Another New Library Concept

Today (November 30) there is a public meeting to discuss the plans for a replacement building for the Highland Library.  The Highland replacement building is not new, but a remaking of an existing structure. It would be four times the size of the present library and sited a few blocks from the current downtown location, adjacent to the Hudson Valley Rail Trail, but with no sidewalks--somewhat equivalent to relocating the Pleasant Valley Free Library halfway up West Road (although I believe that there are now plans for using Recovery Act money for new sidewalks). Financing for the Highland building would have to come from a $6.6 million bond that would need approval from the voters.

Two elements of this plan strike me as relevant to our situation in Pleasant Valley--the financing and the architect.

Highland can use a 25-year bond for $6.6 million  to pay the majority of the costs for refurbishing the building because it is a School District library instead of a free association library.  Pleasant Valley does not have that option, although we could get a long-term mortgage if we had the down payment; we might need to get the voters to approve a rise in operating costs for a mortgage. Surprisingly, when the bond is spread out over 25 years, the annual cost is not terrible.  The estimate is $78 a year for a household.  Highland has raised $200,000 outside the bond that would be the equivalent of a down payment for our situation.

Of course, no plan proposed for expanding the Pleasant Valley Library comes near the projected cost of the Highland library's $6.8 million.  We are hoping to keep our cost at less than half that amount, perhaps as low as $2 million.  Mortgage rates probably will not stay as low as they are now, but let's estimate a 30-year mortgage at 5%, which would for Pleasant Valley cost each household about $50 per year.  The total expenditure could be reduced with a 15-year mortgage, but the per household rate would rise to about $75 a year, the same general amount as for Highland households.

The other facet of interest is that the architect involved in Paul Mays, one of the several architects that Pleasant Valley has been interviewing for reworking plans for our Library.  He plans to be present at the meeting this evening to answer residents' questions about the plan, which seems like a definite benefit for the library and for the town.  Mr. Mays lives north of Albany, so he is taking a substantial trip to be present.

Good luck to Highland.

Library Board Meets on June 17 and again June 21

The Pleasant Valley Free Library Board of Trustees met for its regular monthly meeting on Thursday,June 17.  There were several items of particular concern.  In no particular order

• Although it is important to win a 414 funding vote in November so that the Library will have sufficient funds for operating in 2011 and beyond, the funding issue will not be on the ballot unless sufficient signatures from Pleasant Valley voters are collected.  The petition drive is off to a very slow start--ideally we need about 500 more signatures by July 1 than we have now.  All the Trustees present at the meeting eligible to sign petitions took blank ones with them to gather signatures in their local neighborhoods.  We hope to have more of a petition presence at the Library in the next two weeks as well.
• The Library now has a new Young Adult section where the reference section used to be.  Because of the Internet, fewer students or other patrons actually use reference books to seek information. The most useful reference titles have been shelved among the nonfiction and for the first time are available for checking out by patrons (for one week at a time).
• The Dutchess County Executive William Steinhaus has removed the payments that the County has in the past provided to individual libraries.  For Pleasant Valley, this means a loss of $6,000 during 2010 that will have to be somehow replaced in the remaining six months of the year.  The Finance Committee will meet soon to seek ways to solve this unexpected problem.  It should be noted that in the past the Children's Programs at all libraries were required to say "Funded by County Executive William Steinhaus" in all announcements.  This year the Library Directors have agreed to change this to "NOT Funded by County Executive William Steinhaus."
• The Building Committee requested a special meeting to consider major changes in direction for the Library Expansion program. The special meeting on this topic was set for Monday, June 21.  As with all Board of Trustees regular meetings, residents of Pleasant Valley may attend if they wish.
• The Library expects to participate in Pleasant Valley Days this September in various ways, perhaps including a Float as well as a table and a Friends book sale.  More details later.

The next regular meeting of the Board of Trustees will skip July for a summer vacation and take place on August 5.  But don't forget the special meeting on June 21.

Library Advisory Meeting, April 17, 2010

This meeting was attended by Former Pleasant Valley Supervisor Penny Hickman, State Assemblyman Marc Molinaro, and Millbrook architect Ed Loedy from the advisors. Library Building Committee members in attendance were Pleasant Valley Library Trustees Dave Kruger, Steve MacNish, Kathy Morris, and Bryan Bunch and Pleasant Valley Library Director Daniela Pulice. We also had a visitor, Kay Shaeffer, who is a Library Director in Illinois.   We met from 4:00 pm to about 5:30 pm. 

