Library Welcomes Architect

The Mancos Public Library has 2,200 square feet that houses staff, computer users, children's reading groups, community activities and around 16,000 pieces of material, including books, video and audio tapes. Patsy Smith, the library director, shares an office with staff members that is bursting at the seams.

"We've had to put in additional shelving in front of almost all the windows. There s no place elose to grow. Every year when we plan, we try to figure out how to squeeze out a little more shelving space," Smith said. She added that books with lower circulation have been moved into storage to make way for more popular books. "If we get any fuller, it means more severe weeding of materials. Weeding is something we alays do, but it will have to be more aggressive," Smith said.

It is clear that the time has come for a new library facility. Plans have begun for a 6,800 square foot facility south of downtown and the Mancos River. "According to Colorao Public Library Standards and the size of the population here, this is the appropriate size," Smith said. She added that this will almost triple the current library space. Smith would like to utilize outdoor space by the river for reading and activities. The new facility would ideally have multimedia capacity for presentations and lectures, increased space for books, an expanded young adult collection, and a total increase to about 20,000 items. "More office space with staff work areas and a better flow around the circulation desk," she added.

Smith is preparing to welcome architect Dennis Humphries from Denver. Humphries was the architect for the Dolores library, one of the twenty public library projects he has been involoved in. Smith said that the library board chose Humphries for several reasons, including Humphries' library experience and his idea of looking at the town's architecture and history as part of the planning process.

"He loves to do these meetings and get community input," Smith said, referring to Humphries' visit to Mancos the weekend of November 17. Humphries will be available during a public meeting on Saturday, November 18 from 9 a.m. to noon at the Community Center.

Smith hopes to break ground for the new library facility during early summer, 2007, saying it will take about a year to complete the building with a grand opening during the summer of 2008.
The other side of the process is funding. "We're in a good place," Smith said. A mill levy increase for the new facility passed in November, 2005. "The funds from the mill levy increase will total about $86,000 this year. We're looking at getting a load as well," Smith said. The total budget for the project is $1.9 million, but Smith is confident that funding will be available.

"We've got a loan and we've just received a letter of approval for an energy and mineral impact grant for $350,000," she said. The grant is administered by the Colorado Department of Local Affairs (DOLA). Smith said she needed the DOLA grant to be able to solicit private foundations for fundraising and was delighted that the grant had been approved.

The library board will also raise funds by selling the current library property. Smith hopes a sale will go through in the next few months. "We're hoping to get $350,000 for this property," Smith said. An additional $200,000 will come from private foundation grants and a local capital campaign drive which will begin in early 2007.

Smith expressed hope that the community will participate in the project planning process by attending the community meeting on November 18 at the Community Center. "We have a vision, but we have to hear from residents," she said. "I do know that he will bring materials for people to look at and get ideas. It's an informal event. I think he will mostly be listening," she said.

Photo

From the Mancos Times

Foot Bridge Across the Mancos River

Taken from the Library Building Site

Mancos Library Fundraiser a Success

On September 21, a group of library supporters, board members and staff gathered for a fundraiser dinner and to honor retired Mancos Times editor Tom Vaughan. In attendance were Cortez Hournal publisher Suzy Meyer, Richard Ballantine, owner of the Cortez Journal and the Mancos Times, Library Director Patsy Smith and Tom Vaughan.

Meyer, one-time editor of the Mancos Times, talked about her relationship with the library while she worked in Mancos. "When I first became the newspaper lady, my children were quite small. Here I was, a newspaper lady who often had small children in tow. The library was a refuge, and the librarians occasionally were lifesavers. My children remember the summer reading programs, they still love to read, and for that, I thank you."

The fundraiser was a success, raising $2,400 toward the planned library expansion.

The Mancos Public Library Staff

From the Mancos Times

Architect Selected for the New Library

After discussion during a regularly scheduled library board meeting on June 22, the Mancos Public Library board of Trustees unanimously voted to select Humphries Poli Architects, P.C. as the architectual firm to design a new library building. Humphries Poli Architects, located in Denver, will be the principal-in-charge and Matthew Wilhelm will serve as the project designer. Dennis Humphries has managed more than 20 library projects, including the Dolores Public Library. Mr. Humphries has been honored as 2005 Architect of the Year by AIA Colorado and as 2004 Architect of the Year by the Colorado chapter of the American Subcontractors Association. He co-founded Humphries Poli Architects, named AIA Denver Firm of the Year, with Joesph Poli in 1994. In further business, the Board voted to go for "Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design" certification for the library building project.

"In the next couple of months, we will hold public meetings for community members to discuss their needs and wants. From that information, our architect will develop a conceptual design. The initial design process will take about two months," said Patsy Smith, library director.
The second stage will be procuring a general contractor. The final design will be developed, which could take up to seven months, Smith explained.

"We will also be writing grants and get our funding finalized. We can't break ground until we have a close number for the cost of the project." Smith said.

She added tht the groundbreaking for the library will probably be during the spring or early summer of 2007.

From the Mancos Times

Visit Humphries Poli Architects, PC: http://www.hparch.com/

Humphries Poli - Library Design Philosophy

Library Board, Staff Meet with Consultant

The Mancos Public Library has lots of heart - in a small and overtaxed body.

That's one way of summarizing the extensive data the library's board, staff and some supporters received during a session with library consultant Abbie Zeltzer on Wednesday, April 12.
Using the data developed during a morning meeting with the library staff, Zeltzer shared the Mancos library's current strengths, current weaknesses, future opportunities and future threats during an open workshop in the afternoon at the visitor center. Each of those aspects was considered with respect to the local library's commons mission (community meeting space), current topics and titles, general history and genealogy.

Among the current strengths listed are the "ease the public feels", children's programming, high circulation and turnover rates [of materials], "knowledgeable staff", public access computers, wireless avbility, ready reference materials at circulation desk, staff knowledge of their community, commitment to the arts, collection balance, the Southwest collection and "program variety and support of outside library community programs".

"Space" is a weakness in almost every respect - space for programs, space for collections and spae for displays. There's also not enough space available to separate activities that can interfere with each other, like children's programs and public access computers.

Future opportunities also emphasize space - space for people and space for things. The spaces for people (multi-use, young adult, children's programs and browsing lounge) carry with them threats - the budget impact of staff to schedule and monitor use, as well as cleaning, repairs and utilities.

More space is also needed for books, periodicals, prints, "technology hardware" and exhibits
When Zeltzer compared the Mancos library with the state standards, she explained that the state rates library resources as essential (25th percentile), enhanced (50th percentile), comprehensive (75th percentile), and 95th percentile.

The Mancos library has a service population of about 4,000, and it expends $4.38 per capita, which puts is almost at the comprehensive level ($4.57 per capita). Our library also has a repectable circulation (7.14 titles per capita; the state figures the enhanced level is 6.54 and comprehensive is 8.12). The turnover rate (average circulation per item owned) is also good: 1.44, which is exactly the comprehensive rate.

The needs are primarily in the areas of periodicals, non-print and audio-visual materials, volumes - and space!

Photo

(Caption: Library Consultant Abbie Zeltzer walks the board of the Mancos Public Library and other library fans through a comparison of the Mancos Library's facilities, holdings and services with comparative data from other libraries in Colorado and the 2005 Colorado Library Standards. The workshop on Wednesday will help the staff and board use the comparative data to pinpoint the capacity and features that need to be designed into the new library to be built in Empire Park.)

From the Mancos Times

Library Winter Dreamscape