Agenda - 11-09-2006-1 Space Needs report

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Orange County Library L.ong-Range Facility Planning unlikely that space requirements will be substantially reduced by the electronic formats. Space will still be required for the preservation of original valuable documents and materials not easily digitized . o That the Orange County Public Library combine the collections, staff, and services presently located at McDougle Middle School and the Century Center, and establish one branch library facility to serve the Town of Carrboro, western unincorporated areas of the Chapel .Hill Township, and the southern area of Bingharn Township. It is estimated that given the current 20 year population projections, a newly constructed ,facility of 25, 000 square ,feet would be needed. Residents of Carrboro have for many years depended on the Chapel Hill Public Library for library. service and have been seeking a more accessible public library facility. To respond to these requests, the , Orange County Public Library first opened a branch in the media center at McDougle Middle School . More recently, with support from the Town of Carrboro, it has added a Cybrary downtown to complement hours and services at the school . Although the present facilities are innovative approaches to addressing critical needs for library services, access and resources are limited . The public library at the Middle School operates only during the hours school is not in session . The opening of the Cybrary is an attempt to increase access and extend hours available , but staffing, collections, and services are very limited . The Carrboro Library Workgroup has recently recommended that a stand -alone branch library of 6 , 000- 8 , 000 square feet replace these two facilities ,. As the Orange County Library Task Force reviewed this situation with the consultant, it agreed that the need for service extends beyond the town limits of Carrboro and determined that the design population for a new facility should include the broader region of Southwest Orange County and discussed its potential role as a regional branch library similar to those in Wake County. As with the central library, the consultant developed a set of basic requirements for the branch using the proposed design population (including 20-year projections for the broader Southwest Orange population) and identified potential functions to be accommodated in the facility. Appendix A itemizes these requirements and functions . Appendix , F calculates the proposed size of the facility based on the set of requirements and functions . The resulting optimal size for a newly constructed facility is 25 , 000 square feet . Alternatives to constructing a facility of this size immediately include the following . ■ Leasing a smaller facility and moving to larger facilities as needs indicate ■ Constructing a smaller facility but locating it on a site which has space for an expanded facility o That the Orange County Public Library establish a branch library to serve Cheeks Township, its size dependent on the tinting of the opening of the library and subsequent changes in population projections for the township. It is estimated that, given the current 20 year population projections, a newly constructed facility of 10, 000 square 17