Expansion, renovation project proposed for Algonquin libraries

Stephen Bero believes the Algonquin Area Public Library should be seen as a destination for its patrons.

Within the last few years, he said, library users have started demanding a place to meet, work, collaborate, discuss, play and study. Reference work and research have become less common than educational programming. Book circulation has declined, and digital resources have increased in popularity.

Hoping to accommodate the change in demand, a roughly $7.9 million face-lift proposed for the library district's two facilities, said Bero, executive director.

"Our services are changing," he said. "We have to change our spaces accordingly."

Last month, library officials presented a plan to the district board for the 4,660-square-foot expansion and an interior renovation of the 35,000-square-foot main library at 2600 Harnish Drive.

The project, Bero said, would offer additional meeting rooms, more office space, a larger board room, more room for a children's play area and a designated makerspace. It would also include a computer lab and more secluded teen and silent study spaces.

The library branch at 115 Eastgate Drive is also due for an interior makeover, Bero said. Though it will not be expanded, the facility is expected to get new furniture, he said, and space will be reallocated for designated study and computer areas.

"We think we've come up with a proposal to the library board to modify our facilities to better enable us to provide those services," he said.

The goal, Bero said, is to fund the project without asking for a contribution from taxpayers using normal revenue streams and reserve funds. Officials will likely also seek alternative funding sources, such as grants or donations, he said.

Cuts in staffing and other areas have caused the district to operate efficiently in recent years, Bero added.

If the district board approves the plans within the next few months, he said, officials could start taking project costs into consideration while budgeting for the next fiscal year, which begins in July. If all goes well, he expects renovations to be complete near the end of 2018.

"We believe we can accomplish a major improvement plan that will hold the library district in good stead for 20 to 25 years," Bero said.