Orange County NC Website
Browse       Search
a3 <br />Orange County Library Long-Range Facility Planning <br />• The design of the facility should take into account the different needs of the various <br />user populations, so that all will feel welcome <br />Appendix D summarizes a discussion with the Vice President of DTCC regarding some of <br />the above issues and specific requirements the Library would need to fulfill in its role as a <br />community college library. <br />Orange Coun!y Heritage Center <br />The 2001 Library Task Force recommended the establishment of an Orange County Heritage <br />Center to consolidate and preserve historical materials and to make them readily accessible to <br />researchers. This recommendation is reaffirmed in this report. <br />If a site is selected for a new Central Library in the downtown area, it is recommended that <br />the Heritage Center be housed in that library. If not, previous discussions identified the <br />location of Hassell and Tryon Streets as a preferred location. A building constructed there <br />and designed to reflect the historic character of the community would contribute to the appeal <br />of the downtown area. Another option is to locate the center in the current library facility, <br />thus reducing construction costs. If this option is chosen, environmental concerns must be <br />addressed and the facility renovated to be conducive to the preservation of archival materials. <br />One concern noted by staff is the amount of light coming into the main reading area, <br />resulting in deterioration of printed materials. <br />The Archival Task Force is in the process of inventorying materials that might be housed in <br />the facility. The types of materials already identified include books, periodicals, various <br />types of primary and secondary historic documents, maps, photographs, and organizational <br />records. Other possible resources include video and audio recordings, including collections <br />of oral history. In addition to housing the resources, the facility will require staff and <br />materials processing space, space for researchers, gathering spaces for symposiums and <br />speakers, display areas, and security including lockers for visitors' bags. <br />A private trust fund'in the amount of approximately $120,000 is available to support the <br />North Carolina Collection of the public library and could be applied to the establishment of <br />this center. <br />Hillsborough C brary or Neighborhood Branch <br />It is also recommended that, if a new central library is constructed outside of the downtown <br />area, the Heritage Center house a small neighborhood branch library to serve residents of <br />downtown Hillsborough. A substantial number of the current users of the Orange County <br />Library live downtown and value being able to walk to the facility. In addition, it would offer <br />service convenience to users of the Heritage Center and the opportunity for shared staff, <br />program room, and equipment. <br />It is estimated that a facility of 8,000 to 10,000 square feet would optimally serve both of <br />these functions (see Appendix E); however, a final determination on size depends on <br />decisions still to be made regarding the materials to be housed in the Heritage Center and the <br />goals for future collection development. A note regarding digitization of materials: it is <br />16