Access: City HallA New Central Library

Stu Levitan hosts an hour-long program that takes an in-depth look at issues facing Madisonians. The current episode looks at the New Central Library.

Click the image above to watch this episode.

Briefing Memorandum

At the request of the Madison Common Council, we prepared a brief that addresses many "frequently asked questions." Topics covered include:

• Public Library Role
• Central Library Role / Issues
• New Library Development
• Design Questions
• Economic Benefits
• Timing / Funding Concerns
• Rehab of Existing Building Alternative

If you are interested, you can download a copy here.

A Common Question

"From the comments on my Central Library story today, you might think so. In some ways, the idea makes sense on the surface -- if you can find information online, why go to a special building to do so? Looking at statistics from the Madison Public Library system, however, the short answer is 'no'..."
>>> Read more

Related links:
Have Libraries Been Made Obsolete by the Technology Revolution?

What is a Library Worth?

At the last meeting of the Central Library Disposal Surplus Property Criteria Selection Committee, City Comptroller Dean Brasser mentioned that the City of Madison currently subsidizes the operating budget for the Madison Public Library System by $11 million annually. This translates into an annual cost to the city's taxpayers of $50 per capita.

If the City issues 20-year municipal bonds to finance $16 million of new library construction, this budget subsidy is estimated to increase by $1.2 million (or $5 per capita).

However, this modest increase in the library budget need not be borne by the taxpayer. If the investment creates new private development, the taxable property generates new tax revenues that will offset this cost.

Under our proposal, the new hotel, retail and parking facility is expected to generate an average of $2 million per year of property and room taxes (and more than $1.2 million in year one.) This represents a net benefit to the taxpayers.

In contrast, if the existing library is simply repaired for $16 million, no new tax base is created and the remodeled library will represent a new net cost to the taxpayers.

I've read a number of reports about the economic return from public libraries suggesting a return of $4 - $5 for every dollar spent... So libraries may well be one of the most productive investments that the public can make!

Curious for more? Here are some links you may appreciate:

Public Libraries - A Wise Investment - a return on investment study by the Colorado Public Library. I would guess that our community's relationship with the library may be consistent with these interesting survey results.

The Economic Contribution of Wisconsin Public Libraries to the Economy of Wisconsin by Northstar Economics. The title says it all.

... and I Meant Every Word

Our team was asked to make a 15 minute presentation about our project at a public forum entitled What is the Future of Madison’s Central Library? Here’s what I what I used my time to say:

Our proposal for the Central Library is uniquely distinguished by several major features:

• It creates a new free-standing library on West Washington Ave – locating it on a primary downtown arterial and the major axis through Capitol Square. The site at West Washington will provide more visibility and stature to the Library as a civic institution, and the self-contained building provides maximum security and control for library staff.
  
• This approach completely avoids costly interim relocation and operational disruption during the construction period - and those costs are simply wasted resources.
  
• After completing the new library, we plan $46 million of new construction on the existing library site, which will generate new property and room taxes expected to exceed the entire City cost for the new library.
  
• This plan creates 400 new parking stalls that help satisfy the need found by the City’s LRTPC in 2001 - at the #1 location recommended by the City’s Ad Hoc West Washington Parking Committee in 2003
  
• Finally, it provides a green-built building at a guaranteed cost - and LEED-Silver certification reflecting the value Madison places on sustainability

The public experience will be outstanding at this facility. Southern exposures and 18 ft floor heights will bathe the interior with natural light. And bay window will provide the public with fantastic views of our city up and down West Washington and of both lakes - views usually reserved for the executive suite.

