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Library Expansion Project at Standstill
Yes To Our Library supporters met with City Council Monday night, but were not able to move the proposal forward or reach a compromise.
Young Adult Librarian Christi Showman-Farrar spoke in favor of the library addition, noting that computer use has gone up 700 percent. "Here in Woburn, we have nine members of City Council," she said. "Imagine if, next year, we suddenly had double the aldermen. Or triple. Imagine if you will, what it would be like if there were suddenly 72 aldermen. Would you all be required to share the number of chairs here in chambers? Or would the city build a larger room with more seats?"
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The Woburn Public Library expansion project is at an impasse after City Council members said Monday they could not support the current pricetag.
The proposal is for a $24.4 million addition to the 131-year-old public library building on Pleasant Street.
“In my heart, I want to support this,” said Alderman-at-Large Richard Haggerty. “But we have to make determinations based on what we can afford… At this point in time, I can’t support something like this. But I hope it’s a first step toward finding a common area.”
Much of the City Council agreed with Haggerty, citing the group’s need to be “fiscally responsible.”
“If money were not an object, I think we would all fully endorse it,” said Ward 4 Alderman Michael Anderson. “I hope going forward, we’ve started the dialogue, [and] we can take the pricetag in consideration a little bit more.”
According to the Library Trustees, the construction cost of the current addition proposal is $19.5 million, with an additional $4.9 million in soft costs and contingencies. The Massachusetts Board of Library Commissioners has awarded the city a $5 million grant, based on the library addition meeting Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) and state requirements. Between the grant funding and the trustees’ fundraising, the cost to the city would be approximately $16.7 million.
“I wish we could bring a project forward that would pass muster and get the support of the mayor, city council and citizens of the city. That being said, I couldn’t support something that doesn’t garner that universal support,” said Ward 7 Alderman Ray Drapeau.
According to figures from the Yes To Our Library group, City Auditor Gerald Surette said the cost to the average homeowner per year would be approximately $67 or $1.29 per week.
In the past, Mayor Scott Galvin has said that the city could afford $5 million for the library project, but no more.
“That is not chump change, that is a lot of money,” said Ward 5 Alderman Darlene Mercer-Bruen. “I will help, I will do whatever you need me to do to compromise and get to somewhere we can all agree on… The fact of the matter is, even if we want [the current proposal,] we can’t afford it. We have to get to where we can afford it.”
But library supporters say the proposal is at the minimum it can be at, while still receiving the $5 million grant from the state.
“We have been confronted with some objections,” said Library Trustee Richard Mahoney. “First, we are told it is too much money. Next we hear it is much too big and has too many bells and whistles… Is a safe and healthy environment for public and staff a bell or whistle? Our design is not extravagant.”
Ward 1 Alderman Rosa DiTucci, a former library trustee, said she is aware of the “deplorable” conditions at the library.
“I don’t know where it’s going to go, I don’t exactly know how it’s going to proceed if the mayor is saying no and the city council has no authority to appropriate money,” she said. “Woburn deserves better. The people in this city deserve better than what they have.”
Library Director Kathy O’Doherty said the building has reached a “crisis point.”
“Areas are closed for lack of ADA compliance or safety issues,” she added. “This compounds our space problems… The building is beautiful, but even landmarks need help.”
Ward 2 Alderman Richard Gately said the council is aware that the building needs help.
“We know that we have to do something about the library,” he said. “My great-grandfather was a stonecutter on the library and I think he would turn over if we didn’t do something about it.
“It comes down to dollars and cents,” he added. “But at least the communication is open now.”
| Library Proposal Cost | |
| Items | Cost (millions) |
| Project construction | $19.5 |
| Project contingencies/soft costs | $4.9 |
| Total project cost | $24.4 |
| State grant | - $5.0 |
| Library fundraising | - $2.7 |
| Net city contribution | $16.7 |
Source: Yes to Our Library
| Average cost per household, based on a $17 million bond | |
| Per year | $67.00 |
| Per quarterly tax bill | $16.75 |
| Per month | $5.58 |
| Per week | $1.29 |
Source: Yes to Our Library
What do you think of the impasse between city officials and the library?
Tell us in the comments.
Thanks. We'll email you the next time we update this story.
Maureen Foley Cioni
7:00 am on Tuesday, January 11, 2011
For less than a cup of coffee per a day in taxes we could help rebuild the library? Count me in.
William
7:06 am on Tuesday, January 11, 2011
With rusty water, school building issues, long term debt obligations, non-taxpayers draining our cities resources etc, etc... I think the the city has acted like any fiscally responsible homeowner.
