2-16-06

Letter to the Editor:

Some in our community have asked the question, “Will libraries be necessary in the future?”  Given all that is available on the Internet, it is a question worth asking.  Since none of us can predict the future, I looked to data from our own Mendon Public Library along with national trends on public library usage to help us answer that question.  Currently 70,000 visits are made to our library every year.  Thursday morning story time has a regular attendance of over 40.  At our recent partnership with the local schools to encourage reading, over 650 children read books in addition to their regular schoolwork. There is so much interest in our summer reading programs that we must use the front lawn of the library or the community center to accommodate everyone.  Presently we are scheduling two identical American Girl programs (with a large waiting list) to accommodate the children that want to attend this program over winter break.

The national trends tell a similar story.  Last year public libraries across the country broke attendance records.  In the past six years, eight local communities have made significant investments in improved or new library facilities. 

As the newly elected President of the Library Board of Trustees , I’m proud of our library and want the public to know the great services it offers.  Libraries are not just about books, although they remain an important part of the institution.  Our library provides computer access and World Wide Web access.  There are still residents of our community that do not have computer and Internet access in their homes.  Our library provides books on tape and CD.  Our library provides movies.  Our library offers programs for learning a skill or just for fun.  Our library provides large print books for those with visual limitations.  Our library is a place to be with people.  In this digital age where e-mailing and digital information are all the rage, we still need human interaction.  As Alex Wright, former Harvard librarian, wrote in the Christian Science Monitor published January 16, 2006 : “ Perhaps it should come to no surprise that the emergence of the Internet has coincided with a doubling of public library attendance?” 

I’m also aware of the desperate needs of our library.  We continually have to turn patrons away from popular programs due to lack of space.  Story time takes over the entire library, which doesn’t allow other patrons room to browse or a quiet place to read or work on the computer.  Parking is inadequate for popular programs. 

Our library continues to be a vital part of our community.  It is an important asset that belongs to all of us.  The data shows that libraries are here to stay.  They will continue to evolve as the world evolves.

Shari Stottler

President Mendon Public Library Board of Trustees

Letter to the Editor:

After the recent defeat of the new library proposal, many have asked “What now?”  The Library Board of Trustees has been pondering that question too.  The voters have sent a message that the previous library proposal was not acceptable to the majority.  However, the exit survey results (available at www.mendonlibrary.org) point out that most respondents, including the “no” votes, support the need for an improved library facility.   The large voter turnout (1797 votes) indicates that the library is an important issue to our residents.  The vote was intentionally held away from the general elections to avoid the library vote from becoming a campaign issue in the fall elections.  The Library Board of Trustees , of course, maintains strict neutrality in all political matters.

So back to the question: “What now?”  Clearly the current overcrowding, flooding and ADA compliance problems need to be addressed as soon as possible.  We need to determine a solution that the majority of residents of the Town of Mendon will support.  The library board must resume the difficult and arduous task of determining the future direction of our library.  Two library board members, Paul MacAulay and Shari Stottler , have volunteered to spearhead a team of fellow community members to develop a new survey of our town residents.  Those interested in being a part of planning for an improved library facility by joining this committee should contact our town librarian, Laurie Guenther at 624-6067 or lguenthe@libraweb.org or write to The Mendon Public Library at 15 Monroe Street, HF 14472.  Especially helpful would be individuals with a background in developing surveys.  The deadline for submitting your name for consideration for this team is November 1, 2005.

This team will determine the wording of the survey, the distribution method and the timing.  Following the collection and review of the survey results, the committee will hold public forums to review the information and gather more input.  This committee, along with the Library Board of Trustees , will then be charged with determining potential sites based on the results.  These potential sites will be presented to the town board and the residents of the Town of Mendon. 

Town of Mendon Library Board of Trustees

The short answer to this question is yes. If yes, your next question should be “Why?” We have nearly 68,000 visitors to the library annually, or 1300 during an average week. This activity comes to a library that has 4900 square feet, not as large as some homes in Mendon. According to New York State regulations and guidelines, libraries should have 1,000 square feet for every 100 residents served. This means that today we should be operating in an 8,370 square foot building.

The state has set standards that libraries are required to follow in order to receive state funding and continue to operate. In 1990 the State required that libraries upgrade to meet these guidelines. At that time there was a library building fund available to help towns upgrade their libraries.

