AN EXCITING FUTURE

• Cultural Center
• Technology Center
• Community Lifelong Learning Center

We envision a building in which cultural programming can be ongoing for all age and interest groups: art and music appreciation classes, meet-the-artist programs, lectures, poetry readings, book discussions, and debates.

We envision a facility in which self-improvement workshops, parenting workshops, eldercare classes, baby sitting classes, volunteer tutor training classes, and computer classes are among many learning opportunities routinely made available to residents.

We envision a library that incorporates a state-of-the art electronic technology laboratory in which Park Ridge residents can experiment with and learn about the latest equipment and software as they come on the market.

We envision a library that includes a videoconferencing/distance learning capability that community organizations and residents can access.

And we envision being able to deliver existing services more fully, efficiently, and effectively to all Park Ridge residents.

In order for the residents of Park Ridge to enjoy the services that can now only be envisioned requires a new building of the size being requested.

The Library Board of Trustees presents the following report in support of its recommendation to City Council.

Arriving at a Recommendation

The Library Board of Trustees arrived at its recommendation to City Council only after evaluating current space use, conducting extensive research, analyzing projected space needs in detail, comparing ourselves with libraries in comparable communities, and analyzing the value of retaining what we have versus building new. In the process, we systematically sought out community input and staff input as well as asked ourselves hard questions as custodians of the public trust. The process, which has taken more than a year, has been rigorous, but as a result, it has been thorough and thoughtful.

Here, then, is a description of the process we have followed and the rationale for our recommendation.

Research Conducted

The Board of Trustees conducted extensive research before reaching its recommendation to the City Council and the citizens of Park Ridge. Specific efforts include:

• Staff-generated Space Plan-the Board asked the Library Staff to develop a space needs plan, which was completed during the winter of 1999/2000.
• Library Planning Associates-a study of the "Service Goals and Space Needs of the Park Ridge Public Library" was commissioned from Library Planning Associates, Inc. The report was delivered July 5, 2000.
• Community Survey-The Library Staff and Board conducted a survey to determine community desires over the summer of 2000. Surveys were made available to patrons at the Library, on-line, at Friday night Concerts in the Park, at Saturday Farmers' Markets, at the Park Ridge Art Fair, and at the Arts and Crafts Fair. Separate surveys were conducted with elementary and middle school students and with Park Ridge community organizations. The results of the surveys are provided in the binder in the August 8, 2000, report titled "Park Ridge Public Library Community Input Summary."
• Independent Community Telephone Survey-The Board commissioned the Public Opinion Laboratory (POL) of Northern Illinois University to conduct a community-wide space and service needs survey. POL's report, "Park Ridge Public Library Community Report on Space and Service Needs" delivered in August 2000.
• Independent Technology Report-A report focusing on the probable impact of technology on the library of the future was commissioned from Louella V. Wetherbee, Library Management Consultant. A copy of her report, "Core Planning Strategies for 21st Century Libraries."
• Technology Related Literature Search-Library Staff conducted an exhaustive search of the literature related to technology and its impact on libraries. In addition, Library Management Consultant Louella Wetherbee was commissioned to conduct an independent search of the literature.
• Review of Task Force Input Report-The Board reviewed the "Report on Community Input, January-June 2000" submitted by the Community Input Committee of the Uptown Redevelopment Task Force, especially as it concerned the Library. In addition, various Staff and Board members attended the public input meetings to hear community input firsthand.
• Review of City Redevelopment Survey-The Board reviewed the "Uptown Redevelopment Survey 2000" conducted by the City of Park Ridge and analyzed by the Center for Governmental Studies, Northern Illinois University, especially as it concerned the Library.
• Studies of Comparable Communities-A number of studies of comparable communities were made: Budget/Growth Rate of Book Collections; Existing or Planned Facilities, Volumes, and Circulation; Volumes/Capita 1998/99.
• Construction Cost Survey-Twenty-three (23) area libraries that have constructed new facilities or built additions to existing facilities in the last five years were surveyed to determine current cost ranges for constructing and furnishing a library.
• OSG Construction Cost Report-In addition to the Library's own survey, a construction cost report aws provided to us by Owners Services Group, Inc., the firm that managed construction of the Des Plaines Library.
• Outsourcing Study-An in-house study of outsourcing of technical services was conducted.

History and Facts About the Park Ridge Library

History of the Current Library Building
In June 1910 the Park Ridge Library Board was officially constituted and, as one of its first official acts of business, appealed to Andrew Carnegie for funds to erect a library building to serve the community of Park Ridge. Mr. Carnegie provided $5,000, which was later increased to a total of $7,500, and the community's new library building became a reality. The original building, which opened its doors on December 6, 1913, still stands at the corner of Northwest Highway and Prospect Avenue.

As the Library worked to serve a rapidly growing community, several approaches were needed to meet the demands of the residents, including opening a "South Branch" on Devon Avenue in 1937; the Branch was moved to Roosevelt School in 1949. In 1958, a new library building was opened in uptown Park Ridge on the site of the (burned-down) Central School. When the new building was completed, the community worked together to "walk the books" from the old building up the street to the new library building. The branch library was later closed.

In the mid 1970s, the community decided to expand the library facility and in 1977 completed construction of an addition that doubled the size of the building to its present 36,000 square feet. The new three-story masonry addition was built along the south facade of the original building. After the addition was up, passages were broken through the south wall of the original building to join the two parts. While this building approach minimized difficulties with continuing Library operations while construction proceeded, it resulted in the current library actually being two distinct side-by-side buildings with two of their load-bearing walls forming the core of the existing structure. This imposes severe limitations on how the building can be used. Limitations of the current structure will be addressed elsewhere in this report.

Facts About the Park Ridge Public Library

• the Library comprises 36,000 square feet on three levels.

• 699,189 items were checked out of the Library last year FY 2006

• an average of 1,350 people patronize the Library daily, with many days exceeding 2,000 and an occasional day exceeding 3,000

• 22,034 people attended 572 programs at the Library last year FY 2006

• 68% of Park Ridge residents hold valid Library cards

• Library holdings include 218,735 print items and 22,000 audiovisual items in FY 2006.

• there are 5.79 print items per capita in the Library

• staff consists of 19 full-time librarians, 16 other full-time employees, 53 other part-time employees, and 75 volunteers

• the Library is open 70 hours per week, seven days a week, 52 weeks a year with the exception of major holidays

• the annual, FY 2006/2007, operating budget is $4,076,200

• The Library's collection grew a total of 2.6% over the four years between FY 1994/95 and FY 1998/99 (from 219,696 items to 225,571 items). There was 0% growth in FY 1998/99. At the conclusion of FY 2006 the Library's collection numbers 218,735 - less than the level at the end of FY 1998/99.

How We Compare with Other Communities

This section of the Library's report provides comparisons between the Park Ridge Public Library and the libraries of 24 other communities. Comparisons are made using data through FY 1998/99, the last year for which data is available for the comparison libraries and communities.

