About the Community Survey
In an effort to gain public feedback going into our next strategic planning cycle, Naperville Public Library created a community survey, which was open from January 28-March 8, 2026. It was comprised of 10 questions, three of which were open-ended questions. The survey was publicized in our email newsletter, community mailer, social media, website, in-building physical and digital signs, as well as via partners sharing the survey link. Please note: Clicking on any of the bar graphs in this report will increase their size for enhanced viewing on desktop or laptop computers.
levels of satisfaction
Customers were asked about their overall satisfaction with Library services as well as their level of satisfaction in seven categories: variety of materials for checkout, customer service, cleanliness of buildings, hours of operation, library website, availability of space, and library programming.
library programming
66% of respondents are satisfied with our library programming, 29% are neutral, and 5% are dissatisfied. Programming is the only area with less than a 75% satisfaction rate, and respondents provided some helpful details in the open-ended questions about what they would like to see.
other areas of interest
sunday hours
Customers were asked for their preference for our hours of operation on Sundays. Currently, our Sunday hours at Nichols Library and 95th Street Library are 1-9 p.m. September through May, and 1-5 p.m. June-August. Naper Blvd. Library is open 1-5 p.m. year-round. If we were to make any changes, 11 a.m. to 7 p.m. is the clear preference from the community. Recent data collected about Library activity on Sundays supports that we are busier earlier in the day than we are after 7 p.m.
what we're doing well
The first open-ended question asked respondents what they like best about the Library. Here are the top five responses.
what we should focus on
We wanted to know more about where the community thinks the Library should allocate our resources. Here are the top five responses.
1.
providing a well-rounded collection of physical materials
22% of respondents
2.
offering a variety of adult programs
17% of respondents
3.
offering a variety of children’s and teen programs
13% of respondents
4.
providing community space
8% of respondents
5.
providing a well-rounded collection of digital materials
8% of respondents
what we can improve on
We asked where the community thinks we can improve. Here are the top five responses.
1.
nothing - everything is great as-is
17% of respondents
2.
parking improvements at Nichols Library
11% of respondents listed parking at Nichols Library as their main concern. Many respondents would like to see increased parking, such as a parking deck.
3.
offering more or different programs for adults
9% of respondents mentioned improvements to adult programming. Respondents would like more programs at different times and different locations. Respondents are looking for more social opportunities, entertainment and cultural programs, book clubs, and programs with practical applications like finance.
4.
having a larger collection or more variety in the collection
5% of respondents would like to see improvements made to our collection, however no one area stood out in the survey results. Most responses centered on each person's very specific interests, so expanding the overall collection is the best response. We received a lot of positive responses about our displays and recommendation sections.
5.
offering more or different programs for children
4% of respondents mentioned children's programs, specifically that they would like to see more programs at different times or on weekends. They would also like to see more programs and activities for older kids.
next steps
Based on this year's survey results and recommendations from Library staff, the Naperville Public Library Board of Trustees voted to keep the Library's current purpose statement and extend the key areas of focus of Collection, Collaboration, and Communication through the 2026-2029 Strategic Plan. The Library's Leadership Team will present new action steps for Board approval later this summer, which will be informed by the comments and feedback provided in this survey.
Credits:
Naperville Public Library