Check this section regularly for updates on the planned expansion of the Dansville Public Library. The latest news is listed first. Scroll down the page for background on the need to expand and the processes used to determine how best to expand. For more information or to take a tour of the Dansville Public Library, contact Terry Dearing, Director, at 335-6720.
Library votes to tear down 190 Main Street
At a special meeting in September 2006, the Board of the Dansville Public Library awarded the demolition of the former Wilcox Building at 190 Main Street to Diversified Construction Services, Inc. of Phoenix, New York.
Diversified was low bidder. Six bids were received ranging from $129,000 to $187,870. A general contract meeting was held October 2, 2006 with the abatement portion of the project to commence in mid October.
Costs for the project will be covered by funds in special reserve already on hand. In addition, the Library will apply for a New York State Public Library Construction Grant to help offset the cost of demolition.
The Library purchased the building and an adjacent 16,500 square feet of land in January 2006 as part of the Library’s planned expansion. Funds used to purchase the property came from a variety of sources including a $50,000 grant secured by Senator Young, a $7,700 New York State Library Construction Grant, $5,000 from savings, and the remainder from a special reserve fund the Library began in anticipation of the need to expand.
After reviewing several options, including rehabbing the existing space, the Board determined it would be more cost-effective and would better meet the needs of the community to tear down the existing building and develop plans for an expansion to the Library’s current location.
Why does the Library need to expand?
Since 1924, the Library has remained in the same building at 200 Main Street, Dansville. Since that time, the world and the Library have changed a great deal.
Cars have become the primary mode of transportation, but parking at the Library has actually decreased due to road reconstruction that eliminated parking spaces.
In the 1920s, only 56% of people graduated high school now more than 85% do and more than 60% of high school graduates go on to attend college. As a result, the Library has experienced tremendous growth in the need for our services.
In the past three years, the numbers of people accessing and using library resources has steadily increased. There are now 3,734 registered borrowers, and 60-80 new users are added monthly. We are chartered to serve the 10,419 people in the Dansville Public School District and our annual circulation exceeds 50,000.
Technology has changed dramatically. Today Library patrons use tapes, CDs, DVDs, videos and computers. They expect these resources at the Library. In our current building we are limited in the number of these services we can provide. We have added seven computers, but the addition of these technologies has taken away space in the Library for shelving books, studying, and having programs.
Society has changed its views toward those with disabilities and the inception of the Americans with Disabilities Act challenged organizations like the Library to meet the needs of all citizens. Retrofitting the current building to make it more accessible proved imperfect. Making the bathroom wheelchair accessible reduced room for our children’s collection. While in the strictest sense we are ‘accessible’, the Library is far from convenient and welcoming to those with mobility issues and the entire second floor is inaccessible.
The Library is a resource for the community that goes beyond providing materials. The Library is anchored on Main Street at the heart of Dansville. Through the years, residents have used our space for meetings, intellectual debate, education and entertainment. Because our only program space is on the second floor, children and adults with disabilities are unable to access it.
How big should a library be?
The Library currently has 4,800 square feet. The recommended space for a public library serving a population of 11,000 is 14,900 square feet. For instance, the Library currently has 450 square feet of space for the Children’s collection and reading space while 3,000 square feet is recommended. There is no space officially set aside for computers and computer use, and the recommended space is 900 square feet. Even if the Library were to reclaim space currently used for the custodian’s apartment, it would only gain about 1,500 square feet, over 1,100 square feet of which is on the second floor making it inaccessible.
What is being done?
The Library has reached out to the community to gauge how we should proceed.
A survey, conducted in 2000 as part of a Millennium Committee, made clear the community wanted more from the Library and did not want to see the Library move from Main Street. Reasons cited included the beauty and historic value of the current building, the Library being an anchor for Main Street shops and businesses, and the central location for all those in Dansville and the surrounding communities.
In the fall of 2001 discussions began with Mrs. Bea Wilcox regarding the availability of the adjacent property at 190 Main Street, formerly the Wilcox Auction Center. Based on the decision to remain at the Main Street location, as well as the need for increased space, the Library Board purchased the property including 16,500 square feet of parking behind the building in January 2006.
A feasibility study was conducted in the fall of 2004 to assess the community’s willingness to help fund the project. Results of the study showed that the community is very supportive of the project and understands the need to expand, but that funding will need to be sought from a variety of sources. The question was also raised if it was more economical to remodel the Wilcox building and connect it to the current Library or to tear it down and construct a new addition to the current Library.
In November 2004, a Building Committee made up of interested community members was formed to review the options, determine the final design and subsequent cost for the project. As a result, the Board voted in 2006 to tear down the Wilcox Building and plan an expansion of the existing Library.
What is next?
The Library is committed to keeping the community informed and we welcome your input and support as we move forward. Look for updates on this page and press releases and stories in the local media. We welcome you to stop by and talk with us when we are at events in the community or here at the Library. Our goal is to create an attractive village library, a library we can all be pleased to call our own, and just as our founders did in 1872, a library which will meet the needs of our community for many years to come.
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