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Questions About the Expansion Plan
Prepared by Dan Armstrong, Library Director
The following questions were received from members of the public either at a public hearing of the Board on May 1, 2007 via email or phone conversation.
Why proceed with the project now?
We are under pressure from the office of Illinois Department of Commerce and Economic Opportunity to demonstrate progress on this project in order to secure the $500,000 grant that is being held for the Cook Memorial Public Library District. Failure to move quickly may result in a loss of that grant.
Beyond the potential loss of $500,000, the need for expanded library facilities has been recognized by the library officials and the public for at least 20 years. Public services have been greatly impaired by the lack of available space. As a recent study conducted by the Center for Governmental Studies at Northern Illinois University concluded, “Facility overcrowding and space deficits are having negative impacts on service delivery, staffing arrangements and organizational management at both the Cook Memorial and Evergreen facilities.” District officials have an obligation to strive to provide quality public services. Plans for expansion have been in the works for decades. Library users need improved facilities as soon as possible and it is truly irresponsible to continuously delay improvements.
If the Cook Memorial Public Library District builds a new building in Vernon Hills, what will happen if Vernon Hills secedes from the District?
The state statute that allows secession from a library district permits this to be done only with the approval of the library board of trustees. Since approximentally 10% of Vernon Hills is served by the Vernon Area Public Library District, both the Cook Memorial Public Library Board and the Vernon Area Public Library District Board would have to vote to allow secession of any part of the District before that secession would be allowed. It is highly unlikely that both library boards would approve secession after a new building was built and the impetus for secession would be removed once a full service library was provided to Vernon Hills. The Library Board would hold or control the title to the library building in Vernon Hills so no other entity could operate a public library without the Cook Memorial Public Library District's Board’s permission.
Is placing a library at the Aspen Drive site a done deal?
Any approval of this plan for expansion would be preliminary until all elements of the agreement for the site have been finalized. The Library District will not expend funds for the development of building or site plans until an agreement has been reached.
What happens if the deal for the site on Aspen Drive falls through?
Library officials are continuing to explore options for sites other than that Aspen Drive.
What makes the Aspen Drive site a good place to situate a library?
The Aspen Drive site is located in the geographic center of the most populous village within the Cook Memorial Public Library District and meets all the basic criteria for determining a location of a public library building. The location is close to major roads (Route 60), schools, and PACE bus routes. Several thousand people are within walking or biking distance of the site and there will be access via Vernon Hills’ network of bike trails.
Why discount the idea of a new library out of hand? Past referendums have never addressed the idea of building a new library.
The Library Board of Trustees is committed to improving facilities without increasing the tax burden on residents. The cost of building a single 65,000 square foot library would be more than $22 million and would require an increase in taxes finance the construction. The proposed plan does not raise taxes and provides 63,000 square feet of library space to the community.
Where did the 2007 construction estimates come from?
Estimates are based on construction contracts awarded for similar public library construction and remodeling projects in the Chicago metropolitan area during the last 12 months. These costs have been inflated to allow for lead time for projects beginning in either 2008 or 2009. Ongoing discussions with several architectural firms indicate that these estimates remain viable.
In comparing building space in public libraries, should the sample be limited only to libraries with similar sizes?
The Cook Memorial Public Library has the least square feet per capita of any public library in the North Suburban Area. Public libraries serving more populations greater than 50,000 in population average 1.26 square feet. Cook offers less than 0.6 square feet per capita. The statistics are very consistent in indicating that Cook is suffering from a space deficit no matter what comparisons are made.
When discussing the need for space, a bit more work should be done to determine the TYPE of space.
A great deal of work has been done to determine the type of space needed. Over the last 20 years, the District has hired professional planners and architects to conduct detailed space needs assessments. These are extremely detailed assigning function to every square foot within a proposed building. For example, we know that a meeting room that will provide capacity for up to 150 people will require 2,100 square feet of space. In general, the types of space that will be added to the Cook Park Library will be for library users so that they will have room to better utilize the resources of the library. This would include an open computer lab, quiet reading areas, small group study rooms, and comfortable spaces for informal use of the library.
