Jefferson library seeking 20,000 square-foot expansion of current facility

By BRANDON HURLEY

Managing Editor

News@beeherald.com

All things considered, major change has bypassed the Jefferson Public Library for nearly 60 years.
 
A library remains a place of knowledge, stocked with thousands of books, home to numerous educational programs and author talks. The backbone of any community can be traced back through its library, where hundreds of years of archives are meticulously stored. Simply put, the library has long-been a mainstay in Jefferson, and it’s not going away anytime soon.

“Libraries have reinvented themselves many times over the decades and have become vibrant community centers,” Jefferson library director Jane Millard said. “They’re still places of learning and now they are also places where people gather as community to share learning experiences in a variety of ways.”

Though, change is certainly a need.

The Library board of trustees and a 20-member feasibility committee are poised to pounce and move the facility into the future following a year-long, Grow Greene County funded feasibility study.
The local library is seeking a 20,000 square foot addition to be built around the original Carnegie Library, which was initially constructed in 1903 thanks to a $10,000 grant from Andrew Carnegie himself, spanning 3,700 square feet. A significant addition of 3,600 square feet, which houses much of today’s activities and archives, was built in 1966. Since then, the library structure has remained stagnant, outgrowing its space several years past.
The feasibility committee originally considered three options for the future of the downtown library, one of which included construction of a new building. The committee, in a well-construed twist, pitched and sought out a fourth plan, one that would incorporate pieces of each option, combining to push the facility and community forward.

TRUST THE PROCESS

Pete Franks of Franks Design group, who also has helped engineer many of Jefferson’s downtown facade improvements, piloted the year-long library study and also led a public presentation on Oct. 4 at the Jefferson Community Golf Course.

A 2018 study found the library needed to expand its 8,000 square foot facility to meet community needs, recommending the library grow to at least 19,000 square feet. The study, done by George Lawson of Ames, discovered the library was much too small and led to the Jefferson city council approving a $40,000 grant for a feasibility study, which ultimately brought the library and its board of trustees to where they stand now.
The feasibility committee met 10 times throughout the last year, examining an exhaustive list of options. The study was tenuous, taking into account what programs the library currently offers, the library staff (two full time librarians along with a handful of part-timers), as well as what the needs are for the future.

They looked at moving the library into a new building near downtown, even inquiring about the former Wells Fargo Bank building. The architects realized that indeed, yes, the building was constructed for a bank and would not be feasible for a library. The committee also mulled an idea of constructing an entirely new building, but concluded that option would require new land, which likely would force the facility out of its downtown location.
Franks said they were able to determine Jefferson’s library needs roughly 23,000 feet of space, nearly triple the size of the current facility.

“It can’t continue as is,” Franks said in reference to the library. “There still will be fixed costs that escalate over time.”

The committee gathered the library is fundamentally a downtown facility and it must remain that way, so they came up with a hybrid option.

“The committee proposes a one story addition that wraps around the Carnegie building and leaves the Carnegie building intact,” Franks said.  “With some renovations and restorations to the Carnegie building, and then grows the facility to the west.”

The proposed blueprints would add 20,000 square feet to the facility, demolishing the 1966 addition but growing the library to 28,000 square feet.
The library board of trustees includes: Susan Laehn, President; Mary Jane Fields, Secretary; Hollie Roberts, Adam Pedersen and Tom Yepsen. Together, with the help of the study committee, the group drew up a plan which they feel best suits the community.

WHAT THE PLAN ENTAILS

The library board felt an expansion as well as demolition of the 1966 addition is the best course of action for the current facility. As a result of their findings, the board constructed a statement and released it during the Oct. 4 meeting.

“The Committee has found the need for an improved library facility is indisputable,” the trustees penned in a statement. “Current facilities limit the library’s capacity to serve the community’s needs and offer new programs and services.”

The library addition and renovations will provide the facility with two new entrances, extending construction slightly to the north, but mostly to the west. The expansion would include plenty of room for all different genres, each with their own section. The plans also allow for an adult’s reading area as well as a children’s and teen’s reading area. There will be plenty of meeting space, storage, and office space.

“Each of the options investigated is feasible,” the statement continued. “Any one of them would represent a significant improvement. “That said, the location of the existing Carnegie Library brings a great many benefits to the Jefferson Public Library, as an institution, and to the Jefferson community. 
Therefore, the Committee recommends that option D be communicated to the city council as the strongly preferred option, with further exploration needed so far as the potential acquisition of expansion property to the north of the Carnegie parcel.”

The blueprints also took into consideration a children’s activity area, a study room as well as a conference area. A handful of large, community event rooms are included as is a space dedicated to Greene County genealogy. The new parking lot, additionally, will accommodate up to 20 vehicles.
The library board and study committee are confident their plans will help power the library into the future, solidifying a vital back bone of the community.

“We believe that Option D has the makings of a superior next-generation facility, in the optimal location for the Jefferson Public Library to serve the full spectrum of our local population well into the future,” ” the statement read. “It is a concept worthy of the Jefferson community and its aspirations.”  

WHAT’S NEXT

The hybrid plan would cost roughly $9 million, right on par with the other three options the board studied. It’s a mark the library trustees are adamant can be met through private and public fundraising as well as via grants. The library hopes to use funds from a capital campaign as well.

“The goal is to not take this to bond,” library trustee president Susan Laehn said. “There are a lot of grants available and we hope the city is willing to commit some money.”

Funding is a necessity. And because the chosen plan requires demolition of the 1966 addition, the library will need to find a temporary home for roughly two years during construction.
The plan is to not rush the project to completion, which means the renovations are four to six years from the finish line, Franks said. Naturally, the aforementioned blueprints are not finalized, merely a rough draft of what the library board and study committee would like to see included.

The next step is to submit the proposed plans for city council approval next month, hoping to gain support from government officials, which would pave the way for financial encouragement.