The Library Committee thanked Marc Molinaro for his contributions in the form of member items in the past year, which helped pay for our new sidewalk along the side of the building and will also help pay for redoing the floor downstairs, which is sufficiently uneven to constitute a safety hazard.  

We discussed possible funding sources for future expansion of the Library building. Molinaro reported that the legislature has just approved the Dutchess Local Development Authority, which is designed solely for the purpose of lending construction money to nonprofits in Dutchess County.  Hickman pointed out that the library can obtain a Community Development Block Grant of up to $150,000, repeatable in a second year in the same amount if needed, to improve handicapped access.  The Library committee noted that we had previously received a positive reception from the Christopher and Dana Reeve Foundation for a grant for handicapped access.  It was believed that the Reeve Foundation might contribute as much as $200,000 to improve access with an elevator and other improvements.

Molinaro said that the annual $14 million for library construction awarded by the State was going to continue annually despite the financial problems of the State and that we should be applying for part of that every year.  Also he urged us to apply for a direct U.S. earmark with Congressman Scott Murphy as soon as possible--deadline for next year is September.  Congressman Murphy has already earmarked funds for two libraries in his district.

The Library building needs many changes to be fully handicapped accessible. Not only does the building need an elevator that would reach the second floor, but also the ramp and side door need to be rebuilt completely. Inside the Library building the doors are too narrow, and the Library does not meet handicapped requirements for space between the stacks or for their height.  Also, the Library does not have a handicapped-accessible restroom.  

Even though Loedy thought we might be able to build an elevator by itself for as little as $100,000, it was clear that we had many needs for the handicapped that would require considerable amounts of money to fulfill. Penny urged the Library to hire a grant writer to help us achieve the financial support necessary--perhaps the same one that the Town is currently using.

The suggestions for handicapped improvements were based upon improving the existing two-story building that was formerly the Manse for the Presbyterian Church and that was converted to Library use in 1972.  Although the Library has recently invested perhaps $100,000 already in improvements to this building, and simply to make it handicapped accessible would require twice that much investment or more, it was not clear to the group that keeping the present building was the best solution for modernizing and expansion.

One idea suggested by Hickman was to tear down the existing building but make a new building match the outer appearance of this one.  Loedy said we might keep the front and driveway side intact as facades and slip a new building behind them. He plans to work with the Library Director to produce sketches of the building with a separate elevator and a one-story addition with a larger footprint to replace the present one-story addition that houses the stacks.  Also Loeday will look at what might be done to replace the two-story building and maintain its appearance.

The Library Committee will meet again soon for further planning.  We hope also to have a second advisory session with other Town leaders

Library Growth Requires Building Expansion

The past decade has seen phenomenal growth in library use—at the Pleasant Valley Free Library, circulation for 2009 was up 13% over 2008, for example. Free computers, DVDs of movies and books, and Wi-Fi account for higher levels of library use also. In Pleasant Valley, we ran out of space for expansion ten years ago. Since then we have been forced to discard a book for every new one purchased. We desperately need to expand the usable building space. In the past few years we have instituted appeals, fundraising events, and ways to contribute to our fund for building expansion online. So far these efforts have produced thousands of dollars, almost all from Pleasant Valley Library patrons, but we are still a long way from funding building expansion.

The building we now have—the Manse—is owned by the Library and the Presbyterian Church next door has given us a dollar-a-year lease on the land that extends for another 150 years. When we bought the Manse forty years ago, volunteers from the community help refit it for a library building and added the one-story wing where most of the books are shelved. The resulting building was adequate until about 2000, when major increases in library use began. We added a half-dozen more computers and places to shelve books and other materials wherever we could. Eventually, with the help of a large grant from the Fairchild foundation, we rebuilt most of the 2^nd floor of the Manse. In the process we solved structural problems that had developed over the years. Separately, we replaced the aging soffits below the roof overhang, repainted the meeting room and first-floor reading room, installed replacement windows, and replaced a broken flagstone walkway with concrete, spending well over $60,000 to keep the Manse in shaped.

Not only is the Manse too small for current Library activity, but also there are other problems. While the first floor is barely handicapped accessible via a ramp that does not meet ADA specifications, the second floor, where the Children’s collection and meeting room are, can only be reached by steep stairs. The meeting room, which is used daily by many different community groups, is also too small and furthermore can only be used during hours when the Library is open.

Ultimately, we need to double the effective size of the Library. As a first step, we need to create handicapped access.

