Press Release: DC Public Library Earns 76% Approval Rating from Residents

News Release — DC Public Library

November 5, 2019

Media Contact: George Williams, Media Relations Manager

District of Columbia Auditor Report Finds Library Leads District Agencies in Customer Satisfaction

(Washington, D.C.) – Three out of four District residents view the DC Public Library favorably, according to a District of Columbia Auditor report released earlier today.

In a new survey about the quality of District government programs and services, DC Public Library ranked highest in customer satisfaction, with 76% of residents indicating the quality of library services is good or excellent. The last time the survey was conducted in 1997, 51% of residents rated the Library as good or excellent.

“The Library is excited about this recognition,” said Gregory McCarthy, president of the DC Public Library Board of Trustees. “Excellent service is the return on investment District residents receive for providing the resources that help make their Library a dynamic center for community learning and civic engagement. Expect even greater satisfaction with library services upon the reopening of the modernized Martin Luther King Jr. Memorial Library, next year.”

“This report validates all that DC Public Library has accomplished over the past decade expanding access to services, modernizing facilities, and delivering programs that reflect the wishes of District residents,” said Richard Reyes-Gavilan, executive director of the DC Public Library. “The Library’s greatest asset is its staff who work tirelessly to meet the diverse needs of four million visitors per year. I am incredibly proud that they are appreciated in this way.”

In the past decade, the District has invested more than $500 million on new and modernized library buildings and nearly doubled its operating budget. As of 2014, it is one of the largest library systems in the country that is open seven days per week, prioritizing the needs of residents who can only use the Library on evenings or weekends. DC Public Library has committed to delivering programs and services that meet the needs of the city’s unique neighborhoods. These include programs like STAR: Books from Birth, that delivers free books each month to the homes of children under the age of five, to free copying and printing at all libraries to assist job seekers and others with their business needs.

The District of Columbia Auditor surveyed 1,210 adults living in the District of Columbia. The results have a margin of error of +/- 3.1 percentage points. The Library was one of 26 agencies measured by the survey. The report can be read in full at http://dcauditor.org/report/residents-give-district-high-marks-for-city-services/

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