Ann Arbor library officials: 'We're no longer designing public library structures for the book'

The session was the third of three public meetings officials have organized recently to further gauge the public’s opinion, as voters would have to pass a $65 million bond proposal for construction in November should plans move forward.

“We want the library to provide 21st century service to the community and you can’t provide that in a mid-20th century building,” said Margaret Leary, president of the Ann Arbor District Library Board.

The downtown library originally was built in 1957. Major additions in 1974 and 1991 doubled the size of the building both times.

Currently, the library is 110,000 square feet. Officials want to build a new 160,000-square-foot building on the same property where the library sits now—which is owned by the library—at 343 S. Fifth Ave.

Library Director Josie Parker said they had considered renovating the space they have now—but a long-term cost analysis revealed that tearing down the current building and constructing a new one would be the most beneficial.

The building’s infrastructure is outdated and has required a series of major repairs to keep it functional, Parker said. However, the cumulative cost of “patching” up the problems has prevented the library from taking the next step, Parker said.

People that attended the public meetings were given tours of the library’s infrastructure in the basement - from heating and cooling units, water heaters and sump pumps to boilers. If the building was renovated or rebuilt, all new equipment would have to be purchased.

The most apparent problem seemed to be the closet-like room that had been transformed to store the library’s servers. Leaks from the ceiling put the servers at risk, said maintenance supervisor Andra Williams, and the air conditioning unit in the room that runs constantly also adds some unnecessary heat.

Leary also noted they can’t add electrical outlets to the building - but said the problems with the old building were more than just physical.

The downtown branch of the library receives about 600,000 visitors per year and is a “key element to the economic development of downtown,” Leary said.

Officials argued a new building would allow the library to provide a better range of services to its community, which could include:

• Quiet reading rooms
• Storage and public access to the Ann Arbor News archives in the downtown facility
• Group study and meeting rooms
• 400-seat auditorium
• Green building technology
• Americans with Disabilities Act-compliant restrooms throughout the building
• Separate designated spaces throughout the children’s section for play and group activities

“The book is with us, the book will be with us for a very long time,” Parker said. “However, we’re no longer designing public library structures for the book.”

A number of comments from the public at the meeting Wednesday night expressed skepticism that the library needed a new facility, and questioned the board about re-using or renovating the existing space.

“I have trouble funding to replace anything that’s usable,” said Ethel Potts of Ann Arbor.

Potts called attention to buildings across the country that are 300 to 400 years old and “perfectly usable.”

Alan Haber of Ann Arbor asked if the library would continue to allow people to take shelter during the daytime, make use of the bathrooms and other social service functions that the library has provided to people in need.

“All are welcome here,” Parker said, noting that nothing would change if a new library was constructed.

Re-designing the interior of the library would allow staff to have better lines of sight throughout the building, Parker said. Currently, security cameras have to be constantly monitored throughout the building.

The Ann Arbor District Library system is funded by a permanent millage. It is currently operating on a tax rate of 1.55 mills, which is 81 percent of the maximum voter-approved rate of 1.92 mills.

Three branch libraries were constructed using $24 million from the operating millage—when the library taxed the full 1.92 mills.

Should the library board decide to move forward with a construction project and ask for a bond millage on the November ballot, the full extent of the library’s existing operating millage would also be levied, Leary said. The ballot language would reflect the library board’s plans to either renovate or build anew.

A recent survey of likely voters in the Ann Arbor area showed about 60 percent would be in favor or lean in favor of a $65 million library bond proposal if it were on the ballot.