Library Buildings 2004: Spend Billions and They Will Come
Construction remains strong for 2004, with 203 public buildings and 36 academic projects
By Bette-Lee Fox -- Library Journal, 12/15/2004
People look at one billion dollars in one of two ways: if it is the result of the long, hard effort of years of fundraising, they rejoice; if it signifies an astronomical budget deficit, they cringe. How, then, should we respond as a community to reaching the $1 billion mark ($1,242,436,438, to be exact) in this year's spending for public library construction? One would suppose with a bit of both: elation at the availability of such wealth and trembling at the enormous cost of building today.
The 203 public library projects completed between July 1, 2003 and June 30, 2004 share features beyond the exorbitant prices we face in the 21st century. Two of the largest buildings (the combined San José PL/San José State University, CA, and the Seattle PL Central Library) alone account for 27 percent of expenditures. Several facilities (Winter Haven PL, FL; Oak Park PL, IL) incorporate public spaces, especially parks, into their design, while a number of structures are shared between communities and school districts (Pacific Park Branch, Glendale, CA; Oak Lawn PL, Fresno, CA).
Still others, like San José, merge public and academic facilities (Seminole Community Library at St. Petersburg College, FL; Jackson County Central Library/Rogue Community College Library, Medford, OR). Joint-use with community services continues unabated, this year even handcuffing libraries to police stations (e.g., Curtiss e-Library, Hialeah, FL).
Better late than never?Two public projects come to fruition after years of trying. The B.B. Comer Memorial Library, Sylacauga, AL, raised funds through a foundation over 12 years, and the Cary Memorial Library, Lexington, MA, took nine years to bring a 1909 structure into the information age. Not wanting to wait that long, veterans of Spring Valley, IL, American Legion Post #182 contributed $200,000 to the Richard A. Mautino Memorial Library, on the condition that it be finished in 2004 so they could enjoy it.
The 36 academic projects include the other half of those joint-use facilities, plus a number of specialized schools of law, music, science, and hotel management. The $40 million addition/renovation at Marquette University, Milwaukee, encompasses 226,813 square feet.
This year's architectural picture remains bright, even if one does get a bit glassy-eyed when looking at the dollars involved. Still, technological adaptability, teen centers, high-tech systems, and expanded community service have their price. Now that these buildings are completed, with all that glorious innovation, people will rejoice and come to the library.
Bette-Lee Fox is Managing Editor, LJ
Tables for Library Buildings 2004:
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