Results from the 2020 Colorado Talking Book Library (CTBL) patron survey are in! Survey respondents gave CTBL high marks again with 99% rating CTBL’s overall service as good or excellent in 2020. This is the ninth survey in a row (over 16 years) where 98% or more of respondents rated CTBL’s overall service as good or excellent.
The Colorado Talking Book Library provides free library services to Coloradans who are unable to read standard print materials. This includes patrons with physical, visual, and learning disabilities. The CTBL collection contains audio books and magazines, Braille books, large print books, equipment, and a collection of descriptive videos. In October 2020, CTBL was serving 6,190 active individual patrons and 605 organizations, which include health facilities and retirement homes.
In partnership with CTBL, the Library Research Service (LRS) has developed and administered a bi-annual patron survey since the fall of 2004. This year’s survey presented distinct challenges as it was administered during the COVID-19 pandemic. CTBL’s building closed to walk-in service on March 20, 2020, but the library continued to operate and provide services for CTBL patrons despite the extraordinary circumstances.This year’s survey asked questions about the devices patrons use, how they decide what to read next, how they value CTBL, and more.