Current building limitations & why more space is needed
We’re busy, busy, busy
• 1,100 daily library users on a typical weekday, all ages and walks of life
• 356,000 visits last year, 4 times the attendance of 1994
• 414,000 annual check outs of books and materials, 3 times the per capita national average
• 150,000 wireless and public computer sessions last year, with hundreds of people turned away; updated electrical infrastructure is crucial to meeting technology demands
• 23,000 annual attendance at free programs for kids, teens, adults, seniors, parents and Spanish speakers; capacity crowds are becoming the norm
• 24,000 active library cardholders: Who doesn’t have a library card?
We’re bursting at the seams
• We’ve run out of space for books & materials
• Patrons can’t find a quiet space to read or study
• People are waiting in line for and being turned away from computers
• Teens space fits only 6 people with no computers for doing homework
• Programs in the auditorium often overflow into the lobby; overcrowding forced story times out of the children’s area
• People are turned away from using study rooms, meeting rooms & the auditorium due to full bookings
Outdated electrical systems can’t handle technology growth
• We’re at risk daily for throwing a breaker with too many computers on an outdated & inadequate electrical system
• Electrical upgrades in the renovation will alleviate overloaded computer systems and will create efficiencies throughout the entire library
Facility systems need replacing
• Worn out heating, cooling and air handling systems will be replaced with more energy efficient systems
• The renovation will provide energy upgrades and efficiencies throughout the entire library
• We will plan for LEED green building certification
