LETTER: Library’s Survey Missing a Key Language in Watertown

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Letter to the Editor:

The Watertown Free Public Library’s efforts to gather community input for its 2026–28 Strategic Plan are commendable and reflect a genuine desire to serve the needs of residents. However, as a former resident of Watertown, I was surprised and disappointed to see that Armenian is not among the survey’s available languages (“Watertown Library’s Survey Will Help Plan for the Future,” Jan. 6, Watertown News).

Estimates suggest that Armenians make up around 20 percent of Watertown’s population, making Armenian one of the most widely spoken minority languages in the town. The Armenian community has been vital to Watertown’s cultural and social fabric for decades, contributing to its unique identity. This oversight is particularly striking given that the survey is offered in languages spoken by much smaller groups in Watertown. While inclusivity is important, it must extend to all significant communities to ensure fair representation.

The Library plays an essential role in bringing the community together, and including Armenian in its survey would demonstrate a commitment to honouring Watertown’s diversity. I respectfully urge the Library to add Armenian to the survey options, ensuring that all voices are heard and valued in shaping its future.

Rupen Janbazian
Former Watertown resident 
Former Editor of the Armenian Weekly (Watertown)

2 thoughts on “LETTER: Library’s Survey Missing a Key Language in Watertown

  1. Thank you for raising this issue! Offering translated materials that reflect the diversity of our community is a priority, and we are always working to improve our methodology. We appreciate community input in this process.

    We’ve added more information about how we picked seven languages for this project at watertownlib.org/survey. We also added more information for languages not covered by the available translations. Please take a look, and we hope you’ll be in touch with us. We welcome feedback from all community members in our survey and anytime at watertownlib.org/feedbackform

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