LIBRARY HOURS: MON-THU 10-8pm FRI 10-530pm SAT & SUN 1-5pm | Closures | (307) 733-2164
LIBRARY HOURS: MON-THU 10-8pm FRI 10-530pm SAT & SUN 1-5pm | Closures | (307) 733-2164
Does your new iPhone look cool but drive you crazy because you’re not sure how it works? Want to back up your family photos for safekeeping? Thinking about finally organizing your music library?
If you’ve got a computer headache, curiosity or question, Teton County Library’s Personal PC Computer Tutor might be able to help. Bring your own laptop or use a library laptop set up for demonstrations to meet with a computer instructor. Available for up to one hour per week of one-on-one, free assistance, the tutor can help you learn about email, Microsoft Office programs, blogging, digital camera file management, iTunes and iPod, and more.
Some computer tutor success stories include showing a client how to use a voice-to-text translator, helping a business owner prepare a professional PowerPoint, and assisting a parent with creating a child’s yearbook entry in Word.
Although the service is not currently available for Mac users, it is available in both English and Spanish. To reserve a spot, call 733-2164 ext. 238 or email . For a session in Spanish, call 733-2164 ext. 237 or email . The library also offers up to 24 introductory computer classes a month on everything from blogging to Excel. Click on the Calendar tab to see the full slate of classes.
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Jackson, WY- The Teton County Library Board announced Wednesday that Gilday Architects with Humphries/Poli Architects will be the design team of choice for the library renovation and addition. The announcement was made at the Board’s monthly public meeting at the library on September 23.
“It was an incredibly tough decision,” said Library Board member Anne Ladd. “All the firms were extraordinarily well-qualified. However, Gilday and Humphries/Poli stood out as the top choice.”
Seven architectural firms submitted requests for qualifications (RFQs) in August for the library facility project. The Library Board selected a committee earlier in June to review the RFQs, interview firms and make an architect recommendation to the Board. The committee was comprised of library staff, board members, and community residents.
Director Deb Adams announced the committee’s architect recommendation to the Library Board on Wednesday, and the Board voted unanimously to support the recommendation.
In August 2008, voters approved the library’s proposition on the Specific Purpose Excise Tax (SPET) ballot which asked for $1.5 million for the planning, design, engineering and initial construction costs of an addition to the main library facility at 125 Virginian Lane. The library will begin receiving these previously voter-approved funds by early 2010.
With the selection of the architectural team, the library will now be asking the community for input on a library renovation and addition. Initial community input sessions are planned for this October and November, with dates yet to be confirmed. The library will also provide in-house and online comment forms for community input.
To read more background and frequently asked questions or to sign up for regular email updates about the library’s main facility renovation and addition, visit us online at http://www.TCLib.org/addition or call Director Deb Adams at 733-2164 ext. 128.
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Teton County Library offers open and equal access to information, literature and ideas…to encourage a lifetime of learning, to strengthen our evolving community, to inspire us all.
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Jackson, WY- Teton County Library invites the community to meet and talk with Gilday and Humphries/Poli architects, Library Board members and staff about the library’s renovation and addition at three public input forums.
The meetings will begin with a PowerPoint presentation by the architects exploring library structures and service delivery around the nation. There will also be time set aside for conversation with the architectural team, board and staff. The forums take place at the library on:
Monday, October 19 from 5:30-7 p.m., Ordway Auditorium
Wednesday, October 21 from 12-1:30 p.m., Ordway Auditorium
Wednesday, November 18 from 5:30-7 p.m., Reading Room
Director Deb Adams encourages community members to attend a forum. “The library is for everybody, so we’re looking for everybody’s input,” said Adams. “I know people might think of these input sessions as another meeting, but I’m excited because we’re designing our library for the future. This is the time when your ideas can really make an impact.”
The Library Board is especially asking for input on five priority areas identified in its Facilities Master Plan. The five areas are: collections, quiet/study space, teens, technology and programs. More information about each of these areas is available TCLib.org/addition.
“We’re looking forward to hearing from people who use the library, as well as people who are interested in any of the priority areas. If you’re interested in teens, come tell us about it. If you feel strongly about our collections, we want to hear from you - whether you use the library or not,” said Adams.
For those unable to make a forum, the library will offer paper comment forms on site at 125 Virginian Lane, as well as online. All input venues will be open and available from October 19 - November 18, 2009.
In August 2008, voters approved the library’s proposition on the Specific Purpose Excise Tax (SPET) ballot which asked for $1.5 million for the planning, design, engineering and initial construction costs of an addition to the main library facility at 125 Virginian Lane.
