Rice Lake Public Library

Rice Lake Public Library Capital Campaign Case Statement

“A Library outranks any other one thing a community can do to benefit its people.” – Andrew Carnegie

The Rice Lake Public Library has roots in the community going back more than a century.

Today the library plays a vital part in the Rice Lake community but it has become increasingly apparent that this crucial role is compromised by structural and space problems in the existing building. To that end, the Board of Trustees is excited to propose that a new library facility of 30,000 square feet be built to replace the existing facility on the current site.

The Rice Lake Public Library began in July of 1896, in a city-owned building on West Messenger Street, which was also being used as a training school and high school. In 1903 Andrew Carnegie made a gift of $10,000 contingent on a suitable site for the building and commitment by the city to fund annual costs. Two years later, the Carnegie library opened to the public at Main and Messenger Streets. By 1907, it was open to the public daily.

The library grew steadily from a circulation of 9,586 books in 1902 to 75,173 in 1971. By then, the Board realized that more space was necessary, and they began looking at options for renovating or adding on to the Carnegie building. However, when the Erickson firm offered to sell its grocery store building at Main and Marshall Streets for $150,000, the Board jumped at the chance to buy it. The city purchased the Erickson building and sold the Carnegie building to the adjacent Dairy State Bank.

Though the sale of the old building brought in $100,000, there was still a lack of funds to remodel the old grocery store into usable library space. The Friends of the Library formed to address the shortfall. Organizations from throughout the community participated with the Friends to raise money for the completion of the project. They succeeded, and the Friends of the Library continues to operate as an "organization dedicated to fostering a close connection between the Rice Lake Public Library and the community by supporting and promoting the library's programs, services, and resources." The current library building opened its doors on September 21, 1977, and was dedicated in April of 1978.

Since that time, the way in which we deliver library services has changed dramatically. Technology has brought Internet-connected computers, remote databases, automated catalogs, circulation and interlibrary borrowing, wireless connectivity, printers, fax machines, ebooks, and tablets. Media circulation such as DVDs, music, audiobooks and videogames have become a large portion of our available resources.

Because we were not set up for these types of collections, we have squeezed them into a facility that simply does not have the infrastructure to support them.

While the library still provides all kinds of “traditional” library programming—including four weekly storytimes, book clubs for all ages, and author visits—it is also the social and cultural center of the Rice Lake Community.

Educational programs and entertainment including workshops, movie nights, technology training, theater performances, jugglers, storytellers and more, all contribute to the library’s popularity. Programs and events sometimes draw crowds of hundreds of Rice Lake residents. In our current facility of only 14,500 square feet, we hear regularly from our patrons that our space does not accommodate the kinds of usage they demand.

Mission

The Rice Lake Public Library connects all people to their community and the world by promoting literacy, providing opportunities for recreation, supporting lifelong learning, and ensuring free and open access to ideas.

Vision

The Rice Lake Public Library is the center of community life in the Rice Lake area. It is a source of pride for local residents, most of whom make extensive use of the library’s materials and facility. All people feel welcome at the Rice Lake Public Library.

Making customer service a top priority, the library consistently anticipates and meets the needs of Rice Lake area residents.

Overview

Over past 30 years, Rice Lake has seen a pattern of steady growth in population.

The Library, where circulation has grown at an even faster rate, must expand to meet the needs of its growing community. In 2013, the following was reported:

Population of Rice Lake

Among Rice lake residents, almost 80% are cardholders

Cardholders (resident & nonresident) Square Footage of Library Open Hours Per Week (winter) Circulation of Library Materials E-Book Downloads Public Internet Computer Uses Programs Offered (all ages) Total Program Attendance Staff FTEs Municipal Spend Per Capita

8,438 14,257 14,500 57 300,538 10,161 21,795 715 14,837 10.75 $53.79

(Source: Rice Lake Public Library 2014 Annual Report and 2009 Wisconsin Public Library Service Data)

Current Trends

Library use at Rice Lake Public Library has been robust due to the weakened economy, as well as the expanded use of such services as MORE (the regional library consortium for sharing materials among members), the Internet, and library programming.

