Agenda - 12-12-2006-9e - Laserfiche WebLink

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Orange County Library Long-Range Facility Planning feet would' be needed. Orange County should continue to irrvestigate co-lacatiar of the brooch in the new Eflar:d-Clieeks Middle School irr fire short term if public library riser service creeds and space regrrirenrents can be n:ei fvitlr drat arrangement. Cheeks Township is expected to experience considerable growth aver the next 20 years, particularly along I-85 in the areas of Efland and Mebane. The area is home to commuters wha warlc as far away as Greensboro in one direction and the Research Triangle Parlc in the other. The County has targeted this area for economic and industrial development. With the opening of new companies, residential population may exceed projections. The 2001 Library Taslc Force identified the area as a site for a library branch. 50% of the population of fihe Township had Orange County Library cards at that time and there was considerable vocal support far a local branch. The Task Force then r~ecomrnended that services be provided in alibrary co-located with the Efland Cheeks Elementary School. This facility turned out not to be conducive to a co-located arrangement. A new Efland Cheeks Middle School is now planned for the area with the passibility that a joint use facility be considered during the design phase. This could provide an opportunity to address the service needs of the township sooner rather than later; however, as with the Carrboro situation, it may provide only an interim solution depending on file planning criteria used, Lessons learned from the co-location experience at McDougle Middle School should be applied so that public access is not limited: The computer system should ensure that public hibrary patrons are part of the larger public library system and have easy access to all resources in the system. As with the other facilities desczibed above, the consultant developed a set of basic requirements for this branch using a proposed design population based an 2025 projections and potential functions to be accommodated in the facility. Appendix A itemizes these requirements and functions Appendix G calculates the proposed size of the facility based on the set of requirements and functions. ^ Tliat the population grafatlr in the Cedar Grove Toivnslrip be rnanitored acrd plans be cortsirlered to erparrd fire library facility in the Orange Corrrrty Services Cer:ter as indicated. The Cedar Grove Library opened in 2004 in a facility pausing other Orange County services. It serves a very rural area ofthe northenl county.. The facility is adequate to address current demand; however, the population over a 20-year period is projected to grow to a bevel that could warrant service expansion during this pezYOd. ^ Tlzat rural conenurnity modes be evaluated, for fire establislunerrt of cybraries to provide access to more distant library resources; or, alternatively, reestablisle bookmobile service with Internet access to corurty areas not served by arc accessible library facility. The 1998 Cncidelines far Nartlr Carolina Public .Libraries recommend that 90% of the service population be no more than a 15-minute drive from a library and that those wha lack regular transportation to a library be served by a bookmobile oz• other outreach service. The a~ 18