This document — from a section of Library Programs Worth Knowing About, produced by the Office of Education — describes the components and criteria needed to replicate the Asian Community Library in other cities or communities.
Written in 1977, just a year after the library’s opening, it describes the services, programs, and training the library had developed to successfully operate: “Based on circulation figures, head counts, new library card applications, reference questions received, reaction from Asian community agencies, Community Advisory Committee, and library patrons, the Library has become an important resource to the Asian Community and the Bay Area at large.”
The evaluation section provides insight into the progress the library had made during its first year. The Park Boulevard Branch reported increasing circulation rates; it had gathered the community support it needed to appeal successfully for another round of funding. Meanwhile the library’s impact extended beyond Oakland, as it drew people from Berkeley and other neighboring cities.
Replication services that the Asian Community Library offered included progress reports, book lists, film catalog, and suggestions for programs which showcases the willingness of the library to support other library initiatives. The inclusion of the Asian Community Library as a program “worth knowing about” and for replication signaled its value and innovation in the library field.
