Space Planning

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Space Planning

• ABLE Administering Better
• Libraries Educate
• Module 3

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Space Planning
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Overview of Workshop

• Needs Assessment
• Remodel/Expand/Convert/Build New?
• Feasibility Studies
• Fund Raising Consultants
• Capital Campaigns
• Library Construction Finance Alternatives
• The Library Consultant
• Selecting the Architect
• Marketing the Building Project
• Library Construction Skills
• Moving

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Needs Assessment

• A Library Board should not implement a building
  program without a good understanding of the
  community it serves.
• Early planning efforts will provide the
  information a library must have in order to
  proceed with a building project.

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Needs Assessment

• Planning involves asking the following questions
• Where are we now and what are the current
  conditions?
• Where do we want to go?
• How will we get to where we want to go?
• How will we measure our success?

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Needs Assessment

• Includes gathering information about the
  community such as
• Community Survey
• Demographic Information
• Economic Information
• Local organizations
• Library Use Statistics
• Assessment of Current Facility
• Accessibility

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Whats a Library to Do?

• Remodel?
• Expand?
• Convert?
• Build New?

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Remodeling

• Remodeling is usually the first alternative
  considered.
• Remodeling isnt a cost effective option if it
  only offers a short term solution to the
  librarys space problems.

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Expansion

• Expansion requires careful planning.
• The current design and arrangement of the
  existing building should not be allowed to drive
  the project.

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Conversion

• Converting an existing building is another
  alternative.
• Some libraries have successfully moved into
  former supermarkets, strip malls, or stores.

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Building A New Library

• Can be expensive.
• Offers benefits such as
• Maximum efficiency of space utilization
• High energy efficiency
• Flexible wiring
• Adequate storage space
• A design/plan for future expansion

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Feasibility Studies/Fund-Raising Consultants

• Hire a professional fund-raising consultant to
  conduct a feasibility study can the community
  financially support a capital campaign?
• Consultant should be hired for campaigns of
  500,000 or more.

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What services can a fund-raising consultant
provide?

• Conduct a feasibility study that would include
• Interviewing 30 community leaders to find out
  how likely they think the community will give to
  a capital campaign.
• Asking the community leaders questions such as
• How do you feel about the library?
• Is the library meeting your needs and/or the
  needs of the community?
• Could it do a better job?
• If so, what could it improve?
• How much money can be raised?
• Who is most likely to give?
• Who would be the most effective chairperson of
  the capital campaign?
• Being able to tell the Library Board how much
  money can be raised from the community.

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A Fund-raising ConsultantCan Also

• Select a campaign leader.
• Set realistic goals for the project.
• Write and prepare a case statement.
• Formulate gift brackets to reach the goal.
• Train leaders to recruit volunteers.
• Train volunteers to solicit gifts.
• Prepare a campaign calendar.
• Provide guidance for large gift cultivation.

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What is a Capital Campaign?

• A capital campaign is an intensive fund-raising
  effort on the part of a library to secure
  extraordinary gifts for a specific purpose (such
  as building construction, renovation, equipment
  acquisition, or endowment funds) during a
  specified period of time.
• (Glen Gilbert. Blueprint for a Library Capital
  Campaign)

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Prerequisites to Success

• The successful campaign must have
• Strategic Plan
• Support
• Campaign Objectives
• Case Statement
• Feasibility Study
• Leadership
• Major Donors

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Library ConstructionFinance Alternatives

• Major Capital Projects Financing Options for
• Libraries in New York State include
• Use of Capital Reserve Funds
• Obtaining a Mortgage
• Selling Municipal Bonds by Using Services of
  Regional IDA
• Selling Tax-Exempt Bonds Through Local School
  District
• Dormitory Authority
• (Gerald D. Nichols, Library Construction Finance
  Alternatives)

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A Reminder

• It is essential that the library
• seek qualified professional
• guidance whatever course is
• followed.
• (Gerald D. Nichols, Library Construction Finance
  Alternatives)

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Use Capital Reserve Funds

• Pay for the library construction out of available
  capital reserve funds and/or the librarys annual
  operating budget. This approach is permitted for
  all libraries.
• (Gerald D. Nichols, Library Construction Finance
  Alternatives)

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Obtain a Mortgage

• Bank
• Other Qualified Institutions
• (Gerald D. Nichols, Library Construction Finance
  Alternatives)

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Sell Municipal Bonds

• Association Libraries may also access the
  financial services of their regional Industrial
  Development Agencies (IDA), which, under state
  and local law, is authorized to sell municipal
  bonds on behalf of such institutions.
• (Gerald D. Nichols, Library Construction Finance
  Alternatives)

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Sell Tax-Exempt Bonds

• The most common method of school district public
  library construction finance is to sell
  tax-exempt municipal bonds through the local
  school district as stipulated in Education Law
  Sec. 260.
• (Gerald D. Nichols, Library Construction Finance
  Alternatives)

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Another Reminder

• It is essential that the library seek qualified
  professional guidance, whatever course is
  followed.
• (Gerald D. Nichols, Library Construction Finance
  Alternatives)

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The Role of theLibrary Consultant

• Library Boards and the Library Director may not
  have the experience, expertise, or time to carry
  out a building project.
• A library consultant could provide assistance to
  the Board and the Director in a number of areas.

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Finding a Library Consultant

• Ask your Public Library System for suggestions.
• Issue an RFP. An example of an RFP can be found
  in Determining Your Public Librarys Future Size
  by Lee B. Brawner.
• Contact the American Library Association for a
  list of building consultants.

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Selecting An Architect

• List of architects who have managed building
  projects in the region.
• Architectural firms at trade show at the New York
  Library Associations annual conference.

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Interviewing the Architect

• Once a list of potential architects is drawn up,
  the building committee will want to conduct
  interviews.
• During the interview process, members of the
  committee will have an opportunity to get a sense
  of whether or not the architect is a good
  listener.
• Does the architect respond to the building
  committees questions carefully and understand
  the special needs of library construction?

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Possible Interview Questions

• Experience?
• Library Clients?
• Local Firm?
• Priorities?
• Issues/Challenges?
• Interest Level?
• Firms Experience Obtaining Local Governmental
  Approvals?
• Models?

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Marketing the Building Project

• The need for a building project cannot be
• marketed to the community until the staff,
• the Board, and the local government officials
• can all speak with one voice on what is
• needed and why.

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Ways to Market a Building Project

• Media Coverage
• Website
• Brochures
• Getting community leaders on board
• Presentations
• Mail Campaigns

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Groundbreaking Festivities

• Festive occasion
• Publicity
• Important Dignitaries
• Giveaways
• Food

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Library Construction Skills

• Communication
• With Architect
• With Clerk of the Works
• With Local Media
• With Staff and Board

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Survival Skills

• So youre finally ready to move forward.
• The groundbreaking has occurred.
• Construction workers are swarming over the site.
• The foundation has been poured and walls are
  going up.
• As library director, how will you cope? How will
  you manage? How will you survive?

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Survival Skills

• Be Prepared
• Be Clear and Communicative
• Be Informed
• Be Firm
• Be Timely
• Be Well

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Library Building Program Checklist

• Teaching Aid 3 Library Building Program
  Checklist
• Adapted from
• Designing a Fine Library by Shannon Roy and Roy
  Bird
• Library Needs Assessment and Building Process
  Sequence from Lee Brawners Determining Your
  Public Librarys Future Size