Cranbury Public Library

Presented to Cranbury Planning BoardOctober 1, 2009

Kirstie Venanzi, President, Cranbury Public Library Board of Trustees

• Welcomes this opportunity to speak with you.

• We are here today to ask you to determine the best spot for our Public Library.

• We are also here to update you on the current situation.

The Library Board

Background

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1906-1924 – Public Library is established.

1924 – Public Library moved into school.

1968 – Shared Public/School library established. Town population: 2000 School: 449.

2009 – Library reconfigured and lease signed.Town population: 4000 School: 600

Divided Library During School Hours

Day Time School Space

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The Current Situation• Access by adults, and pre-school children is limited during school hours.

School children dominate the library during the daytime.

• Use of the school library is crowding out the public library.

• Safety is a concern.

• Public shelf space is restricted by need for space for school library books. Juvenile collection is severely crowded with no room for growth.

• Space for community services extremely limited for– lectures, movies, meetings, – computer training and usage, – book discussion groups,– quiet reading space for seniors and adults,– after school situation.

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Crowded Juvenile Collection

Programs overflow the library and must be held in other areas.

After School Crowding

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The Library’s strategic plan calls for separating from the school in 5 years.Alternatives:

1). Stay where we are until the school terminates the lease, offering fewer resources and programs as the school requires more space. Disadvantages: less services , noisy, crowded library with no quiet space for adults when school is in session and immediately after school. Less school library space.

2). Renting space in town. Advantage: better facility, unrestricted space for public library functions. Disadvantage: only available space is outside the village area.

3). Purchasing an existing building in town. Advantage: better facility, unrestricted space for public library functions. Disadvantage: unknown cost, may need to compromise on floor plan.

4). Building a new facility. Advantage: better facility, unrestricted space for public library functions.

Disadvantage: unknown cost.

Plan and Alternatives

Feasibility study - concept of new facility

Funding

The Cranbury Public Library Foundation has been established.

We are seeking outside funding through• Donations• Grants• Philanthropic organizations

Funding the project

Reading Buddies

High school service group offers program for 1st to 3rd graders.12

Cranbury Public Library

• 3 STAR Library – Library Journal

• “rates 7,115 public libraries according to four output measures that indicate public service—circulation per capita, visits per capita, program attendance per capita, and public Internet uses per capita—based on 2006 data collected by the Institute of Museum and Library Services and published in late 2008. The top libraries in each category, organized by ranges of operating expenditures, were then assigned five, four, or three Michelin guide-esque stars. A total of 256 libraries received star ratings.”

• In the past nine years, our usage has increased 55%.Cranbury Library Statistics

• Nation-wide library usage has increased 28% .American Library Association

• Public libraries are experiencing record numbers during the recession.New Jersey Library Association, American Library Association

• The “vast majority” of the residents find the public library is important. 2006 Cranbury Zogby Survey

• The community wants more library services: books, movies, resources, programs.

Karen Avenick’s Focus Groups (2008) and Zogby Survey

The Public Library is important to our community.

For a location for our public library.

• We will need this location for our feasibility study.

• We need this location for fund raising.

We are asking you:

Thank You