Tag Archives: library needs

Immediate needs at the Grand Forks Public Library.

Posted on by speakupforyourlibrary
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The Library Board and Task Force members are very concerned about the immediate needs of the Grand Forks Public Library should the May 3 ballot measure fail for the proposed 1-cent sales tax. We have several issues that will require City Council intervention (in the form of property tax dollars) such as:

Library patron demonstrates difficulty of accessing the non-ADA-compliant library shelves from a wheelchair.

A wheelchair user and GFPL patron demonstrates the difficulty of accessing the librarys non-ADA-compliant shelves.

  • The elevator MUST be replaced in 2012 (mandated by manufacturer).
  • The bathrooms have to be made ADA-compliant – entrances and stalls.
  • The stacks need to be made ADA-compliant – get rid of about 1/3 of the existing shelving, maybe more.
  • The HVAC system needs to be replaced.
  • The lighting system needs to be replaced (they’re extremely dangerous and have caused two fires).

With no long-term plan to rectify these deficiencies, immediate stop-gap corrections must be put in place. The Grand Forks City Council would be the appropriate governing body to make decisions regarding the inadequacies at the public library. Depending on how comprehensively the problems are addressed, our best guess for an initial cost estimate is between $2 and $5 million. It’s going to cost tax dollars, one way or another.

With stop-gap corrections, the space shortages at GFPL are completely ignored. Unfortunately, there is no quick and easy way to arrive at a cost-effective solution for the lack of square footage. One of the proposed construction options during the three-year Library Revitalization Process was a remodel and addition to the existing building. The total budget for that option came in at $17,815,000 – nearly as much as for totally new construction.

There are several structural challenges with the existing building that create significant issues for a remodel/expand. The 1972 building, although originally intended for second-floor expansion, was not constructed with sufficient ceiling height to accommodate the HVAC and lighting requirements of a 21st Century Public Library.

Read more about these issues in the GF Library Site Feasibility Study prepared for City Council in January 2011. See pages 12-14 for budget specifics on the remodel/add option.