Surrey Facilities Master Plan 2021 to 2041

Executive Summary

The Surrey Libraries Facilities Master Plan 2021‒2041 (Surrey Libraries FMP) provides a framework for facility planning over the next 20 years. The plan includes prioritized recommendations to guide decisions on capital investments in a strategic and fiscally responsible way, and provides information and considerations for Council when developing the city’s capital planning priorities. Surrey Libraries FMP is aligned to Surrey Libraries’ Strategic Plan, the city’s ‘Surrey Excels’ strategic plan, and supports Surrey’s Sustainability Charter goals.

The plan was developed in the first half of 2021 with consultants studio HuB Architects, engaged to lead an objective, holistic, and data-driven process. Community consultation was adapted for the provincial health orders in place at that time for COVID-19. Both the public and staff engagement were conducted through online surveys, receiving 1,415 and 168 responses, respectively. A review of trends in public libraries focused on a 2021 study by librarian and educator, Marie Palmer, and case studies were researched to demonstrate leading practices. Many data sources were reviewed such as the Canadian Urban Library Council (CULC) space benchmarks, Surrey community demographic profiles with current and projected population, Surrey Libraries’ current and historic usage, and both a quantitative and qualitative assessment of existing facilities.

Although the long-term effect of COVID-19 on use of library space is still to evolve, libraries continue to be essential to a thriving community. Research shows the value of the physical library space in building a strong and resilient community. People are seeking spaces to connect, work and learn – alone or with others – to engage in different types of activities which necessitate larger and more flexible spaces. Palmer’s study identified three prominent shifts in how public libraries are adapting:

1. Accommodating a more diverse set of users: digital natives, knowledge creators, and entrepreneurial learners.
2. Recalibrating library space for physical books in relation to the space available for other services or social uses.
3. Transitioning from passive ‘knowledge keeping’ to active knowledge sharing and content creation.

The shifts highlight the need to design flexible spaces and programs, to meet community needs, and to explore innovations by leveraging technology. Other trends Palmer noted include:

1. Increasing flexible space to accommodate more diverse programs, services, and users. This attracts new types of users and accommodates their needs.
2. Integrating with other public and private spaces and amenities, such as recreation centres or social housing.
3. Reimagining considerations of sustainability and inclusivity.
4. The library serving as a cultural one-stop shop.

These trends show that Canadian libraries are maintaining their role as community knowledge institutions; however, their definition and scope are expanding to fit in new forms and places to suit more kinds of people.

Surrey’s population has grown exponentially, increasing by 11% between 2011 and 2016, almost double the rate of Metro Vancouver’s. The anticipated city growth shows no signs of stopping, with a projected population for 2031 at 725,220 (+20% from 2021), and at 813,660 by 2041 (+35% from 2021). However, the growth and spread is unevenly distributed across the city, impacting the recommendations outlined in the FMP.

The disparity was also evident in space allocation and usage across Surrey Libraries branches. At the time of writing, Surrey has 10 branches and a distribution centre (Collections Services) with 208,400 square feet. A common benchmark used by North American libraries to assess how well they serve their community is the square foot (sq ft) per capita ratio. In 2018, the average among 39 CULC libraries was 0.51 sq ft per capita. With 188,250 sq ft of library space across 9 branches at that time, Surrey was at 0.34 sq ft per capita, and ranked 35th out of 39 cities, despite being the 11th largest city in Canada. Surrey’s sq ft per capita ratio consistently rose since 1997 but started to decrease in 2014, with library space unable to keep up with the growth in the city’s population. At the time of writing, the city’s sq ft per capita ratio is 0.35.

Public and staff surveys asked respondents how existing spaces support literacy and learning, create connections, and make visitors feel welcome and included. They also included questions about new spaces and alternative ways to provide service. The public survey found that Surrey Libraries strongly supports positive outcomes. Over 90% respondents said that libraries improve quality of life and help with community building. Similarly, over 90% responded their local branch was welcoming and reflective of the needs of the diverse community. A lower score (just over 60%) was received for serving technological needs, indicating an area of improvement for Surrey Libraries.

Over a third of the respondents expressed the need for small workspaces or rooms, reflecting Palmer’s research. Over the last few years, as new Surrey residential developments have become smaller in space, the library is consistently used as a community living room with residents seeking a quiet space to study or work. The desire for small workspaces and rooms was the top choice across all communities and across all ages, beating more innovative uses such as digitization spaces or makerspaces.

Recommendations

To meet the projected population growth, demographic shifts and societal trends, recommendations are summarised in terms of space expansion and design principles.

Library Space Expansion

Surrey Libraries should strive to reach the Canadian urban average library space/per capita of 0.5 sq ft/capita by 2041, summarised below in areas of priority by community.

Reaching this goal will require the Library to:

• Seek collaborations and partnerships for new major capital projects to build co-located or integrated facilities.
• Plan well ahead for site selection and land acquisition for new capital projects.
• Pilot new ways to reach underserved areas of the city through innovative alternative space and service delivery models, e.g., mobile van service or pop-up/express libraries inside malls or community centres.

Design Considerations and Principles

The following must be considered in assessing existing branches and planning for new libraries:

• Flexibility and Functionality: Accommodating for the variety of current and anticipated needs, such as co- existing spaces for quiet versus loud uses, and designing building envelopes adaptable for future expansions.
• Sustainability: Supporting climate action strategies through sustainable, restorative, and energy-efficient designs.
• Inclusivity and Accessibility: Considering the diversity of Surrey’s population in terms of languages, cultures, genders, and abilities.
• Optimizing existing space: Improving user experience at existing branches through investment in space planning and minor capital enhancements.

Recommendations are also provided at a community specific level with a detailed work plan and associated costs.

Costing and Funding

As the plan is aspirational, and the work plan is expected to evolve over time with shifting city priorities, rather than a fixed cost for a fixed plan, a costing matrix is included. The matrix provides estimates of detailed costs for different sizes of proposed projects at any given interval during the 20-year time frame that the plan covers. It factors many variables influencing the final budget such as specific construction costs, contingencies, allowances for owners expenses, professional services and permits, and other associated costs. A sliding scale indicates the effect over time on different sizes of proposed projects, including new branches and renovations/additions.

Funding the plan will require ongoing discussions with the city as Surrey Libraries is a municipally funded library. An opportunity to allocate dedicated funding for this plan is a review of the city-wide Community Amenity Contributions.