I'd love to put an addition on the Library but to do so we need to cut spending (which they are unwilling /unable to do) or raise revenue (which at this point in time would be irresponsible).
Scott Boag
6:15 pm on Tuesday, January 11, 2011
I don't think raising taxes an extra $67.00 a year would be all that irresponsible. I guess it all depends on what you value. And if you want to manufacture even more non-taxpayers, go ahead and penny-pinch our way out of building community and education. When people are out of work is exactly the time when they need resources like the library the most.
William
12:57 am on Wednesday, January 12, 2011
How many tax paying homes does Woburn have? How many decades will we be spending $67.00? Is this a flat rate or will it increase from year to year?
A practical approach would be to take the 5 million the city is willing to spend, overhaul and update an existing city building (the Clapp school) to house the children's Library and computer/Internet services department. Many large cities have satellite Library service locations. Building a multi-million dollar Library megaplex is wonderful but its building it and maintaining it during economic downturns like 2011 which make it difficult for the majority of tax-payers to accept.
Danielle Masterson
9:53 am on Wednesday, January 12, 2011
The chart explaining average taxpayer cost is for a 20-year, $17 million bond.
Christi
10:28 am on Thursday, January 13, 2011
One other thing to remember about the bond estimate is that it's based on an "average" home value of $340,000. If your home is valued at less than that your share of the bond would be lower. *And* the $67 will decrease over time. Interest will get paid down, and additional Library fundraising can pay off the bond faster.
Melissa, in her comment below, mentioned that it's NOT a good idea to have a satellite location. One of the great things about the current plan is that it won't increase Library staffing (a cost that the City has to pay yearly, not once). Having a branch library would cost the City in both staffing (salary and benefits) *and* utilities and upkeep. Now THAT would be fiscally irresponsible.
Tracy
8:37 am on Tuesday, January 11, 2011
So, we'll just tell the handicapped child who asks to use the bathroom that it's not fiscally responsible to give him access to a toilet?
Melissa
8:38 am on Tuesday, January 11, 2011
I don't think a fiscally responsible homeowner would let their "home" stay in such a state of disrepair. We are not just talking about an addition. We are talking about renovating a 130 year old historic landmark.
Raquelle Matos
9:33 am on Tuesday, January 11, 2011
I fully support the expansion and renovation. I'm very glad I attended this meeting because I got a lot of information that I didn't have previously and it was very interesting to see both sides. It was a bit frustrating to see the council push back so much but I think this meeting was a step in the right direction and I hope both the library committee and the council can come to some mutual agreement that will benefit the library as well as the town.
Lynne
1:43 pm on Tuesday, January 11, 2011
The only way to get this project moving is for EVERY person who is in favor of it to call, write, or visit the mayor as soon as possible!
Melissa
8:13 am on Wednesday, January 12, 2011
It makes no sense to split the library in half and move to another location. That would increase the staff, probably double it, which they are not willing to do since the library is already down 3 people and unable to hire more due to a hiring freeze in the city. Also, families would have to make separate trips to the library. Every single family I see come into the library uses the children's room as well as adult circulation.
Sonja Ferraguto
10:05 am on Wednesday, January 12, 2011
How much of the original building will be used for library purposes? Would it make sense to use the building for another purpose and plan for a library in another location altogether? I have taken tours with my children on field trips and every inch of the exterior has unique features. I admit I haven't seen the plans up close, but I can't imagine changing anything...can you picture an addition on the Trinity Church in Boston? As for the taxes, I wouldn't live anywhere else...no neighboring community has the services Woburn has (free schoolbus, trash pick-up, recycling, etc) for what we pay. Supporters say they are willing to pay more, but Woburn voters can be finicky...they vote for a new high school, then vote out the mayor who supported it because of higher taxes. I don't blame Mayor Galvin and the city council for sticking to their guns and being fiscally cautious.
Melissa
11:14 am on Wednesday, January 12, 2011
The entire original building would still be used for library purposes. Look at the plans up close - it does not alter the integrity of the original design. They did a similar addidion to the Quincy library - another historic landmark by the same original architect and it is beautiful. I have heard other people suggest abandoning the original library for a new location and I am just curious - what do you suggest happens to that building? What would it be used for? Would they just let it crumble to the ground because even if it wasn't a library it would still need to be taken care of.
William
12:43 pm on Thursday, January 13, 2011
The arguments used to not have a satellite location are weak when compared with the cost and construction of a Mega-plex Library.
The staff that run the respective departments (children's department, computer services department, research material and the minuteman request services) could easily work at the Clapp school. No extra staff needed. This would leave the current Library in it's historical form. The library could house adult fiction and act mostly as a Museum.