Building Size

The Library building being proposed for Park Ridge is well in line with those of neighboring communities and other communities with which the City of Park Ridge regularly compares itself.

Two immediate neighbors, Des Plaines and Niles, have recently completed new buildings. Des Plaines built a completely new 4-story, 82,000 square foot building as the anchor to its main business district, which is being redeveloped. Niles built a large addition and completely renovated its existing structure, which resulted in a 65,000 square foot library.

Within the past five years, Downers Grove has built a new 73,000 square foot library, and Northbrook built an 85,000 square foot building. Wilmette added on to its building and now has a 65,000 square foot facility. Naperville is retaining its 63,000 square foot library, but is building a 32,000 square foot branch library and is planning a second branch projected to be between 50,000 and 73,000 square feet; in the end Naperville will have between 145,000 and 168,000 total square feet of library space.

A number of communities have new libraries on the planning board. Elmhurst is planning a new 83,000 square foot building, Glenview is proposing a 98,000 square foot structure, Oak Park is working toward a 100,000 square foot facility, Mount Prospect would like to build a new 112,000 square foot library, and Ela has plans for a 70,000 square foot building.

A number of communities with substantially larger populations than Park Ridge currently have libraries exceeding 100,000 square feet. Skokie has a 100,000 square foot library and is in the early stages of planning an addition, Evanston has a 112,000 square foot building, Arlington Heights has 132,000 square feet, and the Schaumburg library is 166,000 square feet.

At 36,000 square feet, the Park Ridge Public Library is smaller than all but five of the libraries in the 24 cities with which comparisons were made. Two of those libraries have plans to expand to 70,000 and 96,000 square feet respectively. Of the 19 libraries that are larger than the Park Ridge Library, the next three smallest libraries have 42,000 square feet, 42,750 square feet, and 49,000 square feet. Two of the three are planning expansions to 83,000 square feet and 98,000 square feet. Twelve comparison libraries currently have buildings that are 60,000 square feet or larger; five were completed in the last five years.

Collection Size
The size of the Library's print collection is at mid-range for cities with which Park Ridge compares itself. With 225,571 print items in FY98/99, volumes per capita was 6.08. Of the 24 cities with which comparisons were made for this report, 10 had more volumes per capita than Park Ridge, and 14 had fewer. Wilmette had the highest number of volumes per capita at 8.03. Des Plaines was lowest at 3.31 volumes per capita (Des Plaines withdrew large numbers of books anticipating its move to a new building and will be growing its collection now that the move is complete).

The Park Ridge Public Library has been hampered in its growth by the size of its building. Because of space limitations, the increase in print volumes has been limited to a cumulative growth of 2.7% (5,875 items) in the four years between Fiscal Year 1994/95 and 1998/99 (from 219,696 volumes in FY 94/95 to 225,571 in FY 98/99). In reality, the entire 2.7% growth came in the first three years; there was 0% growth in FY 98/99 after the Library imposed a "one in/one out" policy for acquiring new print materials. By comparison, only six of 24 comparison cities had equal or less growth of their print collections during the same four-year period. In fact, fifteen of the comparison libraries had double digit increases in their book collections during the same period.

It should be noted that the Library's collection increased an additional 7,000 volumes (3.09%) in FY1999/2000. However, this increase is a temporary anomaly that occurred because Library staff were unable to conduct weeding and removal procedures due to key staff vacancies. When the vacancies are filled, withdrawals will be made from the collection to reduce it to its 1998/99 level, thus meeting the Library's "one in/one out" policy.

By instituting a zero growth (one in/one out) policy for acquiring print materials and by redeploying all available space, the Library has been able to make room for computers and a basic audiovisual collection. However, the Library has had to be satisfied with a small audiovisual collection due to lack of space to house a larger collection. Consequently, Park Ridge lags behind 19 of the 24 comparison cities in size of audiovisual collection. Only 5 comparison cities have smaller audiovisual collections. Without more space available, the gap between Park Ridge and other cities will continue to grow in the years ahead.

Although the Library is holding the line with its zero growth policy for print materials, the collection is nonetheless being constantly updated. In FY98/99, 19,318 books were purchased and 19,145 were removed from the collection. In FY99/00, 20,004 new books were introduced into the collection and 13,028 were withdrawn. As previously noted, an additional 6,976 titles remain to be removed in order to comply with the one in/one out policy. The zero growth policy will remain in effect for the foreseeable future

Circulation

One significant measure of the value residents place on their library is the number of items they check out. In spite of having a smaller library than most communities our size (36,000 square feet), the Park Ridge Public Library has strong circulation-652,474 items were checked out in FY98/99.

By comparison, Oak Park circulated only 1% more items than Park Ridge in FY98/99 in spite of having a 44% larger population. Evanston's circulation was only 34% greater than Park Ridge even though Evanston's population is double that of Park Ridge. Mount Prospect has a population 43% larger than Park Ridge, but circulated only 3% more items. Even closer to home, Des Plaines, a town 44% larger than Park Ridge, circulated only 19% more items. Niles, 47% larger than Park Ridge, actually circulated 8% fewer items, and Barrington, which is 8% larger, circulated 13% fewer items.

While the per capita circulation of the Park Ridge Public Library ranks high among communities with which we compare, there are communities that have even higher per capita circulation. It is instructive to look at them. Northbrook, for example, has 12% fewer people, but circulates only 7% fewer items. Wilmette, with a population 28% below that of Park Ridge, circulates only 17% fewer items. Downers Grove circulates 33% more items but has a population base only 29% larger than Park Ridge. St. Charles, with virtually the same population as Park Ridge, circulates 4% more items. Vernon circulates a whopping 29% more items to a population that is only 7% larger. Ela's population is 19% smaller than Park Ridge, but Ela circulated the same number of items. Elmhurst, with 15% more people, had a circulation 29% higher than Park Ridge. Glenview, which is 3% larger than Park Ridge, circulated 17% more items, and Skokie, which serves 60% more people than Park Ridge, has 74% greater circulation.

In all of these cities, as it is with Park Ridge, per capita circulation is a clear indication of the value that residents place on their libraries. Park Ridge is handicapped in its ability to be ranked even better by the limitations of its collection, limitations imposed by building constraints.

In-Building Use

Daily Patron Use-In March 2000, the Library installed a counter at the front entrance to better determine the number of people actually using the Library each day. Through October 31, counts were taken on all of the 239 days the Library was open. The average number of people entering the Library on each of those 239 days was 1,400 (a total of 334,634 people entering the building during the period counted).

A small number of people entering the Library each day were Library staff entering by the front door; however, most staff members come and go through a rear door accessible only to them. Nonetheless, if we assume that staff enters the building on average 50 times per day (a figure we believe to be high), then the 50 entries per day attibutable to staff must be deducted from the total. The average number of patrons entering the Library daily during the March 1-October 31 period would then be 1,350 (a total of 322,684 patron entries during the tracking period).

