Welcome to the “Build a Library – Build Your Community” blog. Thanks for dropping in – we hope that you blog-response us and maybe even bookmark this site all the way up to Nov. 5, 2008!!
As the MPLD Executive Director, I’d like to point out some items of interest. In comments related to the NW Herald article of Aug. 20th – the library district is not part of the city of McHenry. It is its own taxing district.
The Old Building –
The building we currently occupy at 809 N. Front St. was the old Althoff, then Follett warehouse, built in 1971. Basically it is a converted warehouse and we occupy about 24,000 sq. ft. The building isn’t up to current electrical/plumbing/construction (especially insulation) or ADA codes and, if we were to renovate and add an addition, construction estimates would be in the neighborhood of $38 million. The building is a single story with 25 ft. ceilings, halogen inside lights and virtually no insulation. Interior electrical outlets and supply lines are a nightmare for running computers. Heating/cooling the building is very expensive and the flat, asphalt roof gives us nothing but trouble. The single meeting room is small and overcrowded with virtually no storage space and the library is nowhere near ADA compliant. Anytime substantial renovation or additions occur in a public building the ENTIRE building must be brought up to current code. True, the library only occupies one-third of the existing space but the rest of the space is not finished and would be too expensive to bring up to current building codes. Concrete floors are cracked, concrete block walls are below grade and water seeps in and the building has many other maladies that are too expensive to correct. Even if we spent the money to do it, we’d basically have an updated 1971 building with 25ft. ceilings – very inefficient energy-wise, and it can't support a second story. In 2006, a professional engineering company advised us that renovation would cost much more than demolition and new construction so that is why we are taking the tact of asking for a new building.
The Cost of the New Building vs. Value -
What’s a community library worth to you? If you live in the McHenry Public Library District (MPLD) and own property or rent, you can get a library card for free! Okay – through property ownership, you pay property tax, a portion of which supports the library. On a $225,000 home, that amounts to about $150. The average MPLD user checks out about $750 worth of materials a year, so you get a lot for your money. If you don’t use the library, then you might consider trying it because that’s $150 going to waste. The average American spends about $4,125 on entertainment per year. If the library could help you save money by NOT having to buy some books, videos/DVDs, audio books, etc. - wouldn’t that be worth it? So to the non-user, I say “Check us out and see what we can do for you – we’re not your mother’s library anymore!!” We have free Internet access, wireless access, downloadable audio books, online reference for homework and research, downloadable e-books, and video games as well all of the regular fare you’d find at a traditional library like books, DVDs, audiotapes and CDs. Our friendly staff can even get items from other libraries for you via interlibrary loan. Remember that the MPLD is not just a building – many of its resources (like online reference, downloadable books, audio books and music) are just a click away on your computer at http://www.mchenrylibrary.org/. Just have your library card number ready and you can access the WORLD!
So the cost of a new building in today’s economy is $32 million for a 67,000 sq. ft., environmentally-friendly building. Now, I’m a district resident as well and I pay property taxes. I don’t want my taxes to increase but I also look at the “bang for the buck” at any improvement. A community needs schools, roads, water and sewer and other basic services. Parks and libraries are called “value-added” or “quality of life” services and often, they make or break a company’s decision to come into a community. We as a library staff want to emphasize that you, the community (or at least the current library users) have, throughout the years, requested library amenities like more meeting rooms, a larger print collection, a larger children’s area, more space to sit and read with soft seating areas, more public accessible computers and the list goes on. We can’t provide these amenities or services in the current facility.
We want to serve you better by offering certain amenities such as the following:
1) more meeting room space that would be accessible after library hours for various events
2) a lobby with space for art/history exhibits
3) a drive-up window for materials pick-up and other transactions
4) a separate teen area designed by them!
5) a larger, more comfortable children’s area – with proper seating for various ages
6) a comfortable, living room atmosphere for adults to read – with plenty of soft seating
7) more public-accessible computer workstations
8) more plug-ins for people with laptops
9) study rooms for adults and children
So you can have all of the services above plus the bulleted amenities for only $107 more each year for 20 years. But, by using the library, you’ll get at least $750 in value each year per person and possibly save even more on your family’s entertainment bill. Not a bad investment in these difficult economic times.
