Big things come to those who wait: Beginning with the purchase in 2006 of an abandoned Walmart store, the McAllen Public Library (MPL), TX, has now seen the fruits of its $26 million labors. At 123,000 square feet, the new MPL, which opened in December 2011, is the largest single-story library in the country and has won the International Interior Design Association’s 2012 Library Interior Design Competition. MS&R Ltd. of Minneapolis is behind the award-winning design, with exteriors and project lead from Boultinghouse Simpson Architects of McAllen. Funded through certificates of obligation, the new library encompasses a 355,000-item collection, 16 public meeting spaces, a 64-computer lab, a dedicated teen area, a café, an auditorium, an art gallery, and an automated materials handling system, as well as more than 350 parking spaces and an outdoor Dewey Learning Trail.
The Sycamore Public Library, IL, is one-quarter along with its $580,000 renovation with the reopening in late June of the new children’s area. Upgrades include an enlarged space for “Toddler Time,” a bigger section for storytellers and performers, and new computers for instructional games, per the Daily Chronicle. The renovated space allows for distinct areas for preschool and kindergarten youngsters and another for those in elementary school. The latter space will be completed in August. The remainder of the rehab to the 6200 square foot 1905 Carnegie building and its 21,000 square foot 1995 addition consists of the relocation of the circ desk to the first floor, the addition of room and outlets for wireless Internet use, and an enhanced teen space, among other upgrades.
The Leicester Public Library, MA, is moving closer to its long-awaited remodel. The 10,536 square foot granite building, constructed in 1895 and listed on the National Register of Historic Places, has been approved by the Massachusetts Library Board of Commissioners for a $4.2 million Public Library Construction Program grant, which will cover the bulk of the $7.3 million refurbishment and 8000 square foot expansion. The library had already received an anonymous $2 million gift in early 2011, leaving now just $1.1 million outstanding.
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Data-Driven Libraries: Navigating Options & Measuring Outcomes: Librarians today are facing the inescapable reality that data is slowly beginning to govern much of what they do. Whether it is figuring out the best way to curate data sets or learning how to parse the ever growing number of metrics that every library is generating, librarians have to determine the most constructive way to deal with this ocean of information that a growing number of software companies and applications are making available. Watch this webcast series to learn innovative data-driven solutions that will navigate you through the data to create viable plans for your library's future |
About Bette-Lee Fox
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