Draft Building Program Posted
The Draft Library Building Program is posted on the Small Library Pilot Project Webpage, here.
Community Input Zoom Meetings
We have two scheduled two Zoom meetings to accept input on the draft building program, Thursday, September 21st at 6 pm and Friday, September 22nd at noon.
Email library.director@shutesbury.org to register.
Small Library Pilot Project Questions and Answers
10/18/2021
1. Question: Why are the Trustees committed to a new library in Shutesbury?
o Answer: The Trustees have the honor of advocating for the library building and services Shutesbury residents need and want. 74% of people in Shutesbury have library cards. We have one of the highest rates of circulation among libraries serving towns our size in the state. The Library averages 6 programs a week, from story time to exercise classes to book clubs.
Trustees believe that needs have outgrown our building and that
our current building is inadequate. It’s not just that it’s too small. It’s not
able to house some of the things Library users want and need, such as quiet
study space and a children’s room. Most programs must take place offsite. It’s
not truly accessible because a wheelchair user cannot effectively get through
the aisles. The heating grate still poses a hazard for small fingers and rubber
shoes. Sanitation was poor before the pandemic—handwashing is always a good way
to prevent disease and the library has never had running water—but as long as
COVID exists and there’s evidence of transmission through fecal matter, we will
not be able to sanitize or use the composting toilet.
If our application is successful, we believe the Small Library Pilot Project
offers us a wonderful opportunity to improve our library services in a building
that has modern sanitation and can safely and truly serve everyone in our town.
We are committed to proposing a library that Shutesbury can afford, support, vote
for, and enjoy for years to come.
2. Question: What is the advantage to Shutesbury of applying for the Small Library Pilot Project?
o
Answer: The Massachusetts Board of Library
Commissioners (MBLC) notes that only 6% of the library construction projects
they have supported in recent years are in towns with populations of less than
2,000. The MBLC recognizes that there are real barriers to building new
libraries in small towns, including costs and impacts on taxes. The MBLC has
designed this pilot project to learn how it can better serve small libraries.
It is looking to award a grant to a “truly well designed, efficient, flexible,
enduring and dynamic library program that will meet the community’s need well
into the future.” This includes paying a higher share of the costs than through
the regular building program, which pays up to 60% of eligible costs. The Small
Library Pilot Project grant would pay up to 75% of eligible costs. Some
elements such as rooftop solar panels that were ineligible for funding in 2011
are now included in eligible costs.
3. Question: I understand that the state will cover 75% of eligible costs and the town must cover all ineligible costs (plus 25% of eligible costs); can you explain the difference between eligible vs. ineligible costs, and how much the Small Library Pilot Project would pay vs. how much the town would pay?
o
Answer: Yes. Please
see the report we've uploaded here for a fuller explanation. Short version:
the Trustees estimate that the State will pay approximately two-thirds and the
town approximately one-third of total costs. Between Town funds and funds held
by the Friends of the Library, we have already saved more than half a million
dollars towards a new library.
Broadly speaking, eligible costs included almost all elements of the physical
building, along with the circulation desk and mobile shelving; ineligible costs
include furniture, fixtures, and equipment ("FFE") as well as any
landscaping and roads/grounds work; please see the linked report for more
details.
4. Question: The Library Director and Trustees are working on the “Draft Building Program.” What is the Draft Building Program for, exactly?
o Answer: The Draft Building Program is the set of instructions to the architect about what spaces the town needs in a new library. It is informed by feedback received over the past several weeks:
§ August 18: public meeting at the Shutesbury Athletic Club
§ August 30: Erving Library tour
§ September 9: mediated Zoom session
§ September 14: Library open house
§ September 23: mediated Zoom session
§ September 28: Zoom review session on program areas
§ September 30: Leverett Library tour
§ September 30: Zoom review session on program areas
§ October 14: Zoom review session on program areas
§ Library Trustee meetings, which are always posted here and open to the public
§ “Wish Tree” on the Town Common
Videos of the public meetings and tours are available
here. Minutes of the Library Trustees are available here.