Our team well understands that more public discussion is needed about the value and role of libraries in our community and the central library in particular. But as a starting point, please allow me to share our beliefs with you:

• The role of the library is changing, but libraries are not becoming obsolete.
• Libraries are popular and well utilized by all segments of our community.
• The library is the only institution that offers free and equal access to all members of our society.
• Libraries are places of opportunity for education, self help and workforce development.
• Libraries are economic generators. Studies show that libraries provide $5 of economic benefit for every dollar invested.
• Great cities have great central libraries. And many have been re-investing in them to be properly positioned for the 21st Century.
• Great central libraries are popular destinations for the regional community as well as visitors to the central city.
• The central library performs substantial service for the branches in the system. The system is dependant on the central core.
• Libraries are icons to cultural intellect.
• Finally symbols are important within a community. . . and not just dollar signs

Madison is a city that values education, literacy, the search for knowledge, democracy and accessibility, welcoming the diversity of our community - and all of these values are most symbolized by the central library. Just as the State Capitol building is symbolic of the value we place on democratic government; so Madison’s Central Library should represent the value we place on free access to knowledge and opportunity for our entire society.

This is a defining moment for us… future generations are going to live with this decision - and we need to do it right.

I hope that you agree with me that one of the clear lessons from our current economy is that we must all begin to shift our focus from short-term financial thinking to a longer-term view. We must distinguish meaningful investment from short-term costs. And we must act responsibly.

Madison has a unique opportunity right now to take advantage of several federal financing programs to aid in the creation of a new Central Library. Washington has recognized that our nation’s infrastructure is aging and is providing resources for projects just like this. For example, we have identified programs that could provide $9.5 million of federal subsidy to our project. It is both wise and patriotic to participate in these. But realize that these extraordinary stimulus programs are only available for a short period of time.

Our proposal for the library - at an expected total cost of $40 to 42 million - appears on the surface to be the most costly option. But I would argue strongly that it is the best value. First, it’s a better and more valuable site and building structure. But more importantly, if Madison analyzes these 3 alternatives from the perspective of an investor - it will consider both costs and benefits.

And when the City’s cost is offset by the new revenues generated by each proposal - our vision certainly comes at the lowest net present cost. Similarly, the most costly alternative to the taxpayer is the remodeling option because it offers no new tax base - and its entire cost must be borne by the taxpayers.

Our architect - Steve Holzhauer at EUA - likes to imagine this image as a postcard - showing the Library as one of the icons of our City. And I think it would be one - not because it presents a flamboyant and gold-plated building, but because our attractive and functional architecture exploits the natural physical advantages of this location … Because the views out will be as pleasing as the views in. … And because it will be a highly visible landmark. This will be a place that is authentically special because of it topography and the attractiveness of Madison’s urban environment!

Finally, I want to comment on our development team. I am very proud of the professional firms we have assembled. Fiore - Findorff - Eppstein… We are all headquartered in downtown Madison - we understand the central city - and we have a long history supporting it. And we’ve added Irgens Development Group and PSA/Dewberry to form a “super team.”

We are here to work with you! . . . This selection will not be the end, but the beginning of an important public dialogue. There remains a long road ahead - and lots of decisions to make. We want to be your partner in this, and we hope to be given the opportunity. Thank you.

What is the Future of Madison’s Central Library ?

All Madison residents are invited to an important and open forum to discuss the future of Madison’s central library.

Wednesday April 22
6:30 PM Open House to view Proposals
7 – 9:00 PM Presentations and Discussion
Capitol Lakes Retirement – Grand Hall 333 W. Main St.
Sponsored by Capitol Neighborhoods, Inc.

The City has received two proposals for construction of a new central library and has contracted for a study of the options for renovating the current facility. A city Committee is currently reviewing these proposals and is expected to make a recommendation soon.

This will be a chance to hear presentations about each of the options and to engage is a discussion on the merits of each. Community input is vital to the assessing the future of the central library. This is your chance to become informed and to inform the decision makers.

A significant portion of the forum will be devoted to a community discussion of the future of the central library as portrayed by these three options.

Further information on the two developer proposals is available on the Madison Library website.

The October 29, 2008 Capitol Neighborhoods forum - "The Role of Madison’s Central Library" - can be viewed on the Madison City Channel 12 website.

Have Libraries Been Made Obsolete by the Technology Revolution?

This is a question that comes up from time to time, usually from people who assume that libraries are merely depositories for books. So I asked our library consultant - Randy Gibson at PSA/Dewberry - how he responds to this. Here's what he had to say:

"Today’s libraries are more relevant today than perhaps at anytime in their existence. It is true that libraries still maintain their historic role as a depository of books, vital research records, media materials, and historical documents. In fact, some of these materials are evolving into digital formats making them nearly infinitely more accessible to people beyond the physical boundaries of the Library. In this regard, libraries play an even larger role as the keeper and cataloger of materials for the general public’s use. This is a powerful service that provides opportunities to people of every socio-economic group.

