Barrington library expansion costs to be told

By the end of the month, taxpayers in Barrington Area Library District will know how much a proposed library expansion could cost them.

At a special meeting planned for Aug. 25, library trustees and finance officials will discuss their hopes for a library addition.

With plans to seek voter approval on the Nov. 4 ballot, trustees will use the special meeting to determine just how much to ask for from library district residents. The meeting is scheduled for 7 p.m. at the library.

Last month, library officials announced plans for a 42,000-square-foot addition at the district's main facility at 505 N. Northwest Hwy.

"We have outgrown our service capabilities," said Detlev Pansch, the library's new executive director.

Pansch said the extra space would allow the library to hold and offer more books, CDs and DVDs.

If approved, the expansion would include a children's pavilion, meeting rooms, quiet adult areas, outdoor programing space, a 24-hour service window and a cafe. The plan also calls for a new, two-story parking deck.

One reason officials are so excited about a possible expansion, Pansch said, is it would include environmentally friendly features like green roofs and rain gardens.

"This will be a more ecologically sound building, that in the end will save the taxpayers money," Pansch said.

Library board President Richard Ryan said plans include "geo-exchange" wells to heat and cool the library. The process works by moving heat from the earth back and forth to and from the building. The Gail Borden Library District in Elgin is installing a similar system at its new branch.

"That is going to cut down on our electric bill," Ryan said.

Those who visit the library now, he said, can see drawings on what's expected, as well as watch a video on the proposed expansion.

"(Residents) definitely will want to see what we have planned," Ryan said.

The existing library was constructed in the early 1970s. An expansion in 1993 doubled its size to its current 58,000 square feet.

Ryan said everyone at the library has looked forward to this expansion since voters rejected earlier plans for a building addition.

In 2004, the library failed in its bid to get residents to approve a property tax increase for a proposed $28 million expansion, which would have added more than 43,000 square feet.

"We need a bigger library," Ryan said. "There is no question about it.

The library serves residents of all or part of Algonquin, Barrington, Barrington Hills, Deer Park, Fox River Grove, Hoffman Estates, Kildeer, Lake Barrington, Lake Zurich, North Barrington, Palatine, Port Barrington, South Barrington and Tower Lakes. It covers a 72-square-mile area, making it the largest library district in the state.