By Vanessa Overholser - Staff Writer
Construction on the new Rowan County Public Library is just beginning and is slated to be complete on time.
“Despite downtime because of undesirable weather conditions this spring, the construction manager and contractors have been diligent in minimizing the impact,” said Helen Northcutt, president of the library board of trustees.
The proposed completion date for the project is April 28, 2010. The construction is on target and the building should be finished by the proposed date. No substantial changes have been made since contracts were awarded, according to Northcutt.
The new library will be located on Beacon Hill Drive, behind Major Brand Tires.
“Rowan County citizens will have an efficient, modern, state-of-the-art building to use while enjoying the outstanding library collections and services to which they are accustomed,” she said.
The new library has many new amenities, including adequate space and enhanced security.
“The new community room, one of the most used areas, will be scheduled according to space needs based on group size, allowing two or more groups to meet simultaneously,” she said. “The children’s area will have dedicated space with several new features in an area away from the circulation center. In addition, the increased space in the new building will support various types of programs that current space prohibits.”
Library patrons should not be confused about where the front entrance is located, Northcutt said.
“One clearly defined door in the new facility will open a world of opportunity to the person who enters,” she said.
Members of the library board predict an increase of visitors to the new building.
“Available data shows that public libraries in Kentucky that move into a new or renovated building usually experience an increase in usage by 35 to 40 percent,” she said. “We definitely anticipate more people to visit, more materials to be circulated, and more use of space and services.”
Currently, the Rowan County Public Library has 13,507 registered patrons and nearly 60,000 items in collections. Over 11,000 items were circulated in April.
The reason for the construction of the new building is the ratio of the county population to the square footage for a public library is considerably less than the standard regulations require.
“Based on the population of Rowan County (22,500), the minimum square footage set forth by Kentucky library standards is 15,791 square feet,” Northcutt said. “The current building has 9,286 square feet, 6,500 less than the standard. The new library building will have 17,000 square feet (which is considered adequate for a county population of 24,285).
“Since its inception, the library has made untold contributions to Rowan County,” she said. “Because of increased usage, the building was ‘bursting at the seams’ and we simply ran out of space. In fact, the Community Room, which is sorely needed, was reduced in size to provide workspace for employees.”
Providing education for local citizens is one of many aspirations for the library.
“One of our continuing goals is to educate residents about the enormity of free services and educational opportunities available at ‘their’ library,” Northcutt said.
“Plans for the new library are on display in the current library,” Northcutt said. “Everyone is invited to stop and see the proposed new facility.” The library is currently located at 185 E. First Street.
People can learn more about the library by reading articles written by Library Director Helen Williams that appear in Friday’s edition of The Morehead News or by visiting the library website at www.rowancountylibrary.org.
