Board member explains why new library is needed
The Oregon Public Library does not currently meet state or federal standards.
In order to try and remedy this, library officials have placed a referendum on the fall ballot.
Currently the library has 3,253 square feet of book space when the Illinois minimum standards for libraries in communities the size of Oregon calls for 5,314 feet of book space.
The standards also state that the community should have at least 44,876 books in their collection and Oregon can only house a book collection of 32,415.
In the area of audio/visual, Oregon now has 2,538 when the standards call for no less than 2,688.
“We would love to be able to increase our collection size,” said Marsha Zaccone, Director of the Library. “But we just do not have the space.”
When it comes to displaying the books, the library’s statistics are not any better.
The state standards call for no more than 10 books per foot of shelving and the library now has 20 percent more books on each shelf than recommended.
Anyone who has visited the library knows how tall the shelves are and how small the aisles are.
Currently there are no study or meeting rooms and only nine seats for reading and study when the state calls for a community of Oregon’s size to have at least 48 reading and study seats
And perhaps most upsetting is the fact that currently the library does not comply with the Federal Americans with Disabilities Act.
There are no handicap accessible doors or bathrooms.
“It is terrible that our library is not accessible to all people in our community,” said Terry Schuster, president of the Oregon Board of Trustees. “One of the greatest things that can be accomplished with a new building is the fact that everyone in our community would then have access to the library.”
The many stairs make the library difficult and dangerous for elderly and disabled patrons.
The 100-year-old building is a Carnegie Library and houses the community’s treasured Eagle’s Nest Art Collection.
Currently the art collection is located upstairs and must share the space with the children’s library.
A new building would provide a small gallery in which to house this invaluable collection and give a separate space for the children.
As for the Carnegie building, the library board is looking into many opportunities and is committed to keeping it a part of the community.
To pay for the building, the library will use saved funds, on-going fundraising, a referendum and efforts are currently underway to acquire federal and state grants.
Individuals and corporations may also make donations that qualify for naming rights to specific rooms in the library or the library itself.
“We hope to take advantage of the lowered construction costs and low borrowing costs,” said Schuster. “The costs would increase significantly if we waited until the economy has fully recovered.”
The library owns the property next to the post office and the two homes behind the lot. The new library would be built on this property.
The Board of Directors invites anyone interested in seeing architectural pictures of the proposed new building to stop by the library anytime.