I go to the Library often and have yet to see the actual sit down area "crowded" yet we need to over double it's size? The areas of need / that are crowded are the children's dept, computer services and storage. All of which can be easily handled at the Clapp school location.
I found this to be interesting as well, The city of Boston has many satellite branches yet they are closing some not only because of budget concerns but lack of use. Yes, our population is greater than ever but with technology, like being able to gather limitless information on ones cell phone for example, the need for a Library is a stagnant one and will decline over time.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Decline_of_Library_Usage
Lynne
4:08 pm on Thursday, January 13, 2011
William,
One of the first things anyone who does research regularly (teacher, student, librarian) will tell you is that wikipedia is one of the LEAST reliable sources of information on the internet. While it can be used to point you in a direction, it is not an acceptable source to cite. If you watched the presentation about the Library either at the City Council meeting or on cable tv, you would see that use of the Woburn Library is up in all areas. Libraries in general, and Woburn Library specifically, adapt to community needs.
When the WPL building opened in 1879, men were the only ones allowed to take out materials. Librarians had to retrieve those materials from the stacks. Women were given consideration only in that a Ladies Reading Parlor was placed in the Octagon Room. There, the Ladies were allowed to view the art work. We know, of course, women are now fully allowed to use the Library. Children were given no consideration until 1900. Then a small corner was carved out for them amidst the adult collection. The Children's Room grew and grew until, in 1970, it was moved to the basement of the building taking over the public meeting space that had been used by AA for many years. These are just two ways the Library has adapted to the needs of the community.
Lynne
4:27 pm on Thursday, January 13, 2011
Also, your argument for the use of the Clapp School does not take into consideration the actual staffing of the Library. Currently, due to the hiring freeze in the City, the Library is operating with 3 fewer people than needed. Staff from each area covers every other area. Providing coverage for all areas, Reference, Children's, Circulation, Computers, while maintaining the continuity of those services would require some kind of instantaneous travel between locations. Have you perfected the "Beam me up, Scotty" technology that would be required?
The Children's Room was housed in a separate location for a short time while the basement was made ready. Parents who wished to bring their children to the Library, and also get a couple of books for themselves, complained about the difficulty of having to go to two different places. And, do you think that all computer users are not interested in reading fiction?
Finally, the Trustee funds that have been used to maintain the Library are specific to that building. If it no longer exists as a public library, those bequests are lost. Who will be responsible for staffing your proposed museum? The same people who are trying to staff a different building a mile away? And, the Clapp is a school building, meaning many classrooms. Without major renovation, who will supervise each and every one of those rooms? Where does that money come from?
The proposal is not a mega-plex, it is a much need expansion and renovation for use by all.
Scott Boag
11:47 pm on Thursday, January 13, 2011
William said:
> Yes, our population is greater than ever but with technology, like being able to gather limitless information on ones cell phone for example, the need for a Library is a stagnant one and will decline over time.
I'm a technologist, and I can tell you how dangerous of a statement this is. And just wrong, given the cost of technology (and it's not going to continue to go down). If we all just press our faces to our laptops and smartphones, sit inside and watch movies on NetFlix, get in our bubble-cars to go anywhere, how sad a world it will be. The state of technology should be a primary driver to build physical locations where children, teenagers, and adults, can all intermingle and learn together. I can tell you, my town in Colorado built a new library in the 70s, that essentially saved my life. It wasn't just the books... it was the librarian, and the people I saw and had discussions with, and the mere fact that it was the one totally positive and welcoming place where I could always go.
When I went to the Winchester library a few months ago... ah, that is the environment that I remember being in my library. It was bustling and positive. High school students streamed in to meet and do their homework. Meetings were taking place. All sorts of things were happening. And, no, I don't want to go to the Winchester library... I want a library I can walk to, and that my children can walk to.
William
6:00 pm on Thursday, January 13, 2011
Lynne,
Instead of responding to the valid points and facts about the article I posted you discredit it with just your opinion?
It's this very "we need this expansion or else" attitude that turn taxpayers, the majority of whom don't set foot in the Library, off from ever approving such funding .
The Clapp school can be turned into a modern library. In fact make it THE Library and have but 2 books in circulation at the Historic landmark (so as to maintain its "legal" status as a Library). The current building could then be a museum, reading area, meeting area, function hall. Have it open 2 times a week and the clapp school (the New main library) open the rest. (all while using the same staff) The options are limitless but all we have heard is this ONE expansion option? Saying that a handful of parents will complain that they can't do one stop FREE library shopping is no reason to spend 10s of millions either. There seems to be an endless list of "scare statements". Statements like " the trustee funds will be lost". How is that? The simplest definition of "library" can be met to maintain funding. This and other such statements are clearly meant to goat taxpayers into voting for a project that they have not seen any options for.