To read more background, frequently asked questions or to sign up for regular email updates about the library’s main facility renovation and addition, visit the library online at TCLib.org/addition or call Director Deb Adams at 733-2164 ext. 128.
Teton County Library offers open and equal access to information, literature and ideas…to encourage a lifetime of learning, to strengthen our evolving community, to inspire us all.
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Jackson, WY-Teton County Library is urging community members to give input and participate in the last of the main public input sessions on its building improvements and addition, or to give comments in person or online by November 18, 2009. The public forum is Wednesday, November 18, 5:30-7 p.m. in the library’s Reading Room.
In two previous public input sessions this October, Gilday and Humphries/Poli Architects, the architectural design team selected by the Library Board to lead the project, utilized PowerPoint slides to explore library structures and service delivery in other libraries around the country and world in efforts to generate ideas among participants and to highlight innovations in libraries.
The November 18 public forum will build on input received to date from the public. The architects will present conceptual ideas and bubble diagrams to help participants visualize an array of possibilities for the library addition and solicit further input and comment.
“We’ve been extraordinarily pleased at all the excellent input and ideas,” said Peggy Gilday of Gilday Architects. “We’re excited to see continued public involvement and comments, and we look forward to sharing our response to these ideas.”
The Library Board is especially asking for input on five priority areas identified in its Facilities Master Plan. The five areas are: collections, quiet/study space, teens, technology and programs.
Those unable to make the final November 18 forum are encouraged to give input in person or online. The library offers paper comment forms and frequently asked questions on site at 125 Virginian Lane, as well as online at TCLib.org/addition. All input venues will be open and available through November 18, 2009.
“The Library Board will hold public meetings in mid-December to review and approve architects’ facility plans and will also take public input at that time,” said Dail Barbour, library Facility Manager. “However, designs will be quite far along and much less flexible at that point, so it’s vital that residents give input now, while we are still in the visioning stage.”
To read more background, frequently asked questions or to sign up for regular email updates about the library’s main facility improvements and addition, visit the library online at http://www.TCLib.org/addition or call Director Deb Adams at 733-2164 ext. 128.
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Jackson, WY- The library’s building addition plans are taking shape as the Library Board gave direction to the architecture team at their December 17 meeting to narrow their focus to one general layout design.
Gilday and Humphries/Poli Architects initially created three design concepts for review and input by the public, library staff and Board. The input received prompted the architects to create one additional design concept, which is a slightly modified version of one of the three original designs. It was presented to the Library Board at their monthly public meeting Thursday and board members came to consensus to move forward with the modified design.
The three original options, named “A”, “B” and “C”, featured variations of the location of the addition as well as possible interior layouts, landscaping features, parking and entrance options. Option “A” featured a southeast wing running run adjacent to Virginian Lane. Option “B” proposed two smaller wings flaring outward to the south, and Option “C” would have expanded the building out along the existing southern wall in one larger block.
All three options were generally well-received by the public, library staff and Board as each had benefits and trade-offs. The architecture team used input from the public and staff meetings to create a refined option to address some of the key concerns and identified priorities. The new design is a modified version of Option “A” and was named “A+” by the architects to reflect the overall consistency with the original option. The architects scored the four designs on factors such as flexibility, sustainability, landscape development, views and cost, and the A+ design received the architects’ highest rating of these and other factors.
The modifications of Option “A” to “A+” include changing the location of the entrance of the library from the northeast corner to an east entrance farther down the building along Virginian Lane with the possibility of a second entrance located on the south part of the building; reconfiguring the parking lot’s vehicle entrance; and enhancing pedestrian traffic areas.
The design-in-progress will create more of a street presence on Virginian lane, and act as a buffer to street traffic for the library’s outdoor spaces, which will include reading areas, and could include a children’s outdoor storytelling space or a teen garden. The design calls for a covered drop-off at the library entrances and handicap parking next to the building to improve access for seniors and other patrons. The interior building layout works to separate tranquil spaces from active areas while putting services for library users in the center of the building.
“We are excited about the ‘A+’ preliminary design which incorporates the priorities identified by the public, library staff and Board,” said library Director Deb Adams. “I believe our architects listened well to everyone and used their expertise to bring multiple perspectives together in developing this design.”
The architects designed the original three options after receiving nearly 1,000 public comments gathered online and in four public forums in October and November. Two public forums in December gave additional input to fine-tune the design proposal. Public comment will be welcome throughout the building process.
Library Director Deb Adams invites the public to join library staff, board members and the architects for a presentation of a single, preliminary building design from 5:30-7 p.m., Wednesday, January 13 in the library’s Reading Room. The current proposed design layout is available for public viewing near the library Front Desk. Comment forms are also available at the display.
