On Thursday, June the 6th, the library offered two Public Input Sessions, one in the Town of Cable, one in the Town of Namakagon. As a joint library of the two communities, it felt that it was important that each community was given an opportunity to review our preliminary plans. Devin Flanigan, our Keller Builds liaison, was present to answer questions and explain their involvement in the process. At each session, Library Director Kristine Lendved offered some history and background on the project, Library Board member and Katie Flowers Endowment President Anne Paul offered additional information as to the reasons behind our wish to expand the size of the library; to augment our collection, improve our service profile and be able to offer library programming during regular hours of operation! Devin Flanigan offered a slide presentation showcasing the plans at present including views from several angles and a look at the proposed floor plan.
Questions from those attending were fielded. Some people wondered why it was so big. Others wondered if it were big enough! Some questions could not yet be answered. We are not far enough along in the process to have specified exact furnishings or exterior treatments or even to have decided precisely what sort of heating/cooling will be used. The present plan addresses present and future space needs, identifies a floorplan and offers an exterior that will at once showcase the existing log cabin library and look to be part of a “campus” that includes the adjacent Cable Natural History Museum.
Marketing materials, a Case Statement and an accompanying brochure, were developed and received JUST in time for the Public Input Sessions. Same are available for pick-up at the library, or, give us a call at 715-798-3189 or email us at cablelibrary@cable.wislib.org and we’d be very happy to put one in the mail to you! We have large format drawings at the library and Library Director Kristine Lendved would be very happy to show them to you and take your input on them.
Our expansion facility will include a community meeting room which will enable us to offer daytime programming and will also be available for reservation for groups wishing to use it at any time. The facility is designed so that the meeting room and restrooms can be blocked off from the rest of the building so that the meeting room can be used before or after hours when staff is not present. There will, additionally, be several smaller study rooms which would be appropriate for small group meetings or to allow an area visitor who needs to work, to do so in a private space. These rooms, also, will be available to reserve. There will be a larger and improved children’s area and a central circulation desk which will include improved work space for library staff. There is a planned “media center” where patrons can use a scanner to transfer slides or photographs to digital files and accomplish other tech chores. Yes, there will be computer stations and room for our collection.
And the log cabin library? YES it will still very much be part of the library. As currently planned, it will be considered the “adult reading area.” A significant portion of the collection will continue to be housed there. The children’s area will be fully relocated to the expansion facility, as well as the main circulation desk,, which should insure that the area will, indeed, be a peaceful, quiet place to read and study. Several computer stations will remain there, and, of course, the wireless will extend to both areas of the facility.
Let us also say THIS: there are NO PLANS to make any changes to the exterior of the log cabin building. Because the log cabin does not look exactly like itself in the architectural rendering there are those who think those are planned changes. They are not! For one thing: the log cabin is owned by the Cable Natural History Museum. They have effected some improvements in and on the log cabin in the last several years, notably a new cedar shake roof and a newly refurbished exterior. It is also the case that the log cabin library is on both State and Federal Registers of Historic Places. So, will the log cabin library change? Indeed not…not on our watch!
Next steps: We will have an additional meeting with Keller to discuss the input we received at our Public Input Sessions. This should result in an updated preliminary plan. Then…well we need to raise the funds to accomplish this project. Our marketing materials identify our goal of raising two million dollars as well as identifying funding levels. Please know that we’d be very grateful to receive whatever contribution anyone wishes to make to our endeavor. We feel that this will be a great addition to our community. We hope, soon, to kick off an actual capital campaign.
In the meantime, Library Director Kristine Lendved or any member of our Board of Directors would be happy to talk to you about the project and how you might be involved.
FORWARD!
