Branches to see expansion of services in each community
By Mary Wilson, mwilson@jcadvocate.com
For less than the price of a new hardback book,
Mid-Continent Public Library hopes to increase its operating levy by passing
Proposition L in the November 8 election. The resulting 1% property tax
increase upon passage would impact homeowners with homes valued at $150,000
approximately $22.80 per year. The impact approval of Proposition L would have
on local libraries would include building and renovating library branches and
maintaining or expanding library collections, services and programs.
System-wide, library users will see a growth in the services
offered through Mid-Continent. Grandview and South Kansas City residents can
expect to see changes at the three branches serving the area: Grandview, Blue
Ridge and Red Bridge.
“The thing that is specific to each branch is the facility
piece,” said Jim Staley, Community Relations and Planning Director for
Mid-Continent Public Library.
According to Staley, the Grandview branch is one of the few
locations that will receive an expansion. While plans are still in progress, it
will likely receive a new entrance on the front side of the building with the
addition of interior room into what is currently greenspace. One concept
includes added windows to increase natural light, with the addition of
study/collaboration rooms, a community room, outdoor space, interior
renovations and other enhancements.
“All around the system, we’re trying to get more light in
our buildings,” said Staley. “Most of the buildings were built at a time when
we wanted to limit the light because of the books. Now, with the ability to
coat windows and so on, we would prefer to build the buildings for people
instead of for books, which is what they were originally built for.”
Blue Ridge and Red Bridge will also receive enclosed meeting
spaces or community rooms. All three will also have two or three smaller rooms
big enough to accommodate small groups inside the library. Each building would
also receive a facelift.
“If a community group wants to come in and use the library,
it’s there,” said Staley. “We want the library to be an inviting place for
people to come in. While many of them are looking their age, we want people to
see the buildings and want to visit.”
The look of the Red Bridge branch will be influenced by the
rest of Red Bridge Shopping Center’s improvements currently under construction.
Red Bridge currently has Google Fiber lines, while Grandview and Blue Ridge do
not, but will receive them with passage of Proposition L. Plans also include
the addition of technology-related infrastructure, including power plugs and
internet ports.
“All of the improvements are essentially making the library
more functional for a modern library user,” said Staley. “We have people who
sit in their cars and use the Wi-Fi connections. If we added outdoor spaces,
the library would be useful even when it is closed.”
Due to transportation challenges in certain areas,
Mid-Continent would like to expand the Grow A Reader program with the Grow A
Reader bus, the Reading Rocket, an early-literacy mobile unit that can reach
kids that may not have access to the library otherwise.
“In some of the communities in this area, we have identified
there is a need for these types of services,” said Staley. “It’s just a matter
of getting the revenue to help support getting it in different communities.”
The Reading Rocket is being tested in Independence with
positive response from communities in that area, said Staley. Center, Hickman
Mills and Grandview school districts have partnered with Mid-Continent, and
Staley said that the library would like to continue to offer support to the
districts.
“All three districts, while they can’t formally endorse
Proposition L, have been very supportive,” said Staley.
The small business program has started to gain momentum in
the south, according to Staley, and that is another service enhancement that
voters can expect to see implemented. Other service enhancements include
increased support for seniors, expansion of literacy programs for children and
teens, increased community-driven programming, increased availability of books,
audio/visual, and digital items and expanded hours.
“We did 8,700 free tax-help programs for seniors last year,”
said Staley. Library-By-Mail currently serves homebound residents who can’t
make it into their local library branch, with 20,000 materials delivered to 370
customers.
“We’ll deliver books, music or movies right to their
doorstep,” said Emily Brown, Public Relations Coordinator for Mid-Continent
Public Library.
Each community will determine the expansion of library
hours, rather than a sweeping change across the board. The expansion of
specific services will also be dictated by local needs and wants. Library
resources will also be expanded, including books, digital resources, music,
movies and more.
Mid-Continent Public Library’s last tax levy was increased
in 1983. Over the next 15 years, the district population is forecasted to grow
by 1 million residents. To serve the growing communities, the library needs to
update and construct buildings, grow the collection of available resources, and
increase services requested by the community.
Proposition L’s exact ballot language on November 8 will be:
For the purpose of renovating and
replacing aging library facilities, enhancing spaces and programming for
children and adults, expanding services and collections to serve public demand,
and for the general operation of public libraries, shall there be an eight cent
tax increase over the thirty-two cent tax per hundred dollars assessed
valuation for Consolidated Library District #3, known as the Mid-Continent
Public Library?
A yes vote will include the renovation of 28 library
buildings and the construction of six new or replacement library buildings, along
with other expansions and investments. A no vote would minimize library
maintenance to basic repairs with the elimination of possible expansion,
possible reduction in branch hours of operation, staff, and scaled-back
internet bandwidth, decreased library outreach and partnership development and
services, and a reduction in the current investment in resources.
For more information, visit the library's website dedicated to Proposition L at: http://www.mymcpl.org/temp/levy/.
