Board to Pursue Countywide Bond Issue for Improvements
The Geauga County Public Library has decided to ask voters in November to pass a bond issue to fund needed improvements to its buildings, with eyes especially fixed on Bainbridge.
The Geauga County Public Library has decided to ask voters in November to pass a countywide bond issue to fund needed improvements to its buildings, with eyes especially fixed on Bainbridge.
Library Director Ed Worso told Geauga County Commissioners at their March 28 meeting the library’s seven-member board of trustees initiated a facilities review process last August and has decided to place a 0.5-mill bond issue on the ballot in November for improving the facilities of all Geauga County Public Library locations.
“After six months of taking a look at what we have, and the state of affairs, we came to the determination that we need to do something for a lot of our buildings, particularly Bainbridge,” Worso said, according to the audio recording of the meeting.
The system previously completed an interior “makeover” of the Chardon branch, but Worso told the commissioners the library is still too small for the community that it is serving.
“But the biggest issue is Bainbridge,” he explained, adding he had a PowerPoint presentation on his computer from 1999 concluding the branch was too small.
“It’s only gotten worse since,” he added.
County Commissioner Walter “Skip” Claypool asked Worso to talk about the anticipated improvements.
“Well, specifically, Bainbridge first because Bainbridge is the most pressing. It’s a 10,000-square-foot building right now and we purchased the adjacent property in 2014 or 2013 in plans for this,” Worso said. “We’re looking at a 25,000- to 30,000-square-foot facility there.”
He added the library system also is looking at having a dedicated facility in Thompson Township. Currently, the Thompson Library Station is located in Ledgemont Elementary School on Burrows Road.
“It’s sort of off the beaten path. It’s in a school and has limited hours,” explained Worso. “There’s really nothing else serving that entire Northeast corner of the county. So, we’re looking at something on the square. We’ve looked at properties.”
All other locations would be updated as well, he added.
“One of the big things I want to do is turn the (administration) center into a public space, where people, particularly the folks who work down there — the hospital, JFS — where they can pick up books and check out stuff, have some computers available, meeting room space and things like that,” Worso said. “Make it a ‘public’ building instead of a public building — something that people can use.”
Commissioner Tim Lennon asked whether in today’s technologically advanced world, with computers and most everything available online, libraries would be getting smaller.
“It’s actually the reverse,” Worso said. “The trend is a place for people to be, to get information, storytimes, community programming, that’s the model that we’ve gone toward.”
He explained the libraries’ electronic circulation is “pretty steady,” but the system has “a really good collection (of materials) and it is in high demand and heavily used.”
Commissioner Ralph Spidalieri asked whether “design and build” of the new facilities would lure more kids into the libraries and give them something to do.
“It seems more and more everyday, where do kids go and what do they do. I think that everybody is kind of buried in their iPhones, texting, Instagram and all this other stuff, and I just watch it with my daughter and her friends, and there’s like no communication face-to-face,” he said, adding how many bookstores have things like coffee shops that have become a gathering place.
“You’re hitting the nail on the head,” Worso told him. “That is exactly what I’m looking at, to create a community place for people to be in, not just the kids, but everyone from what we call birth to the grave.”
Claypool asked Worso if this was a “Field of Dreams” situation, as in, “if you build it, they will come,” or if he has done actual demand analysis that indicates they need more room to accommodate the inflow of people.
Worso reiterated the Bainbridge branch in inadequate. It has one meeting room and no study space.
“In Bainbridge, there’s a high demand for tutoring, generally speaking, all summer and in the school year,” said Assistant Director Kris Carroll. “There’s a lot of tutors in there working with students and have absolutely no private tutor rooms or study rooms that a lot of libraries have. So, they’re out on the floor trying to get this done.”
She added the one meeting room also serves as the storytime room, and it’s almost not tenable because of the high public demand to use the meeting room space as well as library programming.
“The meeting room is almost always at capacity,” she said.
Claypool also asked if the board it was going to target the Bainbridge community for funding the new facility as opposed to passing a countywide levy that would increase taxes for all residents.
Historically, Worso explained if a community wanted a library building, the board would target that community for funding. The Middlefield branch was the last new facility, built in 2001, funded by residents in the Cardinal school district.
In 2013, former GCPL Director Deborah O’Connor told Bainbridge Township Trustees the library board hoped to triple the size of the Bainbridge facility.
A new building at the time would cost about $12 million, she had said, explaining it would be funded by either a 10-year 1.2-mill operating levy or 0.6-mill levy over 20 years.
Residents living in the Kenston school district and in South Russell Village would vote on the issue and, if was approved, pay for the facility, she told trustees. However, nothing ever came of those discussions.
Worso told commissioners he did meet with Kenston Schools officials as a first step to attempt to remedy the problems at Bainbridge Public Library in a targeted manner, but later reflected all system facilities need improvements such as new carpeting and windows.
In addition, Geauga West Library needs some space as well, said Worso, adding he needs to spend some money at the administration center to make it a public space.
Worso said Geauga West Library, built in 1989, is the system’s “favorite” building and is one of the best designs, but the children’s section is too small. The board has engaged the same architect for the proposed facilities.
“But, we also want to have community conversations to see what the community wants, which is where all this is starting,” he said.
