Focus group offers ideas on Cranbury Library

[news]

Focus group offers ideas on Cranbury Library

By Maria Prato-Gaines
Posted: Friday, January 11, 2008 12:05 PM EST

CRANBURY — Residents who met to discuss the Cranbury Public Library on Wednesday agreed on one thing — the library needs more space.

In an effort to get feedback on the library, the library board of trustees conducted a focus group at the Four Season Club House. The board has held three focus groups since December and plans on several more.

The two dozen participants Wednesday, mostly residents of the senior community, shared some ideas with trustees Kirstie Venanzi and Patricia Thomas and library consultant Karen Avenick.

Facing one another in an oval seating arrangement, the participants took turns highlighting their concerns and making recommendations for improvements.

Some of the participants thought the current library could use a number of improvements, while others said the township should start over from scratch.

”My dream is a freestanding new library,” said Ann Solomon. “The Gambino Room is used for everything. But if you build a new building, there will be room.”

Some residents were skeptical as to whether the township would even approve a new library either because of the cost or just a fear of change.

”It is a community that would rather not change,” John Battles said concerning a new library. “They say, ‘It ain’t broke, why fix it?’ “

If a move was in the works, some residents said the library should move over to the newly vacated PNC bank on North Main Street because of its size and location.

Others said a building “place holder” on the future village green site, a park area that will be built next to the Wright South tract near a soon-to-be built Babe Ruth baseball field, would be the best location for the construction of a new public library.
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http://www.packetonline.com/articles/2008/01/11/cranbury_press/news/doc4787a170ac7eb400781607.prt

[PL]

Good idea. It can be used for multiple purposes: Library, Senior Citizen Center and Community Activity Center.

>If a move was in the works, some residents said the library should move over to the newly vacated PNC bank on North Main Street because of its size and location.

[Guest]

[Guest]

Why do we need to spend money on a new library right now when our Cranbury library card gives us use of the Plainsboro library a few miles away? And they are in the middle of building a bigger one anyway. I appreciate the importance of libraries but I have never understood why every tiny community needs its own, mostly with redundant books and media a vast majority of which is collecting dust at any given time. We are a township of 4,000. I think we can share. Which is not to say we can't maintain the little one we have which is conveniently connected with the school. But why do we really need more? And as for meeting rooms, etc., I have not observed that we have a severe shortage or dire need above what we currently have.

[no ball field]

The library is like a school library, which is great!

Do you see a broken library here? If not, don't try to fix something that is not broken.

Scratch the baseball field, and use the money to improve the school, the library, and the senior center!

[Jeff M.]

I don't think people really understand the implication of a stand alone library and the costs associated with it. They have an idea of a free standing library, but no idea of the obstacles that come with it.

1) PNC will not donate the building so there is a cost simply to buy the building. Given the real estate market and the associated costs, I could see this purchase being at a million plus.

2) Once the building is built there are operational costs to consider. Two libraries will have to be operated that means insurance, utilities, staff, purchasing budgets, etc...

3) The size of the PNC building may be fine today, but shortly it will have a sever lack of space if all of the bells and whistles people want to put in are implemented.

4) We have a great staff now and we have a great resource. If we are operating two libraries one will suffer either the school library or the public. I attended Princeton HS and can attest to the difference between a school and public library. Most students went to the public library for material. The town is too small to fund two libraries.

5) Plainsboro and Monroe both have libraries that we can use so there are resources we can draw from without increasing our taxes.

The comments from some residents in four seasons about needing a room puzzle me. Doesn't the club house have room they can use for meetings?T The town just added a senior room at town hall, why would we need another in a library?

The town is over 20 mill in debt. A standalone library is not a necessary expense at this point in time and will further contribute to the spiraling costs. My concern now is with regard to the TC and their inability to reign in costs. I really believe a separate library will happen because they have shown an unwillingness to say no and simply increase the costs to meet their objectives.

[publius]

Isn't there any way to add onto the current library?
Build up or build out to the existing space?
It makes MUCH more sense than a free standing library. I think it's GREAT for the school to have easy access to the libe. It may encourage kids to use it more and learn to love books and learning.
An attached school library is rather unique and a pleasant luxury.
The town that I grew up in had a nice library but, not until high school did we get a library actually IN the school itself. Maybe there is a creative design solution to this. Perhaps build an addition to the school and use THAT for a new library? Then the current one could be used for meeting space. I don't know but, we should find a cheaper, more intelligent solution.

[Guest]

I agree with the majority of the other posts on here -- a new free standing library would be a horrible mistake. Make a few changes to the library if need be, but for Cranbury the current library is actually a very good fit. With the amount of library resources available in surrounding communities, a new freestanding library is not needed. Plus, I dont know if people realize they can take out resources from almost any library in NJ with the Interlibrary Loan Request system. I'm not sure if Cranbury Library does it as I usually pick up my ILL material from the Plainsboro library.

[Guest]