June and July are particularly busy months at the Library, while September is a little slower as families settle into back-to-school and back-to-work routines. It is interesting to note that more than 2,000 patrons entered the Library on two days in April, with one of those days exceeding 3,000. Patron entries exceeded 2,000 on 6 different days in June and on 7 separate days in July.

Daily Borrowers/Items Checked Out-The number of daily borrowers was not counted for the first eight days after the counter was installed. For the 231 days that were counted, however, the total number of individuals borrowing materials was 67,430, an average of 292 separate borrowers each day. On average, those 292 borrowers checked out 1,800 items each day. In busy months such as June and July, more than 2,000 items are checked out daily.

Program Attendance-Of the 239 days the Library was open during the tracking period, one or more Library-sponsored program events were held on 154 separate days. A total of 10,460 persons attended these events, an average of 68 people on each of the 154 days. On 45 additional days, a total of 1,884 residents attended community-sponsored events at the Library, an average of 41 people on each of the 45 days.

Other Uses-If one assumes that everyone entering the Library came there to do only one thing (i.e., check out items, attend a program event), then 242,910 individuals (1,016 per day on average) entered the Library to use the facility in some other way-read newspapers and magazines; conduct research for school or work; research personal needs such as travel, car values, or the stock market; access the internet on one of the Library's patron computers; find a quiet place to study; etc. In fact, it is reasonable to assume that some portion of those 1,016 people each day also took advantage of more than one Library service, meaning that actual use is somewhat higher.

Usage by Hour-While the Library is open 72 hours each week, the number of hours per day varies. It is, therefore, instructive to look at which days of the week are the busiest when viewed from the perspective of the number of patrons entering the Library per hour on each day of the week. Hour-for-hour, the Library is busier on the two weekend days than on other days of the week, with the number of patrons entering the Library per hour on Saturday reaching nearly

180 and the number on Sundays exceeding 160 per hour. The least busy day of the week on an hour-for-hour basis is Thursday, when slightly more than 120 people per hour enter the Library.

Why a New Building?

The Library Board of Trustees considered three building options. The first was to rehabilitate the existing structure but not increase its size. The second was to increase the building's size by adding on to and rehabilitating the existing structure. And the third was to replace the existing structure with a completely new building.

Same Building

Remaining in the same building with no additional space was ruled out very quickly. For more than a decade the Library has been overextended. In fact, the Library Board estimates that a 60,000 square foot facility would be necessary for the Library simply to meet ADA standards and other minimum criteria for a modern library without expanding the collection or services of the current Library beyond 1999 capacity.

In spite of continuing efforts to maximize use of the existing space in our 1958/1977 building, it has become impossible for the Library to meet the continuing demand of Park Ridge citizens to keep up with change while continuing to offer the other services they want maintained. Patrons have to scramble out of each other's way to get to popular shelves of books, work and study spaces are inadequate and noisy, video collections are housed in hallways, and staff work quarters are so tight that it stifles work output. We are able to work only minimally with middle school students because of the very small space available in our Young Adult Loft. Programming for children has to compete for space with programming for adults in our only program room, a situation made worse by the program room's capacity being reduced by 40% from 126 people to 75 people in order to accommodate other uses.

Steps Taken Since 1995 to Maximize Use of Existing Building

It is instructive to look at a snapshot of changes at the Library in just the past five years. In the summer of 1995 a space planner was hired to help us determine how we could add new computer workstations, space for more circulating materials, a quiet area for patrons to work (a frequent request), and improve staff work areas without reducing reader seating.

As a result of these planning efforts, in the fall and winter of 95/96, a three-year capital budget project was undertaken. The project increased the amount of shelving to accommodate more materials, provided appropriate seating for 47 computer workstations, replaced public service desks designed before the use of computers, and upgraded public seating. It eliminated all open space within the building, resulting in our being unable to create a quiet study area for adults or increase staff work areas. In addition, the number of seats for Library users was reduced to allow space for the needed shelving and computer workstations.

At the same time, a second project to wire the entire library for a new Local Area Network was approved. The building was wired in the fall and winter of 96/97, and a computer room was built in space once used for the maintenance staff office and shipping and receiving.

In early 1997 the LAN was up and running, providing access to the Internet, library catalog, and many information sources. New computer workstations were added to Reference/Nonfiction (24), Adult Fiction (6), and the Children's Department (17).

From 1996-1998, shelving was added to ease overcrowding of the fiction and audiovisual collections in the Adult Fiction Department. Shelving ranges were extended, extra shelves were installed in each area and ranges were braced as a safety measure due to their extended weight load. The public seating in the Adult Fiction Department was reduced to one table with four chairs and four lounge chairs. In the Reference/Non-Fiction Department, a dividing wall was added under the mezzanine to make two smaller public workspaces and to allow additional shelving for business reference materials and newspapers; old tables and chairs were replaced. In the Children's Department additional shelving was added to hold materials, seating was reduced, computers were added, and all open areas were eliminated.

In 1998, recognizing the increasing need to offer training for the public on how to use the library's online catalog, online resources, and the Internet, a movable classroom was created. Eight computers on rolling carts were purchased and the program room on the first floor was wired to accommodate the multiple computers. Staff in all three departments now offer classes to the public. Because of the space shortage, the computers have to be stored in the third floor air handler room when not in use.

In the fall of 1999, after much discussion at the staff and Board level, a decision was made to reduce the size of the first floor program room from 126 seats to 75 seats (a 40% reduction) and to use the back of the room to shelve back issues of magazines and to house some library equipment. Space gained from this change on the third floor was then used to expand a staff work area and increase the size of the Young Adult Loft to better serve middle school students using the library.

The 40% reduction in seating in our only program room has had a negative impact. It has meant that popular adult and children's programs fill up within the first few days of registration and many people have to be turned away. In order to accommodate citizen demand, we sometimes repeat a popular program, but doing so increases the cost by as much as double. Most often, however, we are unable to schedule the event a second time because the room is not available, so many Park Ridge residents who would like to attend simply have to miss the

event. Clearly, whether a program is offered only once or multiple times, being able to accommodate only 75 people rather than 126 (or more) is not cost effective.

Addition

Putting an addition on the existing Library is possible, but it would not be cost effective and it would not be a satisfactory long-term solution to Park Ridge's library needs.

There are numerous reasons for not putting an addition on the current Library building. Perhaps the most important is that the building can only be expanded laterally. It cannot be built higher because neither of the two halves of the existing structure were built to carry greater dead loads than are currently being sustained. As a result, the only way to build additional levels would be to fill the first floor with support columns, thus rendering the existing first floor space useless. Adding a floor would therefore result in no net space gain. In effect, then, meaningful expansion can only be lateral, and the vast majority of such expansion would have to go south and west into the Central Parking Lot. An addition of the size needed would fill the majority of the property, thus depriving the community of already limited parking.