Define how a single computer can require an area up to 5' x 10'.
This figure was contained in a quote from the Center for Governmental Studies at Northern Illinois University. Trends in modern libraries are to provide additional work space for those using computer stations. Users are often working on projects that require that they consult written manuals, books or papers while they are also accessing a computer. Users need space to lay these materials out in a comfortable manner. Work stations have grown to widths five foot and larger. In space planning for workstations allowances must be made for chair movement in front of the work station. In addition, allowances must be made for circulation space. These circulation spaces must be compliant with the Americans With Disabilities Act (ADA), which means 36" inches of clearance space must be given to allow for the passage of wheel chairs. In addition, some allowance must be made for a print station even if it will be a shared by several computers. A number of library space planning models suggest allowing between 45 and 50 square feet for a public access computer station. A book entitled Library Space Needs published by the Wisconsin Department of Public Instruction lists the space needs for a public access computers stations at 50 square feet.
Does Cook have a mission statement?
Yes. Our mission statement is to provide and promote open access to information, ideas and creative expression
and to encourage life-long learning and personal growth.
With the addition of a branch, will the Bookmobile be scaled down or eliminated?
It is possible that the role of the Bookmobile will change when a full service branch is established in Vernon Hills. However, the Bookmobile is a flexible service delivery system for library service that can reach populations that, for a variety of reasons, may be underserved by the library. It is not anticipated that the service will be eliminated.
How will staff be impacted by the construction of a new library in Vernon Hills?
In general, the staff will need to flexible and adaptable during the coming years. Changes in technology will probably have more impact on staffing patterns than will the construction of a new branch. Our staff will need to focus on productivity and efficiency while continuing to provide superior service to our users.
How will the tight parking situation at the Cook Park Library be addressed?
Parking at the Cook Park Library is tight. The Library District will need to work in concert with the Village of Libertyville to arrive at an appropriate parking solution. The Library District will not be able to solve this issue unilaterally without the involvement of the Village of Libertyville.
Why has the IMRF/SS Fund line dropped significantly in the first year of the proposed budget?
The budget for the Illinois Municipal Retirement Fund and the Social Security Fund are reduced in the budget year beginning July 1, 2007 to accommodate millage rounding for the purpose of levying property taxes. Based on calculations provided by the Lake County Clerk’s Office, it was determined that it would be more efficient to round down the IMRF/SS levy and round up the Operating Fund levy. This results in excess collections in the Operating Fund which are budgeted in the salary benefits line in the budget year beginning July 1, 2007. Operating Fund expenditures from the salary benefits line will supplement expenditures from IMRF/SS fund line. The IMRF/SS line was necessarily reduced as a result of the rounding down of the millage rate.
How do Cook’s payroll costs compare to those of other libraries?
Library payroll expenditures vary greatly between libraries depending on the types and level of service offered. Generally, the research-intensive libraries have higher payroll costs while popular materials libraries have lower costs. Cook falls somewhere in the middle; salary costs generally range between 50 and 70 percent of revenues. One of the expansion goals for the Cook Park Library is to improve efficiency by organizing the delivery of services and making the most use of technology like self check devices.
What capital improvements are currently scheduled for the Library District apart from the proposed building expansion?
The Library District is in the process of replacing an antiquated computer system that provides an online catalog of materials and the circulation of materials. The new system will provide many additional capabilities for patrons and staff.
How do estimates of tax receipts in the five year budget projection compare with those of the last five years?
The estimated increases in tax receipts in the five year budget projection are very conservative when compared with actual annual increases over the last five years. During years two through five in the projected budget, the estimated increase is 4% each year. The actual increases in tax receipts over the last five years have exceeded 4% each year.
In the five year budget projection, grant revenue remains even. Is this a reasonable projection?
Grant revenue projections are based on the Per Capita Grant received from the State of Illinois. Grant receipts from this source have been stable with little variance over the past five years.
Beginning July 1, 2007, the projected budget does not include surpluses. Why not?
