Understanding where library services are needed most

When a city thinks about planning new public infrastructure, it often starts by looking at population numbers. Where are people living, where are they moving, and how many people are going to be here in ten years? 

Kitchener Public Library (KPL) wanted a more advanced understanding that was grounded in equity. Population data and growth information can show where demand is going, but it does not show who in a city may already face barriers to reaching public services, like libraries.  

To address this issue, KPL, working with the City of Kitchener’s Geographic Information System (GIS) team, asked the Future Cities Institute founded by CAIVAN (FCI) at the University of Waterloo to come up with an evidence-backed way to look at both factors.  

Over the summer term, Faculty of Environment students Miki Zheng and Alexa Rigonan took on this project. With guidance from FCI Director Dr. Leia Minaker and FCI member Dr. Rob Feick, the team utilized interactive mapping software overlay analysis to layer three distinct sets of data: geographic access to existing library services, projected population growth for the City of Kitchener, and equity considerations using the Canadian Index of Multiple Deprivation and EQAO reading literacy test scores.  

Equity in this project had a clear and specific meaning. The goal was for KPL to identify neighbourhoods with residents facing economic and social barriers who may need the library the most but have difficulty accessing library services. Tracking two separate measures of need gave the team much more reliable insights than either would have alone.  

The outcome is a tool KPL can continue to use in future planning. The tool combines the different data layers into visual matrices, showing the user where there are gaps in access and where those gaps overlap with neighbourhood growth. KPL can use this tool to test different service models against those conditions.  

This was particularly helpful for considering automated library lockers already running at some community centres throughout the city. The tool does not choose specific locations; instead it gives KPL and the City a transparent way to weigh options as they think about future planning resources and needs.  

“Libraries play a vital role in helping communities thrive, and this partnership with the FCI and the City of Kitchener gives us a thoughtful, evidence-based framework to better understand where library services are needed most,” says Darren Solomon, KPL’s Chief Executive Officer. “By combining the geographic access to library services, population forecasts, and a variety of equity data points, we can make more informed decisions that strengthen access to library service, bring more intention to how we use public resources, and reduce barriers to wellbeing for the people of Kitchener.”  

For Zheng and Rigonan, the project was an opportunity to use skills learned in the classroom on a real live planning project.

“This was a great opportunity to apply our GIS skills towards a real-life problem with a client," Zhang says. “With both of us previously working in GIS positions for co-op, this project challenged our current knowledge and skills in map making, data collection and organization, critical thinking, and communication skills. It was exciting to work with KPL towards something meaningful and important to the Kitchener community.”

As Kitchener continues to grow, how public services keep up with new housing is not a question going away anytime soon. Tools like this one make the trade-offs easier to understand and give decision makers the data-backed insights they need to make important choices.

The FCI connects municipal and community partners with interdisciplinary student talent to build practical tools for city decision makers.