There are other mitigating circumstances that make an addition undesirable. A brief look at the existing building makes clear the limitations the current structure imposes.

In 1977 an addition that doubled the size of the Library to its current 36,000 square feet was completed. The new three-story masonry addition was built along the south facade of the original building. After the addition was up, passages were broken through the south wall of the original building to join the two parts. While this construction approach minimized difficulties with continuing Library operations while construction proceeded, it resulted in the current library actually being two distinct side-by-side buildings. As a result, two load-bearing walls form the center core of the structure.

Over the years, this construction design has proven physically limiting and inflexible. A prime example is the Children's Department, located entirely on the lower level of the 1977 addition. Originally this department provided services to all children through the 8th grade. As increasing numbers of children came to the Library for materials and programs, the need for more space became a major issue. However, there was no cost effective way to penetrate the two load-bearing walls to gain space. Intent on serving Park Ridge children well, the Library more than ten years ago vacated a building storage area and created a new third floor "loft" space to accommodate 7th and 8th grade children. This project temporarily alleviated the space problem in the Children's Department, but it deprived the Library of badly needed storage space.

Since the "Young Adult Loft" was built, there has been continued rapid growth in demand for services for children through the 6th grade. Those demands, including the call for the addition of child-accessible computer technology and the accompanying space requirements, have resulted in even worse crowding of the Children's Department than existed ten years ago.

The Library Board and staff have made every effort to meet the demands of the community by creatively utilizing space, deliberately minimizing growth of the building's book collection, and sacrificing both Library programming and community access to meeting room space. At the same time, the Library has kept abreast of technological advancements, particularly as they can beneficially impact library service in Park Ridge.

While the Board and Staff are proud of the Library's efforts to provide up-to-date technology services and access to Park Ridge residents, further technological expansion is hampered by the the lack of flexibility afforded by the Library building. In addition to simply having no space in which to expand services, low ceilings (half of which are asbestos laden), exposed brick masonry load-bearing interior walls, and virtually impenetrable floors keep staff and contractors from easily running wires to connect an increasing number of catalogs, computers, and workstations.

In addition, as the Library continues to maintain and upgrade the current building, an increasing number of significant building systems problems are being encountered. Systems are reaching the end of their useful lives, particularly in the nearly 45-year-old original portion of the building. The Library has identified a number of these items to the City: replacement of the steam boiler, multi-stage air handler and air conditioning condensing units; extensive electrical re-wiring required due to dry-rot of the cloth covering of the original wire; repair and replacement of smoke and fire detection equipment; replacement of the (paper-thin in some places) water and waste piping; roof and gutter replacements; major exterior tuckpointing; and lighting upgrades throughout the building.

The existing library building does not conform to current code, nor does it conform to library accessibility standards, particularly as regards aisle space between book stacks, restrooms, and an alternative way for handicapped or elderly patrons to exit the upper floors should the elevator fail or be unusable in an emergency. Other limitations are apparent: lack of conduit or other raceways for future installation of cabling and data transfer points within the Library; inflexible structural and general lighting elements that restrict rearranging the Library as future needs and patron demands require; asbestos-laden ceilings in the older portion of the building that render it cost-prohibitive to make lighting or wiring changes of any kind in half of the building; lack of adequate storage space to accommodate supplies and equipment that must be stored on site; lack of space for processing incoming materials; lack of "staging area" in which maintenance can assemble and/or repair furnishings; immovable interior load-bearing walls that force awkward and/or redundant placement of service points and limit visibility and security surveillance; and non-conformance with current standards for library "dead load" capacity.

In light of the above, if an addition were desired, it would be necessary to completely gut the existing structure at the same time as a new addition were built. All electrical, plumbing, and HVAC systems would have to be replaced, as would many of the interior walls and ceilings, doors, and windows.

In conclusion, there are few, if any, apparent pluses to adding on to the existing Library building, but there is an extensive list of negatives. The Library Board of Trustees recommends against adding onto the existing structure.

New Building

There are five primary reasons why a new Library building is preferable for Park Ridge:

• First, a new structure can be built for the same or little more money than renovating the existing building and putting on an addition.
• Second, a new Library can be custom designed to be flexible and "smart," thus assuring many years of useful service to the community regardless of changes the future brings.
• Third, a new structure housing the Library can be designed to accommodate a state-of-the-art electronic technology laboratory and to accommodate the arts, thus becoming the cultural and technological center of Park Ridge.
• Fourth, a new Library can be situated on its building site in the most suitable and accessible way.
• Fifth, a new Library can be more easily integrated into the Uptown Redevelopment process than can a renovated building with an addition.

Why the Same Site? The same site is being recommended for a new Library for three reasons.

Resident Surveys

First, and foremost, it is clear from four surveys (one by the City, one by the Input Committee of the Uptown Redevelopment Task Force, and two by the Library) that the citizens of Park Ridge prefer the Library to remain where it is. In the City's "Uptown Redevelopment Survey 2000," 85.5% of respondents said they like the Library where it is. In its "Report on Community Input, January-June 2000," the Community Input Committee of the Uptown Redevelopment Task Force said, "The overwhelming majority opinion was that the Park Ridge Public Library should remain in its current location." In the Library's Community Input survey, 87.9% of respondents favored the Library's current location, and in the community survey on space and service needs conducted independently by Northern Illinois University, 82.8% of respondents said the Library should stay at its current location.

Library as Uptown Anchor

Second, the Library Board of Trustees believes that it is in the community's interest for the Library to remain centrally located to anchor the Uptown business district. There is evidence to support this position. From the article "Libraries: New Downtown Focal Points" published in the Illinois Municipal Review in October 1999 come these observations:

Libraries are fast becoming focal points of successful downtowns nationwide. And, as they attract more and more users each year, libraries are acting as new downtown anchors.

Creating anchors is essential for recreating a downtown's economy. Anchors act as magnets, drawing customers, clients and users to the area. In essence, downtowns' anchors give consumers a reason to come to downtown. Anchors make consumers choose to spend their time and money downtown, rather than in the myriad other commercial venues beckoning to them, such as shopping malls, strip centers, discount centers and outlet malls.

This observation was reinforced by three separate surveys conducted by the Library in recent years. In October 1994 as part of its annual Output Measure Survey, the Library asked "Is your visit to the Library the primary reason why you came Uptown today?" During the four survey days, 846 people responded to the question, with 640 (76%) answering "yes." Respondents were also asked "Did you or do you plan to stop at any other places in the Uptown area?" to which 525 answered affirmatively (62% of all respondents and 82% of those for whom the Library was their primary destination).

In 1995 the Library commissioned an independent random telephone survey of all Park Ridge residents. The survey was conducted by Northern Illinois University. Individuals were asked the question "How likely are you to shop at a nearby store when you visit the library?" More than half the respondents in this random survey (57.5%) replied "very likely" or "somewhat likely."

