If you've ever checked out a book, explored the MakerSpace, taken your kids to spectrUM, recorded a podcast at MCAT, attended story time, or simply found a quiet place to work in Missoula's downtown library, the organizations that share the building want to hear from you.
The partners behind Missoula's innovative "All Under One Roof" (AUOR) model have launched the 2026 AUOR Community Survey, inviting community members to share how they use the facility at 455 E. Main St. The survey takes about five to seven minutes, is confidential, and participants can enter a drawing for a $25 Downtown Missoula Gift Card as a thank-you.
Residents can take the survey online through the Missoula Public Library website.
One Building, Five Community Partners
Unlike a traditional library, Missoula's downtown facility brings together five organizations under one roof:
- Missoula Public Library
- Families First
- UM Living Lab
- Missoula Community Access Television (MCAT)
- spectrUM Discovery Area
Inspired by the Swedish kulturhuset ("culture house") model, the partnership creates a community hub where books, early childhood resources, science education, media production, lifelong learning, and university collaboration all operate from a shared public space. The model is a central part of the library's long-term vision for expanding access to education, creativity, and community connections.
What the Survey Asks
The survey focuses on how individuals and households actually use the building, including:
- Which programs and services you use most
- What spaces you visit
- What improvements you'd like to see
- How the partners can better serve Missoula in the future
Only one person per household should complete the survey. Responses are voluntary and confidential.
To ensure an independent review, the AUOR partners have contracted with Research Evaluation Consulting to analyze the results. Questions about the survey may be directed to Dr. Annette Shtivelband at annette@researchevaluationconsulting.com.
Community Feedback Has Already Changed the Library
The survey isn't simply a public relations exercise.
Community input formed the foundation of the library's 2023 strategic plan, "Spark Curiosity. Make Connections. Thrive Together," and many of the building's most visible improvements came directly from resident feedback.
Among the results highlighted in the library's FY2025 progress report:
- The Bookmobile, launched in September 2024, now reaches neighborhoods and residents who cannot easily visit a library branch. During its first full year, it served more than 4,300 people, circulated 7,494 items, and hosted 98 off-site programs, thanks in part to approximately $300,000 in support from the Missoula Public Library Foundation.
- A redesigned Teen Space, Indigenous-designed children's features, and Salish-language signage were created after community members identified ways to make the building more welcoming.
- During the last fiscal year, the library offered 1,320 programs attended by more than 27,000 people, provided technology instruction to 3,750 residents, and recorded more than 22,000 uses of its research databases for homework, job searches, and lifelong learning.
The library also reports measurable operational improvements. Since 2023, the building's energy intensity has dropped from 83 to 70, making it approximately 17% more energy efficient than comparable facilities, with additional sustainability improvements—including a living roof—planned.
Why Your Voice Matters
The first priority in the library's strategic plan is community engagement, and listening is its starting point.
The library established a dedicated Community Engagement Department, expanded partnerships throughout Missoula, and committed to regularly measuring whether its programs meet community needs. The AUOR Community Survey is one of the primary ways it gathers that feedback.
Because the survey covers all five organizations sharing the building, it's also an opportunity to shape services well beyond the library itself—from children's science exhibits and family support programs to community media studios, public events, technology resources, and creative spaces.
Whether you visit every week or only occasionally, your feedback could help guide the next generation of programming at one of Missoula's most distinctive civic spaces.
Learn More
- Take the survey through the Missoula Public Library website.
- Read the library's Strategic Plan and FY2025 Progress Report to see how previous community feedback has shaped programs, services, and future priorities.