This fiscal year is a transitional year, as it is the first year in which the District will set aside money for debt repayment. This amounts to an effective 12% reduction of the budget and absorbs any potential surplus during this year. When an operating budget is reduced by 12% in one year, it should not be surprising that there is no surplus projected for that year.
How do budget projections for operating expenditures compare with actual increases in projections over the last three years?
In recent years, increases in operating expenditures have been modest because an increasing portion of the budget has been put into a building reserves account. The money was saved to help with the hoped for building project. Actual expenditures have increased at a 2.2% average annual rate during the three fiscal years prior to the current fiscal year. This is lower than the annual increase of 3% in most of expenditures lines in the projected budget.
Could you please explain the difference between maintenance and repairs?
Equipment that is operational needs to be continually maintained and expenses for this function fall under maintenance. Equipment that fails and is no longer operational must be repaired and expenses for this function fall under repairs. Try thinking of it in terms of your car. A scheduled oil change is maintenance. Fixing a flat tire is a repair.
Why would the Library need a drive through window?
I’m glad you asked. Remember that Cook Park Library parking problem. The drive through window will help us alleviate that problem. Users will be able to call or email ahead of time and ask for materials to be pulled. Users will then drive to the window and pick up the materials without ever getting out of the car. This is a great convenience to individuals with physical handicaps or parents with small children. Since the user never has to park, we have one less car in the lot.
Why is there a decrease in the training budget in the coming year?
During this fiscal year, we will be focusing the staff’s energy on bringing a new library computer system online. Most of the staff training for this will be done on-site and has included within the total cost of the new system.
The projected budget indicates that there will be a drop in rent when the storage facility is phased out after new construction. Will this still happen if the District is unable to build the basement in the Vernon Hills building?
Yes. Adequate storage facilities will be built into both the Vernon Hills and Cook Park Libraries whether or not there is a basement in Vernon Hills.
Could you present a projected five year budget if the expansion does not take place? I have prepared a budget for what I consider to be the most probable scenario. If for some reason this scenario does not materialize, we will make the necessary adaptations.
What savings can be realized today without the expansion?
We are reviewing many aspect of service delivery and looking at ways to implement new technologies to reduce the human work load. Technology can help us provide more service at a lower cost. Patrons can help save staff time and postage by registering their email address with the library. That way we can provide you with email notification regarding material due dates and fines. It’s great for the user because you will receive an email reminder a few days before an item that you have checked out is due. Since the system is totally automated, it saves a great deal of staff time that went into patron notification. Patrons can also use Express Checkout, a self-checkout service located in the lobby and in the Children's Department of the Cook Park Library.
How will the expansion save money in the budget?
We hope to reorganize services at the Cook Park Library in a manner that will be more efficient and effective. For example, we had two circulation desks in the Cook Park Library. Through the expansion, we were able to reorganize and merge those two desks into one. Reducing the number of service points helps control costs.
Is the project dependent on future cost savings?
No. The projected budget does not depend on cost savings. However, the key to operating larger facilities without a large increase in the budget is cost control. This will mean that the buildings will have to be carefully planned. For example, our goal will be to operate the Vernon Hills Library with a single service point. This is quite feasible in a 20,000 square foot building. Express checkout stations will make this even easier.
When will the Library District issue the debt certificates?
We will depend on the advice of our financial consultants and legal counsel regarding the best way to structure and time the issuance of debt certificates.
What financial arrangements will be made with the Village of Vernon Hills regarding the proposed site of the new library?
The Boards of both Village of Vernon Hills and the Cook Memorial Public Library District are in discussions regarding all aspects of this process.
What safeguards are built into this program to avoid running short of funds?
One of the major criteria we will be looking for in an architectural firm is the ability to bring projects in on-time and on-budget. The bid specifications will be include major alternates. This will allow the Board discretion to pick and choose between alternatives in order to keep the cost of the projects within the specified budget. Finally, a contingency budget will be built into the budget for each project.
Are projected surpluses a component of the reserve fund?
No. The reserve fund is fully funded.
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