HUNTLEY – Twelve days from now, on April 2, residents of the Huntley Library District will decide if they will support a proposal for a $12.9 million expansion of the Huntley Public Library.
For the past two years, the District has mounted a comprehensive community involvement program, inviting residents and groups to submit ideas, many of which have been incorporated into the expansion plan. A community mail survey was conducted and more than 1,600 responses were received.
Town meeting and focus group events were scheduled in Huntley and surrounding communities in the district.
Here are the referendum facts:
The library serves about 40,000 residents in Huntley and parts of Hampshire, Lake in the Hills, Algonquin and nearby rural areas. The library district is not part of the Village of Huntley and is a separate taxing body.
About 16,500 square feet of space is proposed to be added, and many existing areas will be renovated. The existing library covers about 18,000 square feet, including three trailers.
The tax impact on a $231,000 home (the median home value in the library district) would be about $57.32 annually.
The project seeks to expand the childrenâs library, fiction and non-fiction book areas, create more technology and training facilities, expand community programming space, modify the main entrance area, create a quiet reading room, and expand staff office areas.
Featured here is the current childrenâs area in the library, which only has an occupancy limit of 12. (Photo by Tony Pratt/Sun Day)
A message from Library Director Frank Novak
In the final days of the Huntley Library Districtâs expansion promotion project, Library Director Frank Novak, wrote this pe-election statement to the community:
âLibraries have existed for thousands of years. From the times of the Pharaohs to present day, libraries have evolved to meet the needs of those they serve. Libraries are not going away, and are no longer just a selection of print materials.
Traditional libraries conjure images of rows of books on shelves waiting for eager hands to flip the pages, and the rule of silence was absolute. But today, modern libraries are much more than that. They are bustling hubs of activity, from parents with young children, to business associates and senior citizens. In the modern library of today you will find:
A young mother and her children attending story times to learn literacy skills and get the kids a jump start on school.
A widower who is lonely and wants to get out of the house to socialize or relax in a welcoming environment.
A professional who needs a safe place to interview a job candidate who works from a home office.
A teenager who needs to finish a group project with classmates because the school library isnât open on weekends.
The list goes on and on. Residents of all ages and economic levels use the library for a variety of reasons.
While our library is able to perform these functions in some capacity, we are currently handicapped by our space limitations. Story times have limited space capacity, there is little seating available, there are no private or quiet spaces for those who need to study or concentrate, and the available technology is inadequate. An expanded and renovated library would answer all these needs and more, and help the library function more efficiently to serve our growing communityâs needs.
A strong, vibrant library is an important part of a healthy community with the amenities to meet the needs of our residents.â
The existing library contains about 18,000 square feet, including the trailers. The expansion plan includes about 16,500 square feet.
Over the past 19 years, the library districtâs service population has grown from 3,900 to more than 40,000. Subdivisions like Sun City and Talamore did not exist when the current library was built.
Three used trailers, purchased about eight years ago, do not address the libraryâs space needs, officials say. They have reached the end of their useful lives. The referendum proposes to replace them with permanent new spaces for a childrenâs library and programming activities.
The current childrenâs area in the trailer area has an occupancy limit of 12.
One critic of the expansion program says that usage of the library does not justify this expansion and the activity recently revealed usage numbers were inaccurate, the library is not seeking other options for space and facilities, and the construction cost is unreasonably high for an âexpansion.â
In response to the usage of the library, the staff provided the following information: âThe library has a door counter as people enter the building, so accurate data on visit activity can be collected. In the 2017-18 fiscal year, a total of 227,463 people visited the library. A total of 1,046 programs were held and more than 27,700 people attended them. In the first two days of 2018 summer reading, 2,012 persons signed up for the program in person at the library. Thatâs more than 91.46 people per hour in the library. For the holiday open house, they had three sessions and about 265 persons attended each one. The sessions lasted 1.5 hours, so thatâs more than 176 people per hour in the library.
âIn the mornings, the library is busy with seniors reading by the fire or getting materials to take home, and pre-school kids and parents there for story times and literacy programs. After school, the library is busy with students and tutors and activities for teens,â the response said.
Regarding cost, the library provided the Sun Day with this breakdown from its architects: $6.6 million for new construction costs, and $1.7 million for renovation of existing facilities, for a total of $8.4 million. Soft costs (including inflation escalation, hazardous material removal, regulatory, testing, furniture and equipment, utility and energy, etc. — $1.9 million for new construction, about $500,000 for remodeling. Total: $10.4 million for new construction, and $2.5 million for remodeling, for a total of $12.9 million total referendum bond amount.
Leigh Ann Porsch, director of public relations and marketing for the library, said, âMost of the feedback we have received from all sources has been positive.â