• Family Programming and Community Space • Job Resources and Resume Development • Collections and Materials Use • Internet Use

Technology will continue to impact library services and fiscal resources

• Online Resources

– E-Books – Downloadable Audio and Video – Online Databases

• Social networking sites and blogs promote the library and its services • E-Government

– Online tax filing – Unemployment – HealthCare.gov

Why Now?

• Inefficient building layout with three levels of staff workspace and service areas, hampering courier and materials handling.

• Lack of adequate shelf space inhibits ability to browse and access materials.

• Restrooms in need of repair and upgrade.

• Deferred roof maintenance has led to water damage on ceiling tiles and walls, resulting in mold in the building. We’ll have to get a new roof if we don’t build soon.

• Vents in disrepair.

• Noisy HVAC system in meeting room space.

Why Now?

• Current elevator is likely not ADA (Americans with Disabilities Act) compliant.

• Crowded, visually cluttered interiors with dated appearance, poor site-lines and safety concerns.

• Need for additional computer workstations and a computer training lab.

• Inappropriately mixed use of children’s area – Includes adult nonfiction collection – Inadequate storytime space

• General shortage of tables/seating – Laptop and Wi-Fi use growing exponentially – Quiet reading areas requested by patrons

• Need for dedicated teen space

– Growing number of programs around technology and gaming.

• 21st century technology is crucial to bridging the digital divide and enabling civic engagement.

Why Now?

• Insufficient space for programs and children's events. Our Christmas program welcomed more than 400 visitors of all ages, and our Readapalooza event hosted 800+ readers!

Why Here?

Strengths of the current facility: • Located downtown near other municipal government offices.

• Visible location on main street.

• Space to expand in adjacent lot.

• Destination location: 54% of visits to the library are from people who live outside the city. They’ll shop and eat while in Rice Lake, growing our economy and adding to the vitality of the community.

The above sketch is our concept of a brand new library facility in the current location. This design offers amazing flexibility and efficiency in everything from daylighting to staffing, and far more opportunities for sustainability.

This sketch demonstrates the concept of a fully renovated and expanded library.

It allows reuse of the current building and expansion into the current pocket park.

Both designs offer a more efficient and flexible building which will last fifty years before further renovations are needed. Both designs include a beautiful third floor meeting space that would be open and available to the public for meetings and other uses. They also include a green space which the library would use for outdoor programming and events as well as a lovely space to relax with a book.

Together, we can...

Provide:

• Adequate space for all collections.

While the number of items available for loan will not increase dramatically, this will give us the space needed to make those collections comfortably browsable for all of our patrons. We are currently shelving both too high and too low and are unable to easily display materials.

• Increased seating from 130 to 239 and areas for quiet study (a major need according to our patrons), group study and comfort. Despite years of “making do” by rearranging shelving, adjusting collection sizes, and attempting to reconfigure furnishing arrangements, our existing building does not meet these needs.

Together, we can...

• Adequate space and furnishings for computers, work stations, Internet terminals and future technology.

The library has run out of space for adding computers and other modern technologies.

Currently there are only eleven computers for public use and ten laptops for use in-house.

These computers are often full or even shared among patrons.

As the IRS requires that taxes be filed online, as the national health care plan encourages community members to visit the library to access information and benefits on their computers, as job applications go exclusively online, and as need-based government services require online applications, usage will continue to grow.

Our new building will contain 56 public access computers, including a technology lab, printers and other equipment.

Together, we can...

• A full size programming space for adults • Multiple meeting rooms including a potential rooftop space • Quiet study rooms • Children’s storytime space • An outdoor programming space

Currently the library has one large meeting room that seats 70 uncomfortably with pillars blocking sight-lines and no windows or natural light. For children’s programming, the youth services staff moves all furnishings into the stairwell or book aisles to make room for the audience and performers. This limits our ability to offer great programs and discourages attendance due to overcrowding.

The new facility will have a large multi-purpose room which will seat 250, and a storytime room that will seat 50. The larger room will have a full kitchen and be available for use by the community, while the new storytime space will include a craft space with an easy clean-up floor.

Together, we can...

