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Why Do We Need a New Library?
Why do we have to move?
The new library building
After serving our community well for 82 years, our current library
building simply cannot meet the needs of the Roe Jan
community. One visit to the library—and we encourage you to
visit if you haven't already—will show you exactly
why we cannot continue to function and grow in this
1,000-square-foot building with a 600-square-foot basement.
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Insufficient shelving and book
processing space
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No public restrooms
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No space for literacy and outreach
programming for seniors, children, and disadvantaged
members of our community
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No privacy in the computer room and
no room for additional computers
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No private meeting room or quiet
study space
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No staff service desk in the
children’s area
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Inadequate work space for the
Library Director and volunteers
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No central air conditioning and
limited electric service
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The interior of the library is not
handicap accessible
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Inadequate display space for local
artists
A library’s contribution can be the heart of a community.
Your new library can and will be the cultural and civic
center our community needs.
Some Key Facts and
Projections
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The current library was built
to hold a maximum of 5,000 volumes. Its holdings are
now over 17,000 volumes, forcing us into a "scorched earth"
policy in which every new volume requires the disposal of
another.
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Contrary to some predictions,
the Internet explosion has raised library usage: according to a study by the American Library Association,
the number of visits to public libraries in the United
States increased 61% between 1994 and 2004. Usage of
our library has increased 75% since 2001, making it
increasingly impossible to meet user demand in our limited
space.
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Because of space and resource
limitations, only 20% of materials circulated by the current
library is for children. This is substantially lower
than the national average of nearly 50% for small
communities and demonstrates our inability to adequately
serve our youngest patrons in our current facility.
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The National Library
Association recommends that a small public library building
offer between 1.25 and 3 square feet per capita for its
service population, depending on collection sizes and
meeting room spaces. The current library provides .228
square feet of space per capita and we have no meeting room
space.
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Disadvantaged children, who
too often fall behind in reading during the summer,
statistically remain stable, or progress, in these skills
when they participate in summer reading programs
(traditionally provided by the community library). This intervention can make the difference between
educational success and failure for our most at-risk
children. Because of extreme limitations in space and
resources, the Roe Jan Community Library has been unable to
meet this critical community need. The new library
facility will offer ongoing reading and literacy programs
for children as well as adults.
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When the new library is
built, it will provide adequate computer access, space for
reading, relaxing, and socializing, ongoing cultural and
educational programs for children and adults; room for
private tutoring; public bathrooms; working space for the
library staff; and a community room for a broad array of
community uses. And all of these services will be
completely accessible to individuals with physical
handicaps. None of these resources are available at
our current library and all (with the possible occasional
exception of public programs) will be provided completely
free.
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Libraries typically
experience exponential growth in patronage following an
expansion. The Clifton Park/Half Moon Library doubled
its patronage the first year after building a new library
and the Rhinebeck Starr Library experienced almost 30%
growth the first year after the recent renovation, and is
continuing to see record patron levels.
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