In 1998, the Library Board of Trustees was asked by the Town Board to begin a study to locate the best possible site for construction of a new library. After three years of extensive study by the Trustees a site was recommended. However, eight months later when the Town Board made their recommendation for the site behind the present library, funds were exhausted. Also, our library is currently in violation of ADA standards. We have been granted a waiver since the year 2000 to meet these standards because we were in the process of moving forward in building a new facility, but these waivers will not be given indefinitely.

WHAT IS THE BEST LOCATION FOR A LIBRARY?

The first thing to consider is population and where it is greatest. It has been stated that since more people live outside the village than in it, the library should be placed in the geographic center of the Town. However, this ignores the other important factor that must be considered before making a decision concerning library placement: population density – where are its users concentrated? Commonly accepted principles of public library placement indicate that a library should be located where the highest concentration of users is found. In Mendon’s case, this is the Village of Honeoye Falls. Other factors to consider are the location of schools and sidewalks, and where the action of the community takes place. A library needs to be located where there is vibrant community activity.

Several community surveys have been done, some by the library and some by the town. In all of these surveys the community clearly expressed the desire to locate the library in Honeoye Falls. For example: In January 2003 the Mendon Comprehensive Town Survey, commissioned by the town and deemed to be statistically significant, was completed by the residents and tallied by the Center for Governmental Research. Its results indicated 55.5% of the respondents wanted a new library and wanted it located within the village. This does not mean that the Hamlet will be left out. Other ways to access library services include book drops, kiosks and reading rooms. These and other options can be looked at and considered during and after the main library is built.

ARE LIBRARIES GOING TO BE OBSOLETE IN THE NEXT 20 YEARS?

It has been suggested that libraries are no longer going to be needed in the next 20 years, because everyone will have computers and can just read a book from home using a computer. E-books (reading books from a computer) have been tried and they have not met with success; while computers are great for finding information, they are no substitute for curling up with a book. Also, the role of libraries is increasing dramatically. Libraries are now community center meeting places. Books, videos, CD’s and DVD’s can be checked out anytime. People bring their wireless laptops and connect to the Internet. A modern library is often a community’s educational center through the various free programs that are offered for children and adults. The library’s meeting room is a place to come with your friends and discuss the latest Book Club novel. A library is one of a community’s greatest assets, and provides hours of service that meet its residents’ needs -- evenings, weekends and during school breaks.

Libraries are here to stay and will be with us well into the future.

WHY BUILD A NEW LIBRARY?

Should we build a new building or add to the present one? It was decided by the Town Board with the Library Trustees concurring that building onto our present building is not a cost effective project and would create a problem with parking and traffic.

The Town Board chose to build the new library on town-owned land behind the library, but water table issues have surfaced. The Environmental Protection Agency requires that no runoff occur from the parking lot and a holding tank would need to be built under the parking lot to solve this problem. This adds more expense to the building of the library on the present designated site.

WHAT IS THE CORRECT SIZE FOR THE LIBRARY?

It was originally thought that 11,000 square feet would be large enough for the next twenty years. However, this information was based on the 1990 Census and other information that predicted we would not grow in population to 8,000 by the year 2015? The Mendon Town population at present is 8,300, and to ensure our library’s viability twenty years out we need a facility of 12,500 square feet. This information has been taken from the Library Consultants Report entitled “Public Library Building Program, April 2004”.

The guidelines for the proper size of a library are spelled out by the state and must be followed when building a new library. The size of the library cannot be decided by the Library Board of Trustees.

WHAT IS A REASONABLE COST?

Building a municipal building is expensive, and certain standards must be met if it is to be a viable building for twenty years or longer. Every library’s cost, no matter what size, is calculated by the square foot. The longer we wait to begin our new library, the more expensive building materials become and the higher the costs will go.

A new library is needed so we can adapt to meeting the electrical and telecommunications requirements of (today's and) tomorrow’s library technologies. Our space in the present building is inadequate; we are not meeting state standards and operate in an environment that is not ADA compliant and not safe; we are overcrowded and have books everywhere, piled on top of other books and on the floor; there is little space for actual reading or programs to function; quiet study areas are nonexistent; and we have no room left to expand the collection. Yet patron use and community population are increasing. The bottom line is we need to begin to build our new library now.

Mendon Library Board of Trustees