• Adequate and appropriate staff workspaces and storage to enhance work-flow and staff efficiency.

• New technologies such as automated sorting and self-checkouts to minimize or eliminate any extra staffing needs • Ability of users to flow freely and intuitively throughout the building

Together, we can...

• Comfortable, safe, welcoming, and attractive atmosphere • Energy efficiency • An improved retail space for the Friends of the Library bookstore and coffee shop

A safer and more secure, bright and open floor plan.

garden main street

Siting our beautiful destination library and pocket park in downtown Rice Lake.

N

Smartly designed, sustainable, cost-effective, intuitive and enduring, our new library will act as a magnet, drawing wide and varied users. This cherished community resource will offer accessible resources, services, and inviting spaces, inside and out. Technologically rich, flexible and adaptable, the Rice Lake Public Library will enrich the culture of our community and revitalize Main Street.

In 2012, serving the Wisconsin counties of Burnett, Chippewa, Dunn, Polk, Sawyer, St. Croix and Washburn, Rice Lake Public Library welcomed almost 150,000 visitors.

With a projected 30% increase in user traffic with a new facility, we expect more than 40,000 additional visitors annually.

That means 40,000 more people coming to downtown Rice Lake, a boon for the economic development of our Main Street.

A new library facility can also be expected to draw new homeowners and businesses to the community and to raise property values.

These are of course, periphery benefits, as the true benefit will be in the services the library can expect to offer to the community at large.

No longer limited by technological infrastructure or space, we look forward to fantastic technology training opportunities, community events and programs for all ages that meet the educational and entertainment needs of the people of Rice Lake, and new ways to connect this city with the greater world.

Rice Lake Public Library

Gift Table

Goal: $5,000,000

Gift Range

# Gifts Required

Subtotal

Cumulative Total

Cumulative %

$1,000,000

1

1,000,000

1,000,000

20%

500,000

2

1,000,000

2,000,000 40%

250,000

3

750,000

2,750,000

55%

100,000

5

500,000

3,250,000

65%

50,000

10

500,000

3,750,000

75%

25,000

15

375,000

4,125,000

82%

10,000

20

200,000

4,325,000

85%

5,000

25

125,000

4,450,000

89%

2,500

30

75,000

4,525,000

90%

1,000

50

50,000

4,575,000

91%

500

100

50,000

4,625,000

92%

$250 and under

many

$325,000

$5,000,000

100%

Project Budgets New Building

Renovated Building

Construction.......................................... $ 8,475,166

Construction.......................................... $ 7,605,918

Large Meeting Space................................... 757,445 (Rooftop auditorium)

Large Meeting Space................................... 626,507 (Rooftop auditorium)

Computer Labs............................................ 232,706

Computer Labs............................................ 192,479

Conference Room......................................... 79,909

Conference Room......................................... 66,096

Storytime Room........................................... 280,652

Storytime Room........................................... 232,136

Furnishings, Fixtures and........................... 1,257,500 Equipment

Furnishings, Fixtures and........................... 1,257,500 Equipment

Program Costs............................................. 948,429 (Professional Services/Fees/Temporary Space)

Program Costs............................................. 953,209 (Professional Services/Fees/Temporary Space)

Fundraising Costs...................................... $250,000

Fundraising Costs........................................ 250,000

TOTAL $12,281,807

TOTAL $11,183,845

Note: The new building design offers far more opportunities for sustainability. There are also serious concerns about the mold and other issues with the wooden structure of the current building which may be revealed only after construction begins, and could thereby subsequently affect overall project costs.

Leadership Library Board

Peter Davidson Wendy Halverson James Kiffmeyer Linda Thompson Amanda Morey Jill Holtegaard Dan Lawler Jenny Hastreiter

Capital Campaign Committee

Eric Kasper Melissa Kozma Sandy Bonneville Andrew Schwie Jane Lillegard Sandy Johnson Dee Taylor Lisa Mink Mary Ann Wirsbinski Jodi Kiffmeyer Ahmyn Masci

Dawn Wacek, Director 2 E. Marshall St. Rice Lake, WI 54868 715.234.4861 ext. 11 www.rlpl.org