey this winter.
“At the end of this process, West Fargo residents will have access to a library with programs and services they helped shape,” said Carissa Hansen, Library Director. “First, we need to learn more about what is important to our residents and needed in our community. Then, we can ensure the library meets those needs.”
For more information about the strategic plan and to follow the process, please visit www.westfargolibrary.org/1113/Strategic-Planning