The Library Trustees feel that they owe it to the Town to maintain the Manse, as the one of the few remaining historic buildings in Pleasant Valley. Also, the Trustees believe that it is important to keep the Library in its present central location. Architects have shown us that it is possible to expand the building sufficiently on the land we now lease and to blend the expansion with the existing building in a seamless fashion. We also believe that we can expand in stages, probably starting with improved handicapped access.

What we lack now is sufficient funding. Tax-free donations can be made through the Community Foundation of Dutchess County, either with checks or by credit card at the Website www.cfdcny.org, which can also be reached via the Library Website.

Library Growth over the Decade

The Mid-Hudson quarterly publication for Trustees, Across the Board, has many interesting statistics concerning changes in the system over the decade from 1998 to 2008. I was a volunteer and a new Board member in 1998 and just reading the statistical portrait of the system brought back memories of a Pleasant Valley Free Library that was barely able to operate, and which could not have done so without a dedicated corps of volunteers. We did not have enough money to keep a Director very long, and the staff at the time often worked without a Director as the Board searched for someone with an MLS degree who was willing to work for peanuts.

Of course we were not alone. Larger library districts always had means to allow stable funding by taxpayers, but until the passage of chapter 414 in 1995, small free-association libraries depended on the kindness of others--Town Boards, citizen donations, and fund-raising activities such as book sales--to grow. Because the voters of Pleasant Valley have supported two Chapter 414 campaigns, the Library has had stable funding that has enabled the growth of the past ten years.

One of the statistics that struck me the most was that 40% of Mid-Hudson libraries have expanded their buildings during the decade and three more are in process of doing it. Our library should be in that 40%, but so far we have fallen short in our expansion plans. Recent fundraisers have helped, but it is clear we need to move faster than we have so far.

Although citizen support have enabled libraries in the Mid-Hudson group to more than double their income (somewhat misleading because general financial inflation accounted for 32% of the rise), the amazing figures, helped by a small population growth in the region, are the 55% increase in circulation and the 73% increase in program attendance. Libraries continue to grow faster than almost anything (except maybe medical costs).

Some Recent Events (and Coming Attractions)

The annual Book Fair is over, and it was perhaps the most successful ever, raising over $4,000 from the book, plant, and bake sales that will go to Friends of the Pleasant Valley Library.  At this point they still expect to spend most of that money on safety issues for the Manse. The Building Expansion Fundraising Committee, nicknamed FREB, sold 50-50 raffle tickets. The prize was won by bake-sale operator Betty Lorentzen.  Each share was $69.50, an amount that directly went to the Building Expansion Fund.

FREB also produced a second appeal for funds that was snail-mailed to each family in Pleasant Valley, including Salt Point. The reason for a new letter was that the previous one, about six months ago, did not identify the Library on the outside of the flyer, so many potential donors failed even to open it.  The new one featured the new logo on the front and back, so we expect that more will take the time to read our message. The easy way to donate is online, but checks and cash are accepted as well. 

On May 2, FREB conducted its second Library tour, with this one directed to members of the Town Board and the trustees of the Presbyterian Church.  Daniela Pulice and Steve MacNish did a great job of leading the tour and the explanation of the building plans. The tour concluded with a free interchange of ideas over wine and cheese (and cranberry juice for the nondrinkers). 

The next event coming up will be phase two of the plant sale. This will mainly feature disease-resistant, unusual, and cherry tomato plants, although there are expected to be some perennials on sale as well. All plants are just $1.  The sale starts on May 18 in the Reading Room, although we hope to bring it outside on the front lawn if the weather cooperates.

The 

"Libraries Get You Through Times of No Money Better than Money Gets You Through Times of No Libraries"

The Westchester section of this past Sunday's New York Times featured a long front-page article on the role of libraries in an economic downturn. Nearly all of what the article says applies to the Pleasant Valley Free Library as well. Here is some of the story:

"Movie lovers are using the library as their local Blockbuster, library officials say. Some people are showing up at libraries for the first time for free entertainment — movies, lectures, concerts and puppet shows. Still others are capitalizing on their newspaper racks, books and free Internet service for job searches and investment advice or advice on a topic that the title of a much-thumbed book makes obvious: 'Surviving a Layoff: A Week-by-Week Guide to Getting your Life Back Together.'"

The article, which covers some New Jersey libraries as well as those in Westchester, provides many examples of how using the library services saves money. The Bergen, NJ, library calculates that "the average yearly value to every card in our system was $706." 