As part of its October 1998 Output Measure Survey, the Library repeated the two questions posed in 1994. During the four survey days, 772 people said the Library was their primary destination, and 664 (86%) said they had stopped or were planning to stop at some other place in the Uptown area while on the same trip.

Bredemann Site Limitations

Finally, in addition to clear public sentiment favoring the current location and our belief that the Library is a strong anchor for Uptown business, the Bredemann site does not appear to be conducive to meeting the needs of a Library. The total square footage of the Bredemann site is nearly the same as the square footage of the site on which the Library currently is situated, but the Bredemann site in fact is not a single parcel of land but rather two nearly equal parcels situated essentially corner-to-corner with each other. The Bredemann Buick parcel comprises 64,585 square feet and the Bredemann Toyota site comprises 65,475 square feet. The single parcel upon which the current Library is situated comprises 133,300 square feet. The Library Board does not believe these two pieces of land could be used effectively for a Library.

Why 80,000 Square Feet?

The uses to which the Library is put ultimately dictate the size it needs to be. The following sections describe a number of the critical elements affecting size.

Collection Size

The Library's mission statement reads: The purpose of the Park Ridge Public Library is to advance human knowledge and understanding by providing access to information, literature, and the arts relevant to the community it serves.

The primary mechanism to achieve the Library's mission is its collections. The Park Ridge Public Library maintains a number of collections in both print and electronic form. Print collections contain approximately 230,000 books as well as periodicals (450 titles) and newspapers (28 titles). Fiction and nonfiction books for both adults and juveniles comprise the majority of items. In addition, both literacy and large print collections are maintained. Circulation of print materials accounted for 79% of total circulation last year.

In electronic form the Library has approximately 20,000 items, including audio cassettes, compact discs, videos, DVDs, CD-ROMs, books on cassette and Compact disc, and e-books. Access to the internet is provided on 24 public computer stations.

For the fiscal year ending April 2000, circulation totaled approximately 625,000, a four percent decrease from the prior year. There are a number of reasons for circulation dropping. First, the Library's one in/one out policy means that a growing number of titles that individuals may want to check out are not available. Second, we know from experience that in prosperous times, circulation stagnates or drops and in less prosperous times goes up. Third, the growing demand for electronic versions of materials is exceeding the Library's ability to respond, which is why the Library is struggling to find ways to increase its audiovisual collection. Finally, the Library Board is convinced that overcrowding of our Library is causing patrons to either not come to the Library or to find what they need elsewhere. Library "customers" are being driven by these various elements to other venues, including stores to purchase items and to neighboring libraries to borrow them. We have no means to judge how many items are being purchased that might in other times be borrowed, but we do know that library reciprocal borrowing figures show an increase in the number of Park Ridge residents checking materials out of neighboring libraries. The Library is monitoring demand and fulfillment and is making "market adjustments" as appropriate and as feasible given building limitations.

The Library's collections currently are housed in ways that make access to large parts of the collection user unfriendly. Because there is no space to put more shelving units, there is insufficient shelf space to properly display the collection so patrons can find materials they want. Shelving units are a full row higher than what is considered to be the maximum height at which books are reasonably accessible to individuals; a large percentage of patrons cannot see what is on the top shelf much less reach the materials. The bottom shelf of each shelving unit is at floor level making it difficult to read the titles of items housed there. To compound the problem, aisles are narrow, thus inhibiting a patron's ability to stand back and see either the top or bottom shelves. Librarians report that a disproportionate number of books that do not circulate are found on top and bottom shelves.

In order to add the extra shelf at the top of shelving units, the space between the remaining shelves had to be reduced, which makes the vertical shelving of taller items impossible. Consequently, these books are shelved on their sides, which makes it impossible for patrons to read the titles on the spine without pulling books one at a time from the shelf to look at them. This method of shelving materials also damages the spines of books, resulting in shorter useful lives. Because of the crowding, each shelf is packed with books rather than having some open space to permit easy rearranging when returned books are reshelved. Reshelving of books is much more time intensive and, therefore, more expensive than it should be.

Due to serious space constraints over the past eight to ten years, the Library has developed a collection evaluation program that is more aggressive than other libraries in our area. All library materials are examined for retention or elimination on a three-year cycle. Materials that are out of date, worn and damaged are replaced. Materials that have not circulated are considered for withdrawal. In addition, materials are eliminated to make room for newer formats, even though they are still popular with library users. For example, all audiocassettes for adults will be eliminated this year to make room for compact disks. It is the Library Board's intention to continue to be the most aggressive weeder of collections in our area.

Deciding which books are to be eliminated from the collection is not always easy. There are "classics" that may not circulate frequently, and there are books that contain unique information that is not easily found elsewhere. Many of these items are out of print and will never again be available if they are removed from the collection. For these and other reasons, it is quite difficult to maintain zero growth in the Library's collections. Nonetheless, over the last seven years the Library has allowed its print collection to grow by only 13,700 volumes (a cumulative 6.3%), and that number will be reduced by 6,000 or more volumes when backlogged weeding of the collection is accomplished. During the past seven years the Library has purchased 128,000 new items and removed 115,000 items.

Popular new fiction presents the Library with acquisition problems that directly affect shelving and space needs. When a new title by a popular author is first released, there is considerable demand for it. Over time, that demand abates. In order to avoid having far more copies of a title than ongoing demand warrants, the Library leases rather than purchases the majority of copies needed when the title is first released; only a limited number of copies are purchased. As the demand for the book diminishes, the leased books are returned.

The changeover from one format to another causes the Library to have to maintain overlapping collections during transition. Several years ago we transitioned from phonograph records to audio cassettes. During the last two years the transition from audio cassettes to compact discs has been underway; the decision was made recently to phase out audio cassettes altogether by 2001.

Impact of Technology

To date, technology has not reduced the need for collection space in the Library. Instead, technological advances have created the need to maintain items in multiple formats. For example, in order to satisfy patron demand, a popular item like John Grisham's book The Client may have to be acquired in up to six different formats: hardcover, paperback, large print, book on cassette or CD, DVD, and video. Now e-books are being made available, and the Library is beginning to experiment with making a seventh format available.

Although the Library is exploring e-book technology, this new publishing format presents problems that probably will not be overcome for some time: current content selection is poor, there is no universal standard, e-books are more expensive than print versions, and they are not easily loaned. E-books are purchased and assigned to specific readers (machines). If the reader is loaded with a particular book or group of books, a different book or books cannot be loaded on it. As a result, an e-book reader available on the Library shelf may sit there because the title a patron is looking for is not, and cannot be, loaded on it. This limitation dramatically decreases the principal appeal of e-books, which is the theoretical ability to load a reader with any available book at any time to loan to any patron. Over time these problems may get worked out, but at present e-books have limited utility.

