Swan Library Director's Desk

What's happening on the new building?

2011-02-01T15:00:00.000-08:00

We are fortunate enough to have virtually complete plans for the new library at this point. King & King Architects have worked with the building committee and with the staff to find places to save money, while maximizing the utility and beauty of our new building. Right now, the plans are being looked over by four contractors, to get bids on construction. The contractors are working through the details of the plans, and getting prices from sub-contractors on many aspects of the construction, so that they can get as accurate a picture of costs as possible.

Plans showing the exterior and floor plan for the building are on our website. While there have been some minor changes, few of them effect how the building looks. They are more in the realm of providing more storage space, or shelf space, than any change in the footprint of the building.

At the same time, we are working through the regulatory process as quickly as we can. The Village and County Planning Boards have both approved our project (as of October) so that hurdle has been overcome.

Soon, the Building Committee will get to look at the bids (with all the multiple alternates) and then spend some time to make a decision on which alternates to go with, so that we know what the costs will be for this entire project.

At the same time, we are working with NYSERDA (New York State Energy Research and Development Authority) to maximize the energy efficiency of the new building, and to get the incentives for those parts of the project that will help ensure that our new building has both cost effective and efficient heating, lighting and air conditioning.

The Library has applied for a New York State Building Grant for the first part of the project, and should hear in March the official word on how much we will get for phase I. (By dividing the project into phases, we can maximize what we get from New York State for this project.)

The Library has already heard from the Orleans County Foundation that we will get $15,000 this year towards new construction. It is great to get this kind of support from our local Foundation.

We will be searching for other sources of funding from other Foundations, as the project goes forward. When we can ask often depends on the requirements of the individual foundations for the paperwork involved. Funding for this sort of project can be complicated, as we go to all the sources we can identify.

Meanwhile, we are planning for the 111th Birthday of the Swan! On March 17th, 1900 Swan Library first opened its doors to the public. This year we will celebrate by having cake (provided by the Friends of the Library) and we will be showing a movie--in honor of the Swan's Eleventy-first Birthday. An exhibit will be set up in the lobby display case of some of the documents and artifacts we have acquired over the past 111 years--sure to be of great historical interest! I hope to see you here!

New Swan

2010-08-11T12:55:00.000-07:00

Library leaders and Building Committee members have been working closely with King and King Architects to make sure the new library is as beautiful as it is functional. Working with the staff, the architects have defined the functional areas of the building to good effect.

The building is designed to orient to the south so that the passive solar gain will provide free heating, lighting and views for all to enjoy. A clerestory high in the rafters will light the back half of the building during the day, and contains operable windows to draw fresh air into the building when the temperature is moderate thus mitigating the heating and cooling costs for the building.. Green spaces, bushes and trees will help to keep the air cooler around the building resulting in lower energy costs. High R-value insulation in the walls and roof will also make the library as energy efficient as possible.

Native vegetation around the building will aid in reducing storm water runoff, and be easy to care for as well. It will also help shield the building from the summer sun, while allowing the sunshine to enter during winter months helping to warm the space. Great care is being taken in this design to make the building beautiful from every angle. The side facing Main Street is filled with large windows, and the entrance, although located on the south side of the building, is angled so that it, too, faces Main Street. The detailing on the building is such that it will be attractive from every direction.

Nearly all the features asked for by the community will be present. The building will be fully accessible, all on one level, with larger meeting rooms, wonderful sitting areas, and space for the collection to grow. There will be more computers, and wi-fi access throughout the building. It will be comfortable, and filled with light in the daytime, and well lit by lamps when the sun is not shining. There will be enough parking for regular users, and for programs.

The inside of the building will be as beautiful as the outside, and will function smoothly for all the varied uses modern libraries fill. The planning is for flexibility, so that as the needs of the community change, the library can change to meet those needs, with a minimum of further expense and fuss.

With all of this being said, I should note that nothing has been set in stone, ideas are still being gathered, and even our final design, submitted to the Albion Planning Board in June, is subject to change as needed. Stay tuned to this blog and the website for updates.