Besides the broadening of the Library’s traditional role, the other major change in its service (and relevancy) to the public is in its role as cultural center destination. Today’s library, more than ever before, is an active community space where meetings take place, ideas are exchanged and debated, and where events and programs occur. In addition, they serve as an institution that provides free access to the Internet, to DVDs, CDs, and other highly desired materials. In short, libraries have evolved into the community’s intellectual, cultural, and to a certain degree, its recreational center. No other civic body is remotely able to fulfill this vital role.

Technology has transformed the Library in both obvious and subtle ways. No doubt most are aware of the increasing popularity and need for free public Internet access. Look at a modern library and you will see row after row of computers with many if not all being used (irrespective of economic conditions). Perhaps more profound, if not significantly more subtle, is the effect that technology has had on library use. Technology and our subsequent ability to communicate without actually interacting with others has had a certain dehumanizing effect on society. Because of this, the Library has become a popular place to “see and be seen.” In fact, it has become, really, the town square or village green of earlier times. This transformation is still in progress.

At the onset of the technology revolution, many, including librarians, worried about the relevancy of the Library and whether it would have a meaningful purpose in the future. During the 15 years or so after these concerned were uttered, the Library has become an even more vital public institution with a greater and more far-reaching role to play."

In addition, here's a brief article that really resonated for me. Written by Greta Thompson from the Outagamie Waupaca Library System, it describes how:

• The library supports democracy
• The library helps businesses
• The library fosters community
• The library levels the playing field
• The library nourishes learning and creativity
• Librarians help transform data into knowledge

I was particularly inspired by her quote from Democracy and the Public Library: Essays on Fundamental Issues by Arthur W. Hafner (Editor)

“The public library is the only institution in American society whose purpose is to guard against the tyrannies of ignorance and conformity, and its existence indicates the extent to which a democratic society values knowledge, truth, justice, books, and culture.”

The Central Library

We brought onto our team one of the region's best library consultants - Randy Gibson from PSA/Dewberry - to ensure that the free-standing building we wanted to propose would i) reflect state-of-the-art design for a 21st Century library, ii) be efficient to operate and iii) be open and inviting to the community.

I recently asked Randy to describe the functional and philosophical differences between a central library and a branch facility. Here's what he had to say:

"Historically, central libraries have usually been the first library in the community. They are most often the largest facility within a multiple facility library system, both in terms of physical structure and collection sizes.

Central libraries tend to be located in the historic center of a community, whereas branch libraries tend to be established as service points to areas that are growing and/ or to provide convenience to geographic expansion.

Perhaps the major difference between a central library and branch library, however, is the fact that the central library typically enjoys historical, cultural and architectural significance, whereas branch libraries enjoy no such iconic importance. Because of this, it is of critical importance that the central library be viewed as an independent entity – both physically and organizationally.

The character of the central library communicates a great deal about the values of the community, not only to its citizens, but to outsiders as well. Is it symbolic of grandeur? Is it welcoming yet formidable? Does it communicate a sense of importance? Or is it in the background or hidden? The significance of this difference is profound.

There are typically some fundamental differences in functionality between central and branch library facilities. The central library, as is implied in its name, typically houses centralized services – administration, technical services (processing), interlibrary loaning, and technology support services. Outreach services are often contained within the central library.

Besides staff functions, the central library is often distinct from branch facilities in terms of public services. Notably, central libraries will frequently house the highly specialized collections (local history, genealogy, rare books, etc). It is these collections that draw people from often far away places.

Because of the typical demographics surrounding the central city, central libraries have smaller children’s libraries, smaller young adult (or teen) spaces, but larger reference collections, career development materials, and greater numbers of digital resources. Branch libraries cater to a more targeted audience. Often, the branch is highly geared to popular materials, and can be seen as having more space dedicated to children, to casual reading, library programming, and to technology. "