The Library makes use of online resources to the extent possible. Many reference books have been replaced with either CD-ROM or online versions. To date, this has not reduced space needs because the addition of computer stations to provide patron access to these materials has gobbled up more space than has been liberated. In yet other instances, space has not been freed up because both print and electronic versions of reference materials are maintained. The current state of online provision of information creates a number of concerns, one of which is that online versions, unlike print, are no longer accessible if you stop paying for the access. With print reference items, once they are paid for they are available to use for as long as the owner, in this case the Library, wishes to use them.

Conclusion-

The proposed new Library building will hold about 300,000 items, including a significantly larger electronic/audiovisual collection, appropriately housed and displayed. Shelf heights will be reduced, the lowest shelves will be farther off the floor, aisles will be widened for ease of use by all patrons as well as to meet ADA standards, and sufficient space will be left open on shelves to permit efficient, cost effective reshelving.

Although the Library is proposing space that will allow the gradual growth of the collection to 300,000 items over time, a stringent acquisitions management policy will continue to be in force to assure that the focus on Park Ridge Library collections remains on quality rather than quantity.

Programs

The Library offers a variety of programs for all ages throughout the year. Programs for adults include book discussions, lectures, workshops, computer classes, movies, musical programs, author visits, and more. Last year 20,552 people participated in 650 Library programs.

Programs for young adults (7th & 8th grade) include reading clubs, babysitting workshops, craft programs, an advisory council, creative writing, play productions, tours for classes from the middle schools, Library visits to the schools, and Internet classes.

Programs for children (infant to 6th grade) begin with Teddy Bear Time for birth through 2-year olds and their caregivers. Storytimes are offered for children from ages 1 through 5, and Treehouse Club offers stories and activities for kindergarten, 1st and 2nd graders. Special programs such as puppet shows, author visits and programs with guest performers are held throughout the year.

For school age children the Library offers a Battle of the Books program that conducts 28 meets per school year and a new Reading Challenge Program for 6th grade students. Fourth grade students visit the Library each year to learn about resources available for homework assignments, the computer system, and other Library resources.

Classes on using the Internet and online resources at the Library are offered to students and parents. The Library also offers parent programs at which guest speakers address a variety of parenting topics.

Reading clubs to promote reading are provided for children, adults and young adults. The summer reading club attracts more than 2,400 children, plus young adults and adults. Winter reading programs are offered January to March, a reading program in conjunction with the Chicago Wolves is offered each fall, and a school year "Reading Patch Program" provides reading incentives to children from preschool through 6th grades.

All Library programs are popular and well attended. However, since the program room has been reduced from 125 occupants to 75, many programs requiring registration fill up within the first few days and people must be turned away. Programs sometimes are repeated, but this substantially increases costs and is not normally done.

With only one program room, tables, chairs and room arrangements must continuously be changed, sometimes as many as four times in a day.

Large programs can no longer be reasonably accommodated. Programs like the Friends of the Library Book Sales, the Park Ridge Community Fair, the Preschool Fair, Holiday Open House, and other large events need a room much larger than the Library currently has.

For computer classes conducted by the Library, eight computers on mobile carts are stored in the air handler room on the third floor. To set up for a computer class, furniture is removed from the small third-floor meeting room and the computers are set up there. When the program room on the first floor is used, the computers must be brought down in the elevator two at a time.

A wide range of community groups make requests to use the Library's program room. Most requests cannot be accommodated because the room is already booked, and many must be turned away because a space that will hold more than 75 people is needed. Piano recitals, a popular event at the Library, must often be conducted in two sessions, or teachers must find other locations for them.

Currently, the Library must restrict the use of the program room. In order to make the space available to as many qualifying local groups as possible, organizations are allowed only one meeting or program in the Library each quarter of the year.

There is a need for more and larger program spaces for Library programs as well as for community groups who need spaces to conduct programs, recitals and meetings. The Library would like to offer more programs for children and adults, and recent surveys indicate that Library users would like to see more programs offered. However, with only one program room seating a maximum of 75 people, fewer programs is more likely.

If the Library has more and larger program spaces available in the future, more programming can be offered for seniors, children, and age groups in between. Programs such as art appreciation; music appreciation; displays of artists' work and opportunities to meet the artist; more programs for parents, including programs in conjunction with preschool storytimes, can be offered. The Library can consider offering lectures, adult writing workshops, and poetry readings. With the right kinds of spaces, the Library can offer distance learning classes on a variety of subjects as well as literacy and English as a Second Language classes. Space for tutors to work with both children and adults can be made available.

Special Services

The Library provides a number of special services designed to meet very special needs within the community.

The Outreach Librarian in Reader Services coordinates all services to patrons with physical handicaps. These include special equipment to assist patrons who are visually impaired. The Kurweil machine reads aloud from printed documents and the Optilec machine magnifies anything in print to make it readable for patrons with very low vision. The Library has one Optilec machine in the building and another that circulates to patrons so they can try it out before they consider purchasing this type of equipment for their own use. Two computers with oversized monitors and keyboards with large lettering on the keys are available in the Adult Fiction Department. Both of these computers can be used by patrons with limited vision within the library. The Outreach Librarian also promotes the Talking Book Program and registers blind patrons for this service.

The Outreach Librarian visits six nursing homes each month and provides special programs and book talks of interest to the residents. At the same time, the Outreach Librarian takes a selection of large print materials to be loaned to the residents.

The Outreach Librarian and the Volunteer Coordinator work together to provide materials to patrons who are permanently home bound or temporarily confined to their homes due to an illness or injury. Patrons can request this service by calling the Library. Library staff select and check out materials and Library volunteers deliver them to the shut-ins' homes.

During the school year, librarians from the Children's Department visit every kindergarten and first grade class at all eight elementary schools to promote reading and the use of the Library. A special program on Library resources is offered to all 5th grade classrooms and is tailored to the topics a particular class is studying at the time. In addition, throughout the school year, teachers can request materials on a particular topic to supplement their school library collections. Librarians in the Children's Department select materials, check them out to the school, and send them on the District #64 van to the public schools; teachers or volunteers from the private schools come to the Library to pick up materials they have requested. A similar program is available to all of the preschools in town. Teachers at area preschools may request monthly loans of materials to use with their students. Librarians in the Children's Department select from the wide variety of books available for preschoolers, or teachers may request books on a particular theme.

The Young Adult Librarian offers a similar school loan service to teachers in the middle schools and also visits classrooms on request to talk about Library resources that students can use when they are working on particular assignments. The Young Adult Librarian also works with teachers on a special creative writing project in which students submit creative writing pieces for publication in the "Middle View."

The Park Ridge Library offers mobile library service to residents every other week at three stops in the community. Residents who live farthest from the library, those who don't drive, or patrons who merely want a different library experience can visit the mobile library to check out books, videos, books on cassette and other materials. The mobile library is provided through a cooperative arrangement between the Park Ridge Public Library and the Des Plaines Public Library.