We want the MPLD to become the “front porch of the community.” Traditionally, the front porch has been a neighborhood meeting place; a place where you get information – your mail, the daily paper delivered and friends dropping by for conversation. We want to be the first place you go for information or to get questions answered.
During the next two months, you’ll see other entries on this blog as well as other articles in the Northwest Herald about the project and referendum. Please ask us questions, add to the blog, and put the library to the test. But don’t make a rash decision – make an informed decision based on the facts. Community projects only happen through taxes and the community good as a whole. Sure these are difficult economic times, but the referendum will impact the next 20 years, which will be a mix of both good and bad times. In bad economic times, construction crews are looking for work and maybe we can get some extremely attractive bids that wouldn’t be available in good times. We will also seek construction saving wherever we can and a “green” building assures minimum environmental impact and lower operating costs. We feel that we can operate a larger facility within our existing operations/personnel budget. Furthermore, the facility will be something of which the community can be proud, serving as a cornerstone on Route 31.
Remember the new building will not only last your lifetime but the lifetime of your children and grandchildren. Hopefully, they will find the library a useful, friendly and inviting place. We’ll also be offering tours of the current facility in hopes of showing you the current problems. So bookmark this page and keep watching. Remember you can contact me at jscholtz@mchenrylibrary.org or telephone me at 815-385-0036. I’d love to hear from you.
6 comments:
Is thier any way that we can to a building for less?This is going to be a hard sell to us.I can't afford to be paying more taxes for this.I'm not against the new building but the cost.Have you app;ied for any granys or funding yet?
I like builing 2 better the other one dosen't fit in the area if it was in a different area maybe.I live on a fix income ad everything keeps going uo.
Do we reaslly need a drive up window?How many library have one?Can you tell me which one do?
Thanks
The library is of utmost literary, academic, entertainment, and social importance in our community. Our library has grown tremendously since I moved here fifteen years ago...our library's classes, clubs, and programs serve all city residents. We also have computers available for our use, and of course we have books, CDs, DVDs, computer games, and video games available for check out.
I am on a first-name basis with almost all of the staff since I utilize a plethora of materials. In fact, when I read our director's comment about patrons using $750 worth of materials in a year, I chuckled because most of the time I check out $750 worth of items in a single day (verifiable by any of our efficient, capable, and knowledgeable staff in circulation)!
While inflation has influenced my family's economic decisions especially of late, I will still support a new library building. If we are to be a literate society, then schools and libraries must be the core of our lives.
I believe $32 million dollars is a lot of money for this area. Why are you competing with larger cities when a less expensive more traditional building would be perfect for this area I am a strong advocate for our public library systems, but I truly believe this is a mistake if you spend this kind of money on any public library in this time of recession. I cannot afford to have my taxes increased!
Judging from the image of a modern style building earlier on this site, it appears a final decision as to style has been made. I sincerely hope this is not the case.
Since the vast majority of buildings, commercial and residential, in the city are of a traditional style I feel it would be a big mistake to try to "sell" a "moderne" style structure.
This is lunacy. During hard economic times, you can always count on some sort of self serving agency reaching their hands out for a tax increase to serve their own self interests. Has the current building begun washing the ink from the pages of the books? This entire plan smacks of someone's self interest and ambitions, especially since every time I drive past the current library, the parking lot is empty. This is not Arlington Heights and never will be. The foolish and out-of-touch Babyboomers that run this town have a rude awakening coming to them. Expect residential construction to come to a screeching hault for perhaps the next decade, making this plan even more foolish. We are already paying high property taxes in McHenry, especially with the last decades over-speculation of property values. More tax increases will in fact be the catalyst for lawsuits. This is a very, very foolish idea that has little support around town. I and several of my neighbors are dead set against this and are spreading the word. Expect this referendum to go down in flames as it should.
I moved to this community about 3 months ago knowing of the individuals that were ambitious in making this community a better place to live. I was laid off 6 months ago and along with everyone in this economy am tight with my money. HOWEVER, I will support and educate others of the importance of growing our community for the better allowing others to recognize how great of a place this is to live. In turn others will move to our location making it a valuable place to raise our children, safer and in turn will DECREASE our taxes. I love the small town feel that McHenry has to offer but know that it should not remain stagnent in growth, education and a new way of living. I support this move 110%!! GREAT WORK AND PLANNING ON THIS ONE!!!
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