No need for a bigger Geneva Library

The "Financial Planning Report for a New Library Facility" is a joke. In fact the entire proposal for a new $22 million dollar library is a joke.

The new library, 57,000 square feet, is more than twice the size of the present library of 27,000 square feet. But the " Financial Planning Report" projects additional expenses (rounded) of only $80,000. This is better put in context in comparison to the $4.5 million expenses of the present library in 2015.

Could a library, twice the size, reasonably expect expenses to increase 1.77 percent. What are some of the organizational changes that might be expected? A starting position, regarding lowest paid individuals, would be that a library twice as big would require twice as many employees. In fact, the time employees spend walking while performing their duties might be more, since the areas in which they work will be twice as large. But if some automation would reduce the number of employees, the remaining employees might require higher skill levels to manage it.

As a retired international consultant and author, who designed factories, warehouses and offices, my typical efficient space utilization was always at least 50 percent better than that of other designers. I see improved space utilization possible in the present library and do not understand why a larger library is necessary.

Roy L. Harmon

Geneva