On the following day, Thursday, January 14, the Library Board will hold its monthly public meeting at 3 p.m. in the Ordway Auditorium. A single, preliminary design for the addition and improvements will be presented for Library Board approval.
To find out more, get background information, read frequently asked questions or sign up for regular email updates about the library’s main facility improvements and addition, visit the library online at http://www.TCLib.org/addition or call Director Deb Adams at 733-2164 ext. 128.
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Teton County Library offers open and equal access to information, literature and ideas…to encourage a lifetime of learning, to strengthen our evolving community, to inspire us all.
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Jackson, WY –After only a month in their brand new library, Alta residents and library staff are threw a party. Teton County Library Alta Branch invited one and all to their Grand Opening Celebration on Friday, January 15 from 4 p.m. to 7 p.m.
Celebrators enjoyed music by concert guitarist and library staffer Byron Tomingas, while festivities included kids’ games, dancing, an art project and a fund-raising auction for a “Daisy Truck” (a real truck that runs and is brightly painted with daisies) donated by Gallagher’s Sue’s Roos and auctioned by Leland Christensen, County Commissioner and auctioneer. Proceeds went to the Teton County Library Foundation to benefit the Alta Branch. Light snacks were served while library staffers and volunteers were on hand to give library tours and sign up eager new library patrons for library cards. Cards at the new Teton County Library Alta Branch and the main library in Jackson are free to area residents in Idaho and Wyoming.
“I keep worrying that we will awaken from this fairytale and be back in the ‘pumpkin,’” said Gretchen Notzold, Alta Branch Manager, referring to the temporary bookmobile where the library provided services to the public during construction. “Staff and volunteers were hard at work creating a great event to officially welcome the public to the new Alta Branch.”
Hours for the new Teton County Library Alta Branch are Tuesdays, Wednesdays and Thursdays 12-6 p.m., and Saturdays 10 a.m. - 4 p.m. Weekly storytimes will resume Wednesday, February 3, from 11-11:45 a.m., and will feature stories, songs, arts and crafts. Kids should be prepared for “jumping and jiggling” at the storytimes as well, according to Notzold.
Funding for the Alta Branch Library has been a state, county, town and Alta community collaborative effort. The cost of construction for the branch library building was $812,400 and was funded by a grant from the State of Wyoming. Receiving the grant was a collaborative effort between Teton County and the Town of Jackson since both entities had to agree on the projects submitted to the state for funding. Teton County led negotiations and purchased the land for the library site for $162,000. Alta community residents played a key role in fundraising through donations in the Tin Cup Challenge, and through continued volunteer efforts and fundraising for the Alta Branch.
Even the Sublette County Library donated chairs and shelving, which now furnish the Alta Branch’s new meeting room and staff office. The library also reused furniture from the main library building in Jackson. Landscaping around the Alta Branch Library will be done in the spring with the assistance of Teton County Parks & Recreation. A planned collaboration with the local non-profit, InterConnections 21 will plant trees at the library, through a tree planting and educational outreach program funded by 1% for the Tetons.
“I believe it is a real tribute to our community’s dedication to libraries that everything came together so well for the Alta Branch,” said Deb Adams, Library Director. “Libraries are an integral part of the fabric of any community, and it is especially true here in Teton County.”
The Friends of the Alta Branch Library volunteers have been an essential, integral group in realizing the dream of a library in Alta, and in supporting library staff before, during and after the new building opened.
“Dedicated volunteers are doing everything from shelving books, fixing book spine labels, posting fliers and recycling to hospitality and coordination assistance for our December 1st opening and January 15th Grand Opening,” Notzold said. “They will continue to be essential in our fund-raising efforts, as well as, future programming assistance and collaboration.”
The Alta Branch Library also strives to be “green” as priorities have been to make ongoing operations sustainable. Library staff, architects and construction crews worked to make the new building most efficient by taking steps, such as, positioning windows to maximize natural lighting; purchasing building supplies from suppliers within a 500-mile radius of Alta whenever possible; and using beetle-killed wood for the library ceiling. Inside the building, lighting fixtures use compact fluorescent bulbs and the flooring is stained concrete, which is durable and simple to maintain.
“Looking toward the future, we designed the building to keep maintenance costs low and to allow for possible future installation of solar power,” said Facility Manager Dail Barbour. “The design is living up to expectations for energy efficiency, especially in terms of lighting and warmth by taking advantage of the southern and eastern exposures. So far, we have rarely had to turn on lights during the day.”
