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Library asking for room, money to grow

By JODIE TILLMAN
Published March 22, 2007

NEW PORT RICHEY - You can learn French or tax law, watch foreign films or listen to fiddlers. Oh, and you can borrow books - any of nearly 91,000.

The New Port Richey Library, often described as the "jewel of Main Street," continues to grow and last year got nearly 357,000 visits. But the downside of all this success: little room on the shelves, waiting lists for computers, crowded events and a lack of parking.

Now, the call is out once again for a bigger library, this time from a citizens advisory board that presented the library's five-year plan to the City Council on Tuesday night. Its ideas for relieving the growing pains include:

- Expand the building into the nearby City Hall via an enclosed pathway.

- Buy land somewhere else in the city for a new building.

- Add branches or use the Christian Science Church on River Road as a satellite site.

- Build a new library as the anchor to the proposed Railroad Square streetscaping project.

No dollar figures came with the ideas, but the long-range plan aims for a completion date of 2011-2012.

"It is evident that something needs to be done as soon as possible," the report concludes, "and not in five or 10 years."

City Council members Tuesday had little discussion on the report. Ultimately the Council will have to decide which option to pursue.

"I've always thought more along the lines of a satellite," council member Ginny Miller said. "I think a satellite would bring the library to another neighborhood."

In 2003, library supporters sought a $7-million expansion they hoped to have finished by 2008. But amid tight financial times, including the ballooning costs of the new recreation facility, the library's expansion plans have been on hold, library director Susan Dillinger said.

Starting next year and ending in 2011, the city's five-year capital plan suggests allocating more than $4-million to preliminary work associated with expanding the library, such as finding a site and designing the building, said finance director Rick Snyder. Construction money would come in later years.

But the advisory committee's report says that expanding the library into City Hall would no doubt be cheaper than a new facility.

Dillinger said a state library consultant suggested such an expansion plan would cost about $3-million vs. a new building, projected now to cost around $9-million.

The idea to expand into City Hall calls for using extra room in City Hall as meeting rooms, office space and a computer lab. This would allow the library building to add shelf space for more volumes.

The library gets about $800,805 a year from the city, Dillinger said. The report also calls for more staff. The library has about 15 employees, nearly the same as it had in 1997.

Jodie Tillman covers the city of New Port Richey. She can be reached at (727) 869-6247 or jtillman@sptimes.com.

[Last modified March 22, 2007, 00:22:43]