Citizens group forms to spread word about library expansion
A group of local citizens has formed a committee dedicated to getting information to the voters in the St. Charles Library District so they can make a knowledgeable decision in November's election.
The initial meeting was held on Aug. 11 to lay the groundwork for the organization. Additional meetings will be held in the upcoming weeks to address ways to meet with various groups to present information and answer questions people may have concerning the referendum questions and taxpayer impact.
The next meeting will be held at 7 p.m. Wednesday, Sept. 1, at St. Mark's Lutheran Church, 101 S. Sixth Ave., St. Charles.
Anyone interested in volunteering in the group's efforts to encourage voter turnout and inform voters about the facts regarding the upcoming ballot questions concerning the library are encouraged to attend. For more information, visit stcharleslibraryreferendum.org.
At 7 p.m. Tuesday, Sept. 7, at the church, there will be an additional meeting with a guest speaker to discuss strategy and kick off the volunteer efforts in the run up to the election on Nov. 2. All are invited to attend who are willing to help spread the information about the benefits of this project to the community.
The committee was formed to support the efforts of the St. Charles Public Library to pass proposals to expand and operate the library. The library is currently housing twice as many materials as it was originally intended to hold. This scenario creates extra stress on the facilities and higher maintenance costs and replacement costs. In addition, construction and material costs are down 15 percent in the Chicago area, the committee believes now is the most cost-effective time to expand the current library. The library does not intend to add any additional personnel upon completion of the expansion. The expansion plans include new technologies including energy saving efficiencies and flexible spaces and infrastructure for future adaptability.
For more information, visit stcharleslibraryreferendum.org or contact info@stcharleslibraryreferendum.org or (630) 587-0798.