DAPHNE, Ala. — The Daphne Public Library on Friday was the final stop for planners eyeing a new five-year plan for the Alabama Public Library Service.

Those in attendance — particularly Daphne Public Library Director Tonja Young — made many suggestions for improvements to the state library system.

“One thing I would like to see is how the libraries can work with the schools. We have tried and tried to connect with our teachers. I know that they are busy, but we have the hardest time getting them to tell us, for instance, what their special topics are going to be for the year so we can go ahead and order the materials,” Young said.

Other librarians expressed the matter could be helped by a public-library liason at school-board meetings so information could be shared through multiple outlets.

“We have purchased e-books in June and hardly anybody knows about it. We have been spreading it and doing articles about it, but people don’t read,” Young said.

Young also stated that government officials should learn more about the libraries and what they offer.

“What I was thinking about was state training for municipal representatives because our council and mayor do not really understand the whole concept of a free public library. I don’t think they listen to us, but if the state started it — and required it for all council members and mayors — then there would be more understanding of our needs and what we are actually doing,” Young said. 

Many in attendance asked for the service’s continued support to fund databases and technology, because they felt that it was imperative for libraries to keep up with technology that patrons needed access to. This request included a state-provided template for a website designed for libraries.

The Daphne Public Library is set to unveil its new website later this year. It will offer patrons a variety of interactive tools, including requests for book purchases and interlibrary loans.

The librarians also asked for increased training in public relations and social media, which would help them to have more direct communication with patrons.

The meeting was attended by members of the public, librarians and members of library boards from Mobile and Baldwin counties. Meetings were held in six other cities throughout the state.

Meetings aimed to determine the needs of libraries across the state and ways the service can assist libraries.

Facilitators gathered suggestions that will affect the future of public libraries across the state by identifying, prioritizing and reaching an understanding of libraries’ needs — and identifying ways that the statewide service can assist.

The current five-year plan’s initiatives were: strengthening communities, information services, information technology, youth and family involvement and developing and strengthening partnerships with other units within state government, private industry and the non-profit sector for increased information access.