The Teton County Library Alta Branch is an extension of the Teton County Library in Jackson, Wyoming. The new Alta Branch Library is located at 50 Alta School Road, adjacent to the Alta Elementary School and St. Francis of the Tetons Episcopal Church, across from the Teton Teepee Lodge in Alta. The Alta Branch Library circulates books, magazines, audiobooks, DVDs and videotapes for adults and children with access to materials from the main branch in Jackson. Computers with Internet access, word processing and Spanish language capabilities are available to the public.
To learn more about the Teton County Library Alta Branch, visit the Alta Branch Library online at http://www.TCLib.org/alta, call the Alta Branch Library at 307-353-2505, find ongoing updates from Library Director Deb Adams online at http://www.TCLib.org/director/, or subscribe to Teton County Board meeting schedules and agendas at http://www.TCL.org/administration/board.php.
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Jackson, WY- The Teton County Library submitted an application to the County Commissioner’s office today requesting placement on the August, 2010 Specific Purpose Excise Tax (SPET) Ballot in the amount of $9 million for an 11,000 square foot addition to the main library building at 125 Virginian Lane in Jackson.
“We’re excited to have our addition project under consideration for the next SPET ballot,” said Library Director Deb Adams. “Our architects have done an outstanding job of integrating needs identified by the community into the plans and determining an initial cost estimate within a very tight timeline.”
The Library Board, staff and architecture team have been working on design plans for the proposed addition around the clock since the end of September 2009, when the Library Board selected Gilday and Humphries/Poli Architects as their design team. Since September, library leaders have offered seven public forums and presentations to gather public input and keep residents informed on the progress of the library facility addition. In addition, five public Library Board meetings have welcomed public comment on the project.
“The Library Board has been very responsible in its considerations of the needs of the community throughout this process,” said Adams. “I expect that process to continue to be inclusive of the public as the library moves through this project.”
The Library Board reiterated its support of the preliminary design for an addition and improvements to the library building on Thursday, January 14, during the Board’s monthly public meeting in the library Ordway Auditorium.
Gilday and Humphries/Poli Architects also presented the preliminary design to the public on Wednesday, January 13 in the library’s Reading Room. Library Board members chose the design concept at their December board meeting after considering three potential design options and nearly 1,000 public comments. The architecture team then narrowed their focus to the selected design and made further refinements and detailed drawings to present to the Board and public in the January meetings.
Highlights of the preliminary design include moving the entrance to Virginian Lane, which will allow for two entrances to the building. A south entrance would allow access to the building from the bus stop on Snow King Avenue. At the Virginian Lane entrance, the design calls for a vehicle drop-off zone and a covered walkway to guide people to the entrance from the parking lot.
The new entrance would be a commons area with wireless access that could be opened prior to the library’s opening to provide shelter for people, who today line up outside to wait for the library to open. The entrance would be designed to bring in natural light and stand higher than the other rooflines to act as a beacon to the community.
The design places the entrance between the new addition and the existing building. The interior layout works to separate tranquil spaces from active areas while putting “transaction” services for library users in the center of the building. The new wing would be designed to accommodate families, children and young adults. Moving those activities into the new wing would create more room and separation for quiet adult reading areas, the collection, a computer lab and center, study rooms and other library services. The changes also would make room for a quiet reading area with a gas fireplace within the existing building, a feature suggested during public comment.
The new wing and lobby would add 9,000 square feet while an smaller addition next to the Ordway Auditorium would add another 2,000 square feet. The second, smaller addition would create more flexible space for library programs, including a larger auditorium that could be divided into two meeting rooms. Many spaces throughout the building would have sliding partitions to make the library space flexible. For example, the Storytime room for children is potentially placed adjacent to a teen homework center, featuring a sliding wall in between that could be opened to combine the two rooms to accommodate larger crowds.
The architects designed the roof lines to be consistent with and respect the original design of the existing library building. The design also calls for improvements to the outdoor spaces and parking lot, including additional parking spaces. The new wing along Virginian Lane is intended act as a buffer to street traffic for the library’s outdoor spaces, which will include reading areas, and could include a children’s outdoor storytelling space or a teen garden. The design also calls for handicap parking next to the building to improve access for seniors and other patrons.
The current proposed design layout is available for public viewing near the library Front Desk. Comment forms are also available at the display and public input will be welcome throughout the facility design and building process.
To find out more, get background information, read frequently asked questions or sign up for regular email updates about the library’s main facility improvements and addition, visit the library online at http://www.TCLib.org/addition or call Director Deb Adams at 733-2164 ext. 128.
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Teton County Library offers open and equal access to information, literature and ideas…to encourage a lifetime of learning, to strengthen our evolving community, to inspire us all.
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