Transcript here - Cranbury Public Library

Cranbury Public Library
Presented to Cranbury Planning Board
October 1, 2009
Kirstie Venanzi, President, Cranbury Public Library Board of Trustees
The Library Board
• Welcomes this opportunity to speak with you.
• We are here today to ask you to determine
the best spot for our Public Library.
• We are also here to update you on the current
situation.
Background
1906-1924 – Public Library is established.
1924 – Public Library moved into school.
1968 – Shared Public/School library established.
Town population: 2000 School: 449.
2009 – Library reconfigured and lease signed.
Town population: 4000 School: 600
3
Divided Library During School Hours
Day Time School Space
4
The Current Situation
•
Access by adults, and pre-school children is limited during school hours.
School children dominate the library during the daytime.
•
Use of the school library is crowding out the public library.
•
Safety is a concern.
•
Public shelf space is restricted by need for space for school library books.
Juvenile collection is severely crowded with no room for growth.
•
Space for community services extremely limited for
– lectures, movies, meetings,
– computer training and usage,
– book discussion groups,
– quiet reading space for seniors and adults,
– after school situation.
5
Crowded Juvenile Collection
Programs overflow the library and
must be held in other areas.
After School Crowding
8
Plan and Alternatives
The Library’s strategic plan calls for separating from the school in 5 years.
Alternatives:
1). Stay where we are until the school terminates the lease, offering
fewer resources and programs as the school requires more space.
Disadvantages: less services , noisy, crowded library with no quiet space for
adults when school is in session and immediately after school. Less school
library space.
2). Renting space in town.
Advantage: better facility, unrestricted space for public library functions.
Disadvantage: only available space is outside the village area.
3). Purchasing an existing building in town.
Advantage: better facility, unrestricted space for public library functions.
Disadvantage: unknown cost, may need to compromise on floor plan.
4). Building a new facility.
Advantage: better facility, unrestricted space for public library functions.
Disadvantage: unknown cost.
Feasibility study - concept of new facility
Funding
the
project
Funding
The Cranbury Public Library Foundation
has been established.
We are seeking outside funding through
• Donations
• Grants
• Philanthropic organizations
Reading Buddies
High school service group offers program for 1st to 3rd graders.
12
Cranbury Public Library
• 3 STAR Library – Library Journal
• “rates 7,115 public libraries according to four output
measures that indicate public service—circulation per capita,
visits per capita, program attendance per capita, and public
Internet uses per capita—based on 2006 data collected by
the Institute of Museum and Library Services and published
in late 2008. The top libraries in each category, organized by
ranges of operating expenditures, were then assigned five,
four, or three Michelin guide-esque stars. A total of 256
libraries received star ratings.”
The Public Library is important to our
community.
• In the past nine years, our usage has increased 55%.
Cranbury Library Statistics
• Nation-wide library usage has increased 28% .
American Library Association
• Public libraries are experiencing record numbers during the recession.
New Jersey Library Association, American Library Association
• The “vast majority” of the residents find the public library is important.
2006 Cranbury Zogby Survey
• The community wants more library services: books, movies, resources,
programs.
Karen Avenick’s Focus Groups (2008) and Zogby Survey
We are asking you:
For a location for our public library.
• We will need this location for our
feasibility study.
• We need this location for fund raising.
Thank You