What is Community Conversations?
The Loveland Public Library’s mission is to inform, enrich, and inspire a strong, engaged community. Service to the community is at the heart of what we do, but understanding what our community members want and need is the key to providing programs, collections, spaces and services that make a meaningful difference in people’s lives. The public library, by its nature, provides a forum for people from all walks of life to come together to explore their world, learn new skills and build connections with each other. One of our key strategic focus areas is to build community through connecting individuals through shared experiences. Over the course of the past year, we have invited groups of people to sit down together and share their aspirations for Loveland, delve into what is preventing us from reaching our aspirations now, and discovering ways to join together to make Loveland a thriving community where everyone feels safe and welcome. In addition to the four Community Conversations we facilitated, we have also shown up at local events including the Farmer’s Market, Summer Concerts, Cherry Pie Festival and more to gather comments from people about the kind of community they want to live in.
The reports from our 2019 and 2021 Community Conversations include quotes and themes we heard from the 100s of people who shared their thoughts with us including two conversations with young people who serve on the Youth Advisory Board and Library’s Teen Advisory Board, along with seniors, parents of young children, millennials and empty nesters. It includes the voices of people who have lived in Loveland for many years, and newcomers who choose to move to Loveland to be close to family and enjoy our beautiful outdoor opportunities. We also realize we did not hear from segments of the population including Spanish language speakers, people with disabilities and people experiencing homelessness. The Library strives to reach out to underrepresented user groups and we look forward to convening additional conversations in the future to fill in the gaps in our understanding of different perspectives.
Reports & Summaries