The article also includes the cutbacks in hours and staff that many of the libraries are experiencing as a result of tough economic times.  Fortunately, because of the loyal support of the citizens of Pleasant Valley, our Library has not had to reduce either.  Our biggest constraint is lack of space to expand our collection or our services.  While plans for a expanded Library building are in the works, funding for expansion may be affected by the poor national economy.  Nevertheless, we continue to receive contributions at our Community Foundation fund Website or checks directly to the Library marked for building expansion.  Plans are underway for additional fundraising efforts.  Meanwhile, the Library continues to improve and where necessary repair the existing building. The chief concerns are improvements in safety, handicapped access, and reduction of environmental stress.  

Tours of the Library Scheduled

The Building Expansion Fundraising Committee is embarking on a series of tours of the Pleasant Valley Free Library. The purpose is to acquaint residents of Pleasant Valley with the features of the Library and with the problems that the Library faces, problems that have led to recognition of the need for expansion.  These tours will be by invitation.  Below is a brief summary of what we expect to cover.

The tour guides will be persons acquainted with all aspects of the Library, including usually the Library Director, the President of the Board of Trustees, and representatives from the Building Expansion committee. Tours will begin in the Reading Room (just to the right of the front entrance to the Library). There will be a brief history of the Library and of the Manse. The Library will be put into the context of the other Mid-Hudson libraries, and the main resources available on the first floor will be discussed. Problems in the functioning of the first floor facilities will be discussed, including the lack of adequate space for the staff to work, the general situation caused by lack of room for adding materials, and difficulties for the handicapped. Among the recent improvements, participants should note the new windows. 

Weather permitting, the tour will examine the grounds that we lease from the Presbyterian Church--while we own the building we have a 99-year lease with extension to a second 99 years on the land.  The tour should note the historic Victorian features of the Manse, one of the few such buildings remaining in downtown Pleasant Valley. 

The property around the church and the exterior of the building are being improved. New plantings have been replaced older ones that had maintenance and appearance problems.  There is new signage as well.  Still, there are many problems to be addressed, including improvements needed in the paths and repairs on various deteriorating portions of the exterior of the Manse. The parking lot we share with the Presbyterians is often full and more spaces would be useful, but to expand the parking we would need to get rid of the house the Presbyterians own behind the Manse. Again there are handicapped issues to observe and also it should be noted that the fire escape is no longer up to code.

Reentering by the side door (now used as a second entrance all the time and as the only entrance when the front path is iced over), the tour will go downstairs for a brief view of the donated books that completely fill the basement, then upstairs for another brief view of the attic, where the participants can see the new joists put in keep the upper walls steady. 

The Children's Room has been reconfigured to provide more space--two rooms have effectively been changed into one. The tour guides will point out the various improvements made. Then the group will enter the meeting room, where plans for expanding the Manse will be discussed, complete with possible floor plans.  These plans are still being reviewed in the light of current economic conditions--the committee recognizes that we may not be able to do everything we would like.  At this point we will solicit feedback from the group on what features are most needed.  The tour will end with a brief social, giving the participants a chance to discuss the Library with each other over drinks and snacks. 

Planning Board Discussion

On July 8, 2008, members of the Board of Trustees of the Pleasant Valley Free Library and members of the committee raising funds for building expansion met with the Pleasant Valley Town Planning Board for the first time.  I listened with alarm to the scary formal part of the meeting, where the Planning Board closely examined the petitioners about parking spaces, sight lines, and signs.  But we were just there for discussion of the general idea for our planned expansion. This concept is shown at the right in sketches of three views: Front, Side, and Back. We want to maintain the appearance of our 19th-century library home with the expanded building, replacing the current one-story wing with a new two-story wing that extends out toward Main Street.  It will be, as some have said, "the Library of seven gables."

The Planning Board is clearly excited by the concept for the expanded Manse and they encouraged us to go forward.  They loved the notion of a plaza in the "L" of the expanded building. I mentioned that one of the arches from the old Pleasant Valley Mill has been stored disassembled and can be re-erected as part of the entrance, which surprised and delighted them. They approved of our extending the building forward to be closer to Main Street, which also fits with the long-range plan for Pleasant Valley. We discussed ideas for expanding parking, which will be the subject of a later post.  Most of all the Planning Board agreed that keeping the Library building where it is in the center of the hamlet and maintaining the architectural look is essential.  The expanded building will be a spur toward revitalizing the hamlet and pointing the way toward a future that preserves the best of the past. 

The members of the Planning Board offered to help the Library in any way they can and also directed us to some of the steps we will need to take along the way.  It was a great session.

With this informal discussion behind us, I can look forward to our formal sessions with anticipation instead of nervousness.  But we need to raise a substantial amount of money for this project before it can proceed much farther.