Technology

During the past few years, nothing has absorbed as much of the attention of Library Staff and the Board of Trustees as the Electronic Technology Revolution. Hundreds of articles have been read and absorbed, workshops have been attended, consultants have been brought in. While the future of technology remains unclear, what is clear is that the Library must remain keenly aware of new developments and be prepared to make continuing paradigm shifts as they are needed.

During the past five years, the Library has taken significant steps to establish electronic technology as an integral part of the Library's operation. The entire building was wired in 1996/97; 47 public computer stations were installed, including 24 that provide patron access to the Internet; and a LAN system that provides access not only to the Internet, but also to the library catalog, and many information sources was installed. Computer training classes for Library patrons and Park Ridge citizens initiated in 1998 continue on a regular basis.

The Library has developed alliances with other governmental units and local agencies to develop a Park Ridge web site through the NorthStarNet. In fact, the North Suburban Library System awarded the Park Ridge Public Library its 1996 Library of the Year award for its "whole-hearted and creative embrace of the NorthStarNet program."

Within the space limitations of the existing building, the Library has been aggressive about adding electronic and audiovisual items for circulation to patrons. At present, the audiovisual collection includes approximately 20,000 items, including audio cassettes, compact discs, videos, DVDs, CD-ROMs, books on cassette and Compact disc, and e-books.

The Library makes use of online resources to the extent currently feasible. Many reference books have been replaced with either CD-ROM or online versions. As viable, cost effective new online resources become available, the Library will make them available.

As we look toward a new Library, the Board of Trustees envisions incorporating a state-of-the-art computer laboratory in which Park Ridge residents can experiment with and learn about state-of-the-art equipment and software as they come on the market. In addition, the Board envisions making available a Videoconferencing/Distance Learning Center that community organizations and residents will be able to access.

It is hard to predict the future, but it is not difficult to envision a day in which children and adults will come to the Library to participate in virtual reality activities that allow them to experience such things as historical events personally. We can only guess at what other marvelous new learning opportunities will develop in coming years.

In the end, however, it must be remembered that electronic technology is merely another tool, albeit a very powerful one, by which to communicate and to disseminate information. The Library's mission is "to advance human knowledge and understanding by providing access to information, literature, and the arts relevant to the community it serves." The electronic tools that are being made available, and new tools that we can only try to imagine, will provide exciting new ways in which to fulfill that mission for years into the future. In order to take advantage of these opportunities, a flexible, "smart" Library facility is needed.

References to current and future use of electronic technology in the Library, including both strengths and weaknesses, are found in relevant sections of this report. However, it is useful to note here that to date electronic technology has exacerbated space problems in the Library rather than relieved them. We anticipate that will continue to be the case. More computer workstations for both staff and the public will be needed as will more computer peripherals, including printers and scanners. A state-of-the-art computer laboratory, a videoconferencing/distance learning center, and computer-related training classrooms will all require relatively extensive space. Continued miniaturization and wireless technology may reduce the impact of electronic technology on space needs to a limited extent, but space for the people using those technologies will still be required. The Library Board's recommendation anticipates these needs.

For additional information, a copy of Core Planning Strategies for 21st Century Libraries, a report on the impact of technology on Libraries by Library Management Consultant Louella V. Wetherbee that was commissioned by the Library Board of Trustees, is available in the binder.

Staff Space

All staff work areas in the existing building are extremely overcrowded, resulting in inefficient workflow and harried employees. No department head has an office or other private place to meet with staff, conduct phone calls, or work on confidential items such as performance appraisals.

Administration-The Administrative staff currently works on three floors of the building. The Access Services Manager occupies a corner cubicle on the 3rd floor in what was once the Heritage Room, our local history collection. He is responsible for the maintenance and upkeep of 100+ computers in the building but has no place to work on and store equipment; he must constantly search out places in the building to work that are temporarily not in use. When setting up new machines and loading software, the Access Services Manager uses a typewriter table as a workbench; he can work on only one machine at a time.

The Business Office occupies two crowded offices on the second floor, the Business Office/PR/Community Network Manager and the Director's Secretary share an office. A third administrative assistant works in a separate space.

Record files are kept in several locations on the second floor, including the Director's Office, as well as in the hallway of the third floor. There is no reception area for the Administrative Offices.

The Library Information Coordinator and Staff Artist share a small space with the computer room, all of which was once the shipping/receiving room and Maintenance Office. The space also serves as an access route to the staff work area for the Children's Department and is used for deliveries when front entry is required.

The copier for the library staff has been moved several times over the years and now shares space with the vending machines and refrigerator next to the staff lounge. Other frequently needed equipment such as paper cutters, laminator, etc. are housed two floors away at the back of the first-floor program room.

Adult Fiction Department-The Adult Fiction staff works in office areas on two floors. The Department Head and two full-time staff members share an area next to the Young Adult Loft in what was once the magazine storage area. The remaining staff, full- and part-time, and almost all of the Library's volunteers work in a small office area on the second floor that is crowded with desks and department materials.

Reference Department-The reference staff occupies space on the third floor that was once a public study area and the area for the local history collection. All reference librarians, both full- and part-time, interlibrary loan staff, pages, and the Department Head share this area. The area also contains the Access Service Manager, shared computer workstations, and the part-time/digitization workstation. A few file cabinets and a bookcase provide the only storage for the department.

Children's Department-The Children's Department work area has ten workstations crowded into a room that once held only four desks and the staff artist's drawing table. Most full-time staff have individual cubicles; however, some share cubicles with a part-time staff person. There is no space for working on large projects that require spreading out, nor is there space to store materials in preparation for a school visit, a reading program, etc. Staff routinely has to take over tables in the public areas to complete large projects. Preparation for a series of school visits may require storing several bags of books, posters, and other materials for presentations. Staff stores some of the Children's Department materials in the kneeholes of their desks, or they take them home and keep them until needed.

Circulation-In addition to handling the 1800+ items checked out of the Library each day, this department handles a like number of materials that are returned to the Library each day. Materials returned to the counter as well as those placed in outside book drops must be checked in, sorted and placed on carts for redistribution throughout the Library. All problems with materials, interlibrary loans, reserves, and other special handling items are dealt with in this area. The entire Circulation staff works in a small area immediately behind the circulation counter in the Lobby. Into that area are crowded the Department Head's desk, two other desks shared by three full-time staff, two computers, all of the book carts, the large carts used in the book drops, and other materials used on a daily basis. Part-time staff fit in as best they can. The circulation work area is noisy and crowded at all times.

Technical Services-The Technical Services Department is in a narrow rectangular room. All materials added to the Library's collection must go through this department. In addition, materials that are damaged and need repair are handled by Technical Services as are older materials that are being removed from the collections. Staff occupies two distinct areas surrounded by numerous book carts with materials in various stages of processing. There is no efficient workflow pattern in this crowded area. Daily shipments of materials increase the overcrowding; materials must be unpacked, checked in, and prepared for adding to the collection. There is virtually no storage for the processing materials, security cases, etc that must be used to prepare material for the collections.