The ideas from the “Wish Tree” are available
here. Not everything on the “Wish Tree” list will, or should, be included
in the Building Program. There will not be a hot-dog stand, for instance.
We are also relying on expertise, including that of the Library Director and the MBLC Building Specialists, and of townspeople including a local architect, a contractor, an early childhood education specialist, and a librarian from another library.
The Draft Building Program will contribute an estimate of the square footage of
the proposed library, which is obviously an important factor in the total cost.
5. Question: How can I learn more about the Draft Building Program?
o Answer:
The next two public meetings are on Thursday, October 21st at 6 pm and Friday,
October 22nd at noon via
Zoom. If you are interested in attending, please email
library.director@shutesbury.org.
6. Question: When can I review and give feedback on the Draft Building Program?
o Answer:
The timeline as set by the MBLC is very tight and it has already been extended
twice. The Draft Building Program is due to the MBLC on October 25.
Shutesbury residents will be able to review and comment on the Draft Building
Program from October 15 – 22. The Draft Building Program is posted to the Small
Library Project website here.
Two Zoom meetings to accept input on the draft building program will be held on
Thursday, September 21st at 6 pm and Friday, September 22nd
at noon. The Trustees and Library Director will then work to incorporate public
feedback before submitting the Draft to the MBLC.
7. Question: Once the Draft Building Program is submitted on October 25th, can it be changed?
o
Answer: Once this draft is submitted, MBLC staff
will work with our Library Director to review the draft and suggest changes or
bring up questions. Residents of Shutesbury can continue to review the draft
and submit input for several weeks. We will continue to offer public meetings
for comment. Comments can also be emailed to librarytrustees@shutesbury.org. All
substantive comments will be reviewed in Trustee meetings. The final draft will
be submitted with the grant application on December 3rd. If our
grant application succeeds and we accept the funds, a Project Manager will be
hired and another round of review and change will take place as the architects
weave our building program goals into the actual design.
8. Question: What concerns have the Library Director and Trustees heard from the public so far?
o Answer: The Trustees have heard loud and clear that:
§ There are real concerns that the library be the right size and scale for our town and our town’s budget.
§ There are real concerns about increases in property taxes to pay for or to operate the library.
§ There is a desire for openness and transparency in the process. Trustees acknowledge that the tight timeline from the MBLC has made this a bit tricky. However, by the time the Draft Building Program is submitted, we will have held one session at the Shutesbury Athletic Club, two mediated sessions, two tours of nearby libraries, four Draft Building Program review sessions via Zoom, as well as our weekly Trustee meetings that are always open to the public.
§ There are many people who are excited about a new library in town and the improved experiences and services it could offer.
§ There are people who have heard their neighbors’ concerns about costs and taxes and have responded, working for the past ten years to raise private funds for a new library. Between Town and Friends of the Library accounts, we have approximately $520,000 cash in hand for a new library, and because of the dedication of library supporters, private donations make up more than half of that. We remain committed to continued fundraising.
§
Trustees are listening to all voices. We affirm
that whenever we know something for sure, we will share it as soon and as
widely as we can. If we receive questions, we do our best to answer them. If we
don’t know, we say so and do further research. This is a pilot project, and we
are all figuring it out as we go along—that includes the MBLC.
9. Question: How are the Library Director and Trustees incorporating this feedback?
o
Answer: We are working hard to keep the size of
the building and costs in check. For example, the main meeting room is planned
to be 300 sq ft smaller than the last proposal. We are specifying economical
finishes, such as resilient flooring instead of hardwood, “Hardie board” siding
instead of cedar, and asphalt shingles instead of a standing seam roof. We are
relieved that building costs seem to be declining after the spike of the
pandemic and that the price of solar PV panels has fallen significantly in the
past 10 years.