New Building

2010-02-16T12:42:00.000-08:00

I'm so happy that we are moving forward on our new library project. We've gone from painstaking progress with studies and surveys to purchasing the Dale's property and hiring an architect! The architectural team from King and King architects, out of Syracuse, selected by the Building Committee and endorsed by the Swan Library Board has done many projects--and many types of projects. Kirk Narburgh, the lead architect in our meetings so far, is an Albion native, and is eager to do a new library in his home town. The other team members are also anxious to do a good job for us, and were happy to learn the suggestions from Board, Staff, and Project volunteers at our first meeting.
The message that we all wanted a very functional building, that at the same time is very energy efficient was not lost on the architects. Some ideas came out of that meeting that may help us to do just that.
Back when this project was just a dream, I read somewhere that envisioning the project in as much detail as possible would help the idea to become concrete, and help bring it to fruition. So ever since then, I have been building the idea of this new library in my mind--what we need, what the members of the community want, and what will minimize the ongoing costs to the community in the future. All of these things have become part of our shared vision.
This site--the very best in the Village to put a new library, is the basis for this shared vision. At this spot we will become a bridge between the historic Downtown and the new businesses on South Main Street, and a gateway to the historic district. Close enough to our present site so people who use the bike path by the canal, and those who are boating the canal, can still come in to check their e-mail, and message their friends about where they are, this site also is great for those who are accustomed to walking to the library. At the same time, people who have been frustrated in their desire to use the library because of the lack of close parking, the imposing steps, and the heavy front door, will find far easier access to the library than ever before.
This will be a building where, when you walk in, all parts of the library will be visible to you. The "new book" shelves will be large enough to hold more than a month's worth of new books, the circulation desk will accomodate more than one check-out station, the children's library, the meeting room and the local history section will be obvious destinations when you walk in the door--not hidden on separate floors and cramped alcoves. There will be places for tutors to meet with students without disturbing others browsing the shelves. Computer access to the collection and for internet browsers will be immediately available, and wireless access will be throughout the library.
I can hardly wait! But, we have a long way to go--please be patient with us--there's still a lot to do!

2009-02-26T14:24:00.000-08:00

I am writing to ask for help from everyone I can reach in our service area. Libraries and Library Systems stand to take an 18% cut in funding in the Governor’s budget this year. For the library itself this is not enormous—it means a cut of under $1000 for the Swan Library. Of course, the smaller the library, the larger the impact of the cuts. For the Library System, however, the cuts are devastating. And in that way, the library cuts affect every library in the state.
The Nioga Library System does a number of things for its member libraries. The system provides staff training, cataloging services for library collections, Interlibrary Loan and delivery service, our Online Public Access Catalog, and technical support. New York State mandates Outreach services to underserved populations, and so the system provides that also.
There are two reasons the cuts are so hard on the Library Systems. First is that the system gets the majority of its funding from the state. Unlike the libraries it serves, the Library System does not get local tax support. The local libraries do help to defray some of the costs for maintaining the Online Catalog, but that’s all. The second reason is that the Systems have received no funding increases since 1998. So for the past 10 years, since costs have increased every year, the system has had to cut services. And so the libraries no longer have collection development help; the number of in-service trainings has dropped; the system no longer has much in the way of collections to augment library collections, and most of the collection help that the system provides is in databases that all the libraries can use.
Those few services that are left are the core services without which it would become really difficult, and very expensive, for the libraries each to provide for themselves. The Nioga Library System has been in place for 50 years, this year. The kind of major budget cuts contemplated would risk losing the economies of scale that the Library Systems were created to provide.
It is often stated that for each $1 spent for libraries, the community receives $4 in services. In the case of Library Systems, because of the large costs involved, each $1 gets multiplied to a far greater sum than the $4. Your letters might help to keep the Systems operating longer, and keep the libraries able to provide the services that people in our community deserve and need.

2009-01-28T11:10:00.000-08:00

I just wanted to greet everyone and at least get my first post online. We are very busy at the Swan this week. The new circulation system is up and running, although not without a few bugs. The good people at the Nioga Library System are working hard with the folks from Sirsi-Dynix to smooth out all these little problems. Please be patient with our staff (and the staff from all the other Nioga Libraries) as we learn this new system.
I am also busy working on the Annual Report. We got the ok from the State to start on the report just over a week ago—(the software was unlocked), and I have about three more weeks to get it done and right. Some years take more time than others.
Our Amnesty week is well under way, and folks are bringing in canned goods for donations to the Food Pantry in lieu of fines. Patrons can bring in their overdue books and benefit the less fortunate in our community at the same time. They can feel doubly good! The Amnesty week will be over on January 31st, so please plan accordingly.
Thank you for being patient with us!
Susan Rudnicky