Maintenance-Maintenance staff works in an area that was once part of the boiler room. By removing an old boiler and putting up walls and a drop ceiling, a small work area was created for them. This area holds two desks, a computer and printer, and a small worktable that is the only permanent maintenance worktable in the building. The Department Head and all maintenance staff work in and from this space.

Shipping and receiving is handled in the back hallway of the Library because no other space is available. Items received must be checked in immediately and delivered to various departments rather than held for delivery at a convenient time because the rear hallway is a fire exit; other work must cease to accommodate deliveries and immediate distribution.

Building supplies are kept in a variety of closets, cubicles, an attic space, and other small spaces throughout the building. Rather than being readily available, they must be retrieved from wherever they are kept when needed. The Library cannot purchase materials in large quantities and enjoy the benefit of cost savings due to the lack of storage. There is no area in the building to store tall ladders needed to replace lights. Any projects that produce noxious fumes must be completed after hours because there is not adequate ventilated space in which to perform such tasks during the hours the Library is open. Since the Library is open 72 hours per week, seven days a week, this creates a severe hardship on maintenance staff.

Storage-There is not enough storage; staff must always scrounge for space for supplies, paper, light bulbs, etc. plus space for items such as extra shelving that is not being used, older computer equipment that may serve as spare parts, books for the book sale, program supplies and materials, holiday decorations, puppets and other storytime props, the piano, chairs, tables, easels, cleaning supplies and equipment, etc. In order to comply with the fire inspector, many stored materials have been moved to a rented off-site storage facility in Des Plaines.

Conference Rooms-There is only one conference room now, and it also houses the Kurweil Machine, a computer, scanner and printer and used books for the ongoing book sale. This room is used for staff evaluations, small meetings, bigger work projects, and most interviews. There is barely enough room to pull the chairs out from the table. When it is evaluation time, department heads use this room since there are no offices in which to have private conversations. When this room is not available, staff uses the third-floor meeting room or the first-floor program room.

Outsourcing

Outsourcing some functions, particularly technical services, has been posed as a space-saving possibility from time to time. For that reason, it is addressed here.

The Park Ridge Public Library regularly re-evaluates the way the various aspects of daily operations are handled. Outsourcing has been and will continue to be one of the alternatives explored throughout the Library's operations.

In Technical Services, the Library in effect is utilizing outsourcing. Through our membership in the Online Computer Library Center (OCLC), an international library cooperative of over 35,000 libraries, we have access to more than 40 million cataloging records. We are able to use bibliographic information created by the Library of Congress and other member libraries, rather than creating all bibliographic information on our own. This information may be adapted, enhanced, or corrected to meet the needs of our staff and patrons, as well as specific requirements of our online computer catalog system. As members, we also contribute new and/or unique cataloging records to this database.

Our membership in an online computer catalog consortium, Cooperative Computer Services (CCS), is another form of "outsourcing." In this case, each library shares the workload, contributing bibliographic information to the database by editing and exporting records from OCLC. CCS currently is evaluating new library computer systems, which may bring new efficiencies to our technical services efforts.

Our participation in OCLC and CCS has allowed us to catalog 35% more items than we did prior to joining these two organizations, and we are able to do so with less cataloging staff (3.7 FTE prior to joining versus 3.0 currently). This reduction in staff has been accomplished in spite of increases in the number of leased books needing to be cataloged and the dramatic increase in audiovisual

items requiring cataloging. Further, these efficiencies have allowed the Technical Services Director to assume additional administrative functions as Support Services Director, which includes maintenance.

For the Library to outsource technical services functions beyond what is already being done would be counter productive at present. Were we to outsource all of the major technical services functions, we would not be able to remain a member of CCS, which would result in additional costs that would more than offset the savings. We would be required to purchase and run our own computer cataloging system, a major and expensive undertaking. Library staff would have to perform a number of functions essential to maintaining the local operation that are performed at this time by CCS staff. In addition, the Park Ridge staff would lose important local control over much of the process.

In addition to the services of OCLC and CCS, we also outsource some of the physical processing for some hardcover books. Hardcover books ordered from our major vendor are received with book jacket covers already in place, which reduces staff time required to complete the finishing of books.

The Library does not rebind its own books, but rather outsources that task to a commercial bindery.

The Library Staff and Board will continue to monitor new developments in outsourcing of technical services and will not hesitate to take advantage of breakthroughs that have provable merit.

Costs Related to a New Library

Construction and Furnishing Costs

The Library undertook a survey of area libraries that had either expanded or built new facilities within the last five years. Twenty-three (23) responses were received. They showed a wide range of building activity, and they showed a wide range of costs. Some of the cost disparities were the result of overcoming problems unique to the particular building site. For example, Northbrook spent $250 per square foot for their facility, but much of the cost was to overcome the building site, which was on a flood plain. In some instances, libraries that extensively renovated an existing structure and put up a new addition could not break out the cost for new construction from the cost for renovation.

Nonetheless, clear patterns emerged, and with the help of additional information provided by Owner Services Group, Inc., we were able to arrive at a reasonable range of costs to use when estimating the cost of a new Park Ridge Public Library. Both the Library's survey and the OSG report are appended.

At this time (November 2000) after careful deliberation, the Library Board settled on a building construction cost of $165 per square foot ($13.2 million) plus $0.5 million for demolition of the existing structure ($13.7 million total). Estimated cost for new furnishings is $1.5 million. We estimate that approximately $2.0 million will be needed to relocate the Library during construction with actual costs being dependent upon the facility that is leased for the purpose. The estimated total cost is $17.2 million.

Operating Costs

We estimate that a Library of the size and description contained in these recommendations may (over the next 20 years) require a staff increase of 10 FTEs (full-time equivalent), which is an increase of 18% over current staffing. The actual number of FTEs required may vary depending on the final design of the facility.(All staff incraeses must be approved by teh City Council during budget hearings.)

We anticipate all other operating expenses to increase in the aggregate by not more than 20%.

Parking

The Library Board of Trustees has not made a recommendation concerning parking connected with the Library. Nonetheless, the Board has kept in mind that the need exists, not just for the Library but for Uptown in general. By including the Library in the Uptown Redevelopment process, parking issues will be thoroughly analyzed and discussed in the broader context of Uptown Redevelopment.

Summary

• The proposed new 80,000 square foot (now revised to 73,000 square feet) Library is needed for a number of reasons:
• to provide Park Ridge residents with a properly displayed quality collection of materials
• to provide adequate space for staff to perform their jobs effectively
• to provide a flexible, "smart" building that will serve the community's needs into the future
• to provide space within which to incorporate facilities that will make the Park Ridge Public Library a cultural center, technical center, and lifelong learning center as well as a repository for materials in various media.