10. Question: If we are awarded the grant, then what happens?
o Answer:
In advance of Town Meeting, the Trustees will submit to the Town an estimate of
the full costs of the library. The MBLC will provide this estimate by
multiplying the square footage from the final Building Program by a
conservative (i.e., higher) value from a range of costs per square foot, based
on recent construction. We will add the required contingency amount and submit
a not-to-exceed warrant to Town Meeting. This means that a new library cannot
cost more than the amount voted on at Town Meeting. It may cost the Town less,
because fundraising will continue, but it cannot cost more.
11. If the warrant article passes, then what happens?
o We will form a Library Building Committee, asking for letters of interest from people who would like to serve. The Trustees will make recommendations to the Select Board who will appoint the committee. Then the Town will hire an Owner’s Project Manager (OPM), who acts on behalf of the Owner (the Town) throughout the project. The OPM is required to be a licensed professional with experience in municipal construction. After that, we would hire an architect and enter the design phase, which is where the Library Building Committee will look at many potential solutions and narrow down the choices to determine the most efficient way to construct the building. During the design phase, we will continue broad and deep public engagement on how our building should look and feel. We would not expect to start construction until 2023.
12. Question: The Library Trustees and Director recently submitted a “Long-Range Plan.” What is the Long-Range Plan? How does it relate to the Small Library Pilot Project grant application?
o Answer: To qualify for certain grants, all libraries in the Commonwealth of Massachusetts are required to submit a long-range plan every five years. The Long-Range Plan establishes the goals for library services. This year’s is the third Long-Range Plan we have submitted since the last new library proposal in 2011 – 2012. You can read this year’s Long-Range Plan here.
This year, Shutesbury’s Library Long-Range Plan happened to fall due at the
same time as the Small Library Pilot Project was announced and the application
project got underway. Any grant process from the MBLC requires the long-range
plan to be up to date. The Long-Range Plan notes the inadequacy of the
facilities at our current library. It is not, however, a component of the
Building Program.
13. Question: Would a new library include features to increase climate change resilience?
o Answer:
Yes. From the MBLC’s Program Notice: “Environmental sustainability and
resilience will be part of the planning process, including the building’s
energy and carbon use and the potential for the library to serve as a
heating/cooling/powering center in the event of an emergency.” Trustees also hope
that a new library would have an energy supply that will work when the power
goes out.
One trustee (co-chair Kate Cell) proposed that including some features such as
showers and/or a washer and dryer could help attract state or federal climate
resilience funds and might in turn lower the town’s share of the total costs. However,
the body of Library Trustees rejected this notion because the Library must
remain true to its essential mission and not try to serve beyond that mission.
14. Question: What about operating costs?
o The
Trustees are committed to a library that can be staffed with the current number
of employees. A new library does not automatically mean higher costs for
materials. We are committed to keeping operating costs low by specifying that a
new building must produce its own energy. There will need to be regular
janitorial services.
15. Question: Is there no way to expand or upgrade the existing library building or to use an under-used building, such as the Old Town Hall?
o
Answer: The Library Trustees explored this
possibility in 1999 – 2000. Expansion would have meant taking land from the
Town Common, which was not a popular idea. This proposal was withdrawn. During
the feasibility study for this approach, a local engineer reported to the
Trustees that Old Town Hall is not designed for the weight requirements of a
library. It also does not have sufficient land around it for expansion or
parking.
16. Question: Which sites are being considered for a new library, and what is being done to test their suitability?
o Two
sites are being considered: Lot 032, across the street from the Highway
Department, and the area behind Town Hall. Testing is underway at both sites.
For Lot 032, we are doing well and soil testing. For the area behind town Hall,
we are doing an environmental site assessment, perc, and well testing. We will
share the test results as soon as we have them. The site for a new library
needs to be submitted to the MBLC with the rest of the application on December
3.
17. Question: What do I do if I have questions or concerns this document doesn’t address?
o Answer: Please send your questions, concerns, and feedback to librarytrustees@shutesbury.org.
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