Advisory referendum to ask if Aurora library branch should stay put
Residents who want the West Branch of the Aurora Public Library to stay put are asking voters to weigh in.
They will present petitions Friday morning to West Aurora School District 129 officials to place this question on the April 2 ballot: "Shall the Aurora West Branch Library, located at Washington Middle School, remain at the current location?"
The referendum question would be an advisory one; it would not prevent the library from moving the branch, at 233 S. Constitution Drive, elsewhere.
But Jim Buzzard, one of the campaign's organizers, said he and others hope by filing the petitions, which contain about 2,400 signatures, the mayor, city council and school board will "get the message": They don't want the library to move.
The branch was built in 1998. The building is connected to Washington Middle School, on land District 129 owns. If the library branch moves out, the school district has a right of first refusal, meaning the building has to be offered to the district before it could be sold to anybody else.
Library trustees talked about moving out of the branch in a closed-door session in January, according to minutes of that session that were released at the end of November. Buzzard had pressed for those minutes, after being told in September that the board was not discussing moving the branch.
Revelation of the January conversation has increased the distrust felt by Buzzard and others who feared west-side library services were going to be further reduced. The library board cut the hours of service in 2016.
In October, library board President John Savage, Mayor Richard Irvin and District 129 Superintendent Jeff Craig announced the idea of moving the library branch and having the school district move into the building. Savage said the library could be more visible in a location along Galena Boulevard, and a smaller, rented space could be more efficient and cost-effective, and merit restoring some hours of service.
Library officials say the West Branch accounts for about 10 percent of materials circulation and 13 percent of visits.
The library has formed a "think tank" committee to discuss the idea. It also is conducting a survey at surveymonkey.com/r/GP7SVWK. And there is a community meeting at 2 p.m. Jan. 13 at the branch.