Lynne
11:28 pm on Thursday, January 13, 2011
http://www.paulhensel.org/teachpaper.html
http://dl.dropbox.com/u/11996071/Final%20Version%20Alternative%20Sites%20Report.pdf
http://dl.dropbox.com/u/11996071/Final%20Version%20Alternative%20Sites%20Report.pdf
Melissa
6:56 pm on Thursday, January 13, 2011
That is an article about Academic Library use. Your original points about staffing 2 separate locations are not valid as they require staff to be in two locations at the same time. As for the Clapp School being the main library - if the library doesn't fit in it's present location, how is it going to fit at the Clapp School? I don't think it would without substantial renovations. It's costing 20+ million to build the new Goodyear school, so how much would it cost to make the Clapp school into a "new" library? Who is going to staff the "new" museum and what for? Also, the options are not limitless when it comes to a national historic landmark and I'm pretty sure it requires more than 2 books in circulation to maintain library accreditation.
William
10:03 pm on Thursday, January 13, 2011
Melissa,
You said,"I'm pretty sure it requires more than 2 books in circulation to maintain library accreditation". Maybe 4 books? That is some serious information that is lacking; Especially when "we will lose our trust fund if we don't have an Accredited library at that location" is being sited as one of the main reasons for going forward with this project.
We can have two Library locations with more hours and days open at the one that requires more services and less for the one that needs to simply keep an "accreditation". When one is open the other is closed; This will prevent double staffing. Similar to having one Art teacher for a number of schools.
We don't know what it would cost to turn the Clapp school into a modern Library but it would be nice to have had that information. Unfortunately, no alternatives were presented. What we have here is one option (Library Mega-plex) with no alternatives, created by the very people that will benefit the most if such a budget is passed.
I use the Library and I want upgrades to be made. However, the way in which this was put forth will be sure to hinder any funding. Not everyone wants to alter our Historical landmark and not everyone uses the Library.
Scott Boag
11:43 pm on Thursday, January 13, 2011
Gosh, you're serious? The Clapp School? When you have that gorgeous place near the middle of town? You want to turn it into a dead museum? Then you'll say it's too expensive to keep up the museum, and tell us to tear her down!
I really think about what kind values each of us have, what kind of town we want to live in. If you want to form community, draw kids to a positive environment, enrich and preserve the history of Woburn, then upgrade the library. If you want Woburn to be just a place in the middle of Burlington and Winchester, with the center of town just a place to drive through, and the residents increasingly lower income because of the look and feel of the town, then, by all means, kill the library project. I, for one, don't think I'll be going to the Clapp School for my library needs.
I look on the library as an important investment. If you want to quote Wikipedia, there is this: Holt, Glen. Measuring Outcomes: Applying Cost-Benefit Analysis to Middle-Sized and Smaller Public Libraries. Library Trends; Winter2003, Vol. 51 Issue 3, p424, 17p. It apparently says "In various cost-benefit studies libraries continue to provide an exceptional return on the dollar." (But, it's apparently only in hard-copy form. It would be great if someone knew how to get a hold of it.
Woburn Public Library
12:33 pm on Friday, January 14, 2011
Thank you for your comments, Scott.
Anyone who would like to get a copy of the article mentioned above can do so by using their library card to access the Library's online databases:
http://find.galegroup.com/gtx/infomark.do?&contentSet=IAC-Documents&type=retrieve&tabID=T002&prodId=AONE&docId=A102270886&source=gale&srcprod=AONE&userGroupName=wob&version=1.0
William
6:28 am on Friday, January 14, 2011
Scott,
Winchester has double /triple the taxes, few services and no State of the Art High school/ school system. No wonder they are all heading to the Library. Woburn is an oasis of affordability in yet provides more value than any community I can think of.
Winchester is not far at all and last I checked; They as well as our library are open to all.
Melissa
7:54 am on Friday, January 14, 2011
William - there are specifics for library accreditation. I did not have that information in front of me and did not want to misquote or cite incorrect articles. I know the information is available if you want to inform yourself. I don't consider that plan a "Library Megaplex" and the people who would benefit most are the citizens of Woburn.
Bob
10:19 pm on Friday, January 14, 2011
Rather than go on for months or years about the pro's and con's of building a new Library, why not set up a building fund at a local Bank, and while everyone is weighing in on an opinion, we can donate or not as we wish. In this way we will find out if Woburn citizens can afford to back up their rhetoric with a donation rather than be forced into a donation by additional taxation.
A "can't afford higher taxes of any amount" resident.