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Watery start

Sentiment for new library began in 2007

Sentiment for new library began in 2007

November 04, 2009|BY JEFF BAHR, jbahr@aberdeennews.com

Until 2007, most people were satisfied with the Alexander Mitchell Public Library. But then came the 2007 flood and its toll on the Aberdeen library. “Basically, water came in from every direction,” remembers Linda VanDeRostyne, president of the Alexander Mitchell Library Foundation. Since then, members of the public have noticed the problems and talk about a new library started. Water has come into the building for many years, says library director Shirley Arment. But the 2007 flood may have increased the problems. “Since then, we've had more water pouring in,” Arment said. Moisture problems are due to both the roof and the basement, she said. The roof problem cannot be pinpointed to 2007. But the roof “is getting worse with time,” Arment said. Seeing the staff and the patrons dealing with the water issues has been the impetus for change, VanDeRostyne said. The library's problems “all stem from the basement,” said city councilman Clint Rux. A task force has been studying the library issue since the summer including holding two hearings to get input from the public. On Oct. 26, the task force presented its report at a working session of the City Council. That report calls for a new $7 million library at the site of the former Bethlehem Lutheran Church. No action has yet been taken. The public's favored location for a new library, Arment said, is the Bethlehem site. Members of the public are continuing to give input. Rux believes there are three serious options for the library. One is the Bethlehem Lutheran site, which is a block east of the federal building. Another is a new building at the Central Park site, north of the Aberdeen Recreation and Cultural Center. The other is moving into the building being vacated by Coventry Health Care. Rux, who is a member of the task force, believes the city does need a new library. “However, it comes down to finances - whether the city can afford it,” he said. This year, the city's sales tax is up a little less than 1 percent. Rux would like to see consistent strength with those numbers before a new library is built. The city's share of the building would be funded by the second penny sales tax. A new library will be more likely if city finances “greatly improve in the next two to four years,” he said. It took four years, he noted, for the Aberdeen Police Department's new building to be built - from the time the task force was formed until the building opened. The city of Aberdeen and the library foundation have about two months until an option to buy the Bethlehem land runs out. It's possible that something could happen within 60 days, Rux said. But going by the City Council's past history, he doesn't expect it to happen that quickly. The task force was assigned two jobs by the foundation- to determine if a new library was needed and to decide, if so, where the facility would be built. The task force decided that a new building was necessary after reviewing a study done in 2008 by George Lawson Consulting, speaking to three architects and holding two listening sessions. Arment believes a new library is needed because the current building has structural problems, the roof and foundation are in poor shape and the heating and cooling units are not working the way they should. In addition, “we are running out of room” - not just for books but also space for patrons to sit, for programs and for storage. It is clear, Arment said, that the money isn't available right now. So what must be decided is what is the next step. It's not possible to add a second story to the Alexander Mitchell building. If the library is to remain on the current block, a new building would have to be built, Arment said. Even if that were to happen, the library's current parking problem would remain. Except for the removal of asbestos, Rux and VanDeRostyne say the work done at the library the last decade has been normal maintenance. Arment compares the work done to a facelift. For six months in 2006, the adult collection moved to the old ARCC on State Street while asbestos was removed from the floor. During that time, the children's collection remained open. Asbestos was removed from the ceiling in 1989 and the lower level in 2001. The library is seeing increases in usage, Arment said. In 2008, 219,590 items were checked out. A total of 335 programs attracted 19,000 people. Arment believes that more people are reading books. You see people at the computers in the library, “but there's also a lot of people sitting in chairs reading books,” she said.

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