By DAVID DUPONT
BG Independent News
When asked Wood County District Public Library, patrons say they love what the library does, and they want more.
They never say they want more square footage, they just want more books, more book clubs, and more programs for children.
And almost 20 years since the library’s last major renovation the space to provide those services is starting to get hard to come by.
At Monday’s Board of Trustees meeting, Library Director Michael Penrod recalled shelving books after the renovation was complete, thinking they would never fill all that space. Now all that space is taken.
The atrium, once available for community activities, is used for shelf space for multi-media materials and books.
When the architects were asked in 2000 how long the renovation would meet the library’s needs, they responded 25 years. That time is fast approaching.
At Monday’s meeting, the trustees reviewed the latest set of proposed designs created by the Design Group in Columbus. These were tweaked from what was presented in November 2020, and not surprisingly the costs have gone up.
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Those prices Penrod said, are broad estimates and reflect only the topline costs, not the engineering work. They also do not include permits and the purchase of shelving and furniture.
The board looked at three options. The “good” option calls for minor demolition and renovation. That includes a new entry vestibule on the west to address the wind tunnel effect now experienced in the corridor, which limits how the space can be used. The plan also addresses, but not meet, the goals of doubling the size of the children’s programming room, and the local history area.
That “good” plan would cost as much as $2 million with inflation taken into consideration.
The “better” option calls for limited demolition and renovation. That would include the demolition of the existing main stairway and construction of a new one.
This plan would double the size of the children’s programming area and allow for the fiction collection to be shelved in one location.
It also includes the vestibule on the west entrance and increases, but does not double, the size of the local history area and adds an oral history room.
That option has a top price tag of $2,375,000.
The third, or “best” option, involves major demolition and renovation with a 9,271-square-foot addition on the east side of the building that faces North Main Street. Also, there would be a new mechanical room that would cost close to $850,000. That’s another necessity that patrons don’t ask for.
This would have new vestibules on the east and west and double the size of local history, children’s programming and the meeting rooms. It would also have a new main staircase.
The price tag would be as much as $7.4 million.
The library board will continue their discussion of the library’s needs at its retreat on Saturday.
Penrod said at this point there is no timetable for the project. What is certain is that something needs to be done.
