Community support essential as library board takes building recommendations under consideration

Other than the Jasper Library Board and building committee members, only two members of the public attended the public meeting Thursday.

The Jasper Library Board formed the nine-person volunteer committee this spring to investigate and make several recommendations for the future of the Jasper Library. Chaired by Brad Ward, executive director of the Dubois County Community Foundation, the committee made their final recommendation to the board Thursday night.

The committee told the board that several factors were considered in determining the three routes they recommended the board consider.

First, as they conducted their study, the committee was surprised to learn how much activity occurs at the 11,000 square foot building holding 108,000 books, magazines, CDs, and DVDs. Jasper Library cardholders check out over 250,000 items annually. Additionally, the library provides over 550 events for the public — not just cardholders — each year.

Additionally, among the normal duties expected of a library, it also provides free access to the internet over public WiFi and on library computers; its specialized databases include a high-quality genealogy service as well as specialized business databases; and it provides access to training and education courses that would normally have to be paid for by private individuals.

The committee pointed out how all of these services are housed in a building poorly-suited to support a community looking to expand its population to support its growing industry-base.

Through a study of eight other libraries located in similar population sizes across the state, the committee found that although the Jasper Library had the second largest collection (108,000 items), the third largest annual circulation (over 250,000 items checked out annually), and served the third largest population (16,145) among the communities studied, the building was the second smallest and the oldest.

Two engineering reports have recommended that the existing building built in 1951 cannot be expanded cost effectively.

A renovation project completed in 2013-2014 added some space but sacrificed functionality, according to the committee. They pointed out that the taller book shelves are now prohibitive for cardholders to browse the library’s collection and the narrow lanes between shelves are not conducive for anyone with special needs like someone using a walker or wheelchair to access books.

The committee then supplied the board with a list of areas that need expanded to better suit the needs of the community now and in the future. This list increased the library from its current 11,000 square feet to 28,000 square feet. This expanded the area holding the libraries collection of books from 6,602 square feet to 13,300 square feet to install wider lanes and reconfigure shelving. It also added 5,800 square feet of space for public meeting rooms, common areas, and program areas; 4,150 square feet more than the 1,650 square feet in the current library.

The increased size reflects the modern use and future possible uses for the library, according to the committee’s findings.

The committee then presented three possible sites for expansion of the library taking into consideration the recommended size and proximity to downtown Jasper.

Those recommendations were:

–Building a new library at the current location. This would include tearing down the existing building due to it being cost prohibitive to renovate it.

–Purchasing and renovating the former Hoosier Desk building located at Third and Mill streets in a collaboration with Jasper Arts or as a solo project. The cost to purchase the building has not been made public and it is too large of a structure for the library to take over on its own.

–Building a new library on the South Newton site that was defeated in a referendum in 2011. This may also be a collaborative project that would include the Jasper Arts Department.

Each location has its own set of problems, but the three sites are all between .3 and .4 miles from Courthouse Square. Everyone involved agreed it was important to keep the library near the downtown especially with the city’s initiative to improve the downtown and riverfront area.

In considering the location of the library, the committee found that throughout the city few properties existed that met their criteria in the selection process. This pushed them to reconsider the South Newton location although it was soundly defeated in the 2011 referendum. The land where the South Newton location could be built is also available to the library for free through a charitable donation from Servus, Inc. (formerly BR Associates) and the Ruckriegel family.

The two members of the public who attended, Jane and Gary Horney, will be impacted by any potential property tax increase created by a new library but they agreed the current library was inadequate. “It’s been a long time coming,” Gary said.

“I feel like we have gone way too long discussing it, something needs to be done,” Jane agreed. “The available space and the aisles are too small.”

She checks out books regularly and when her grandchildren are in, she takes them there. Although she recognizes the need for more space, Jane had reservations about adding meeting rooms and more public space to the library.

According to board president Bill Hewitt, he felt the committee did a great job of examining the possibilities and making their recommendations. He said the board would begin discussing the next steps at the November Jasper Library Board meeting. The board had stated their goal was to finalize a plan to present to taxpayers in 2015 if a referendum was necessary.

Hewitt also explained the board would likely wait on any decision until a new appointment was made to replace long-time Jasper Library Board member Jim Seifert. Seifert is an appointee of the Bainbridge Trustees and will not seek reappointment at the end of his term this year.

“The next step has to be continued dialogue with community and business leaders,” Ward said after the meeting. “People who want to talk about not whether or not we need a new building, but how do we leverage these various assets.”