Building For The Future

People who think of Kilgore Memorial Library as the "new library" might be surprised if reminded it is twenty-five years old. It has served the community well. High-use areas of the building are showing their age. Functions like internet access that did not exist when the building was designed and constructed are now in high demand.

With all those things in mind, the Library Board employed a consulting firm to review the building and library operations to provide recommendations on what to do to keep the building serviceable for the future. The consultants used surveys and public forums to gather community input.

After weighing comments from the surveys and public forums and drawing on their expertise, the library consultants have issued their report and recommendations. Overall they concluded the Kilgore Memorial Library building is adequate for the foreseeable future, with some alterations, and continued attention to building maintenance.

Their recommended structural alterations entail building a combination family / ADA restroom / accessible storm shelter in a portion of the staff work area.

Their space utilization recommendations include adding lounge type seating in the lobby area, major rearrangement of collection areas and study and computer seating, removing the partion dividing off the north-most "study room" to incorporate that space into the open area, and the use of flat cable wiring beneath carpet tile flooring to get electrical power widely distributed in seating areas. This will make it easier to use computers in all the seating areas in the public portion of the building.

In addition to the consultant's recommendations, the Library Board and staff recognize issues with area lighting, drafty doors, and single-pane glass which should also be addressed.

Although the total cost of all these items has not been determined, they will be more than can reasonably be expected to be absorbed in normal ongoing operating budgets. So the question arises how to pay for them.

Here's one opinion.

York has never had a concerted capital fund drive or bond issue for its public library. The "Woods Library" at 306 E. 7th was built in 1902 with the proceeds of a single bequest. A 1931 addition to that building and 1967 remodelling of the interior were accomplished without a bond issue or capital fund raising effort. Dr. Wm. Sherwood Kilgore's bequest paid the entire cost of construction and furnishing Kilgore Memorial Library, including land acquisition.

So how about a "thanks, Doc" fund to get these recommendations accomplished? The Kilgore Memorial Library Foundation exists to hold and distribute funds of this nature. A couple of years ago, the community raised funds to place a life-scale bronze sculpture on the library grounds in less than a year. We can surely do the same to keep our library building in good condition, and updated to meet current service needs.