Revised Project Plan
To solve these problems, Scott Simons Architects were engaged to develop conceptual plans. Working with the staff, town representatives, trustees, and community input, designs were produced to solve these problems and plan for any future growth over the next 25 years. The plans called for a remodel of the existing building and a 12,000 square foot addition.
The trustees, in an effort to alleviate the tax burden and prove to the selectmen the commitment of the town, began the Growing Again Campaign. Through the dedicated efforts of many volunteers, they successfully raised over $761,000. In August of 2016 they presented the funds raised to the selectmen and requested a $4.8 million dollar bond to begin the new library building. The selectmen considered the request, and responded that they wanted to focus their energy on the construction of a new public safety building first. They conveyed that they would reconsider a smaller request when that project is completed.
In the interim, the library was approached by a generous, anonymous, donor, who offered to match up to $500,000 raised if we could build a meaningful building in 2017. Looking at the list of difficulties the library faced, we took a more pragmatic and modest approach to solving the problems. Plans for a new, almost 3,500 square foot addition were made that solve the following challenges:
Challenge: Book shelves are full and there is no more room for additional shelving.
Solution: Currently our non-fiction collection resides in a 1,500 square foot section in the library, and the collection has not been thoroughly reviewed in many years. The fiction and A/V collection are frequently reviewed, and bursting at the seams in an 800 square foot section of the library. Through proper collection maintenance and more efficient shelving, we will be able to fit the slower growing non-fiction collection in the smaller part of the library, and the fiction collection in the larger. This will allow almost twice the space for the fiction collection to grow.
Challenge: Activities with over 15 people must be held in the Children’s Area which limits the youngsters’ access to their space or in the seating area near the entrance which disrupts programs as visitors enter the building.
Solution: A new 1,200 square foot community program room will host library events in their own distinct location.
Challenge:The one small meeting room also serves as the Friends’ storage and sorting area, book mending area, staff break room, and more – in all nine different functions.
Solution: The Friends of the Library and break room functions will be given their own rooms in the new addition. This will allow the existing meeting room to function as intended during all open hours.
Challenge: Seating for quiet reading and study is extremely limited. Noise from the service desk and the Young Adult area also is disruptive.
Solution: A new quiet study room in the addition that will seat up to 16 people.
Challenge:There are only 9 computers with public access to the internet.
Solution: It has been 8 years since our consultant's report, and 5 years since our first conceptual design. In that time we are noticing a trend of increased wireless usage, but a decrease in the use of our physical computers. This seems like one area that we do not need to grow. If we find that we do need to grow, a number of libraries successfully lend laptop computers, and that would be a solution to this problem that does not require additional square footage.
Challenge: Space for the collection and programs is very tight in the Children’s Area and there is no proper service desk.
Solution: By removing the programming section from the Children's Area, they gain almost 800 additional square feet.
Challenge: There is no distinct space for students from the nearby Junior High School and High School and no designated computers for their use.
Solution: Unfortunately, this is one area where no good solution was reached within the budget we had. Staff are still brainstorming to find a way to improve our existing area.
Challenge: Staff members are crowded into a small work room where a daunting number of tasks take place.
Solution: There will be a new workstation for cataloging and book processing in the new addition, as well as an office for the administrative assistant. By removing these two function from our existing work room, it allows for almost 500 extra square feet to delegate to our patron services function.
Challenge: Folding chairs, seasonal decorations, etc. must be stored in a small shed behind the building. The custodian also has nowhere to store cleaning supplies.
Solution: There will be storage for events and programs in the addition. The janitor's closet and boiler room have been refitted with extra-shelving to allow for greater storage of equipment.
Click to see the new project designs.
The trustees, in an effort to alleviate the tax burden and prove to the selectmen the commitment of the town, began the Growing Again Campaign. Through the dedicated efforts of many volunteers, they successfully raised over $761,000. In August of 2016 they presented the funds raised to the selectmen and requested a $4.8 million dollar bond to begin the new library building. The selectmen considered the request, and responded that they wanted to focus their energy on the construction of a new public safety building first. They conveyed that they would reconsider a smaller request when that project is completed.
In the interim, the library was approached by a generous, anonymous, donor, who offered to match up to $500,000 raised if we could build a meaningful building in 2017. Looking at the list of difficulties the library faced, we took a more pragmatic and modest approach to solving the problems. Plans for a new, almost 3,500 square foot addition were made that solve the following challenges:
Challenge: Book shelves are full and there is no more room for additional shelving.
Solution: Currently our non-fiction collection resides in a 1,500 square foot section in the library, and the collection has not been thoroughly reviewed in many years. The fiction and A/V collection are frequently reviewed, and bursting at the seams in an 800 square foot section of the library. Through proper collection maintenance and more efficient shelving, we will be able to fit the slower growing non-fiction collection in the smaller part of the library, and the fiction collection in the larger. This will allow almost twice the space for the fiction collection to grow.
Challenge: Activities with over 15 people must be held in the Children’s Area which limits the youngsters’ access to their space or in the seating area near the entrance which disrupts programs as visitors enter the building.
Solution: A new 1,200 square foot community program room will host library events in their own distinct location.
Challenge:The one small meeting room also serves as the Friends’ storage and sorting area, book mending area, staff break room, and more – in all nine different functions.
Solution: The Friends of the Library and break room functions will be given their own rooms in the new addition. This will allow the existing meeting room to function as intended during all open hours.
Challenge: Seating for quiet reading and study is extremely limited. Noise from the service desk and the Young Adult area also is disruptive.
Solution: A new quiet study room in the addition that will seat up to 16 people.
Challenge:There are only 9 computers with public access to the internet.
Solution: It has been 8 years since our consultant's report, and 5 years since our first conceptual design. In that time we are noticing a trend of increased wireless usage, but a decrease in the use of our physical computers. This seems like one area that we do not need to grow. If we find that we do need to grow, a number of libraries successfully lend laptop computers, and that would be a solution to this problem that does not require additional square footage.
Challenge: Space for the collection and programs is very tight in the Children’s Area and there is no proper service desk.
Solution: By removing the programming section from the Children's Area, they gain almost 800 additional square feet.
Challenge: There is no distinct space for students from the nearby Junior High School and High School and no designated computers for their use.
Solution: Unfortunately, this is one area where no good solution was reached within the budget we had. Staff are still brainstorming to find a way to improve our existing area.
Challenge: Staff members are crowded into a small work room where a daunting number of tasks take place.
Solution: There will be a new workstation for cataloging and book processing in the new addition, as well as an office for the administrative assistant. By removing these two function from our existing work room, it allows for almost 500 extra square feet to delegate to our patron services function.
Challenge: Folding chairs, seasonal decorations, etc. must be stored in a small shed behind the building. The custodian also has nowhere to store cleaning supplies.
Solution: There will be storage for events and programs in the addition. The janitor's closet and boiler room have been refitted with extra-shelving to allow for greater storage of equipment.
Click to see the new project designs.
