I She reviewed several graphic illustration slides. She said the community showed
<br />2 overwhelming support for a centrally located library with easy public access. She said
<br />3 respondents wanted to be able to walk, bike, or bus, and the location was considered unique
<br />4 because it allows for connection to other activities and businesses. She said there were
<br />5 questions raised about whether there would be enough parking and how the traffic would be
<br />6 handled. She said there were also questions about the visibility of the library, given where it sits
<br />7 on the property.
<br />8 Katherine Taylor said the desired activities and services included the following:
<br />9 children's space, meeting /gathering spaces, books, technology, and technology training,
<br />10 creative spaces, display /exhibit space, and music space. She said there was a heavy focus on
<br />11 the desire for creative gathering spaces and children's spaces that encourage interaction and
<br />12 learning. She said the need for teen activities also came up repeatedly, as well as outdoor
<br />13 spaces and musical spaces. She said the middle school respondents wanted space for
<br />14 hanging out, gaming, and interacting with technology.
<br />15 She talked about the difference between a community library, branch library, and main
<br />16 library. She said the trend is to go away from the term "branch library," and to use the term
<br />17 community or neighborhood library, which puts the focus on the community it is serving. She
<br />18 said there are standard services that are offered, but there is other programming that is unique
<br />19 to the area. She said this community is different due to the diverse areas, such as Carrboro
<br />20 and Bingham Township.
<br />21 Katherine Taylor said the information was used to develop a conceptual program. She
<br />22 said this will give a square footage amount, chunks of space, and program allocations for each
<br />23 of those spaces. She said this starts with community size and population demographics, along
<br />24 with the public comments and feedback.
<br />25 She said the current recommendation, based on the feedback received, is a range of
<br />26 15,600 to 18,500 useable square footage, which equates to 19,500 to 23,000 gross square
<br />27 footage.
<br />28 She said the majority of this space is allocated to traditional program space; gathering
<br />29 spaces come in at 15 percent; "marketplace" comes in at 12 percent; creation spaces are 10
<br />30 percent; and 10 percent are non - public spaces.
<br />31 Katherine Taylor said the "marketplace" space is the main entry or hub where everything
<br />32 happens, and this can include a check in area, cafes, and gallery space. She said this is
<br />33 typically a very flexible space.
<br />34 She said the traditional space includes the adult, teen and children's space, including
<br />35 collections, seating, computers, study space, group space, interactive learning space, and
<br />36 gathering spaces. She said the creation spaces include training classes, and multipurpose
<br />37 labs.
<br />38 She said this library is unique due to its ability to house a "floating" collection, as well as
<br />39 its ability to house a teen collection, and children's learning and discovery space. She said this
<br />40 differs from a main library, as the main library should house the majority of the collections and
<br />41 be focused on administration. She said the Orange County and Chapel Hill libraries provide
<br />42 this traditional focus.
<br />43 Katherine Taylor said this library is also very unique due to its site location and its close
<br />44 proximity to the Chapel Hill Main Library. She said this allows for the ability to share physical
<br />45 resources, as well as e- content. She said this also allows the smaller community library to offer
<br />46 unique services.
<br />47 She said neighborhood libraries average 18,000 and 26,000 square feet. She noted
<br />48 that the existing Cybrary and Carrboro branch total 9,000 square feet, and this does not include
<br />49 restrooms, meeting space, teen collections, or staff space.
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