Library Board Decides on Facilities Plan, Alta Branch Library

Jackson, WY – The Teton County Library Board voted Thursday, June 21 to pursue expansion and/or remodel of the main library on its existing site to meet an increasing community demand for services, programs and collections over the next 20 years.

“We think that adding on to our Jackson site is the most effective and responsible way to serve our community now and into the future,” said Amy Robinson, Library Board President. “This decision is the first in the multi-stage process to plan our facilities.”

The board made its decision after gathering input from the community during public forums held in Jackson and Alta, reviewing written comment from the public, hearing a library staff recommendation, and after meeting in a workshop with the Teton County Board of Commissioners.

The library’s Strategic Plan 2006 – 2010, also developed with community input, calls on the library to improve services and to develop a long-term facilities plan in conjunction with the County’s Capital Improvements Plan. Already, an estimated 88 percent of Teton County residents carry library cards. Key library services such as children’s early literacy programs, services provided during after-school hours, and access to Internet computers are experiencing significant crowding. As the county population continues to grow over the next 20 years, the library projects an increasing demand for services.

To first analyze existing library facilities in Teton County, the library hired consultants Aaron Cohen Associates to project library service demands through 2027. After projecting future needs, the consultants recommended expanding the existing building to provide for a variety of services – from more space for teen services to increased computer access, and a greater selection of materials available for check out.

During Thursday’s meeting, the Library Board also voted to pursue the acquisition of a site for building a new Alta Branch Library facility in Alta, Wyo. This comes in response to a Teton County School District request that the library vacate its current home in an Alta Elementary School classroom by June 30, 2008 for safety and space reasons. The board made the recommendation after considering as many as six alternatives to provide Alta with long-term library services.

“I think the board’s decision is a positive move forward for the Alta community,” said Deb Adams, Library Director. “I am quite hopeful that the board will be able to secure an acceptable site for the future of our Alta Branch Library.”

Future board discussions will address how such a facility might be funded, as well as ways to work with the Alta community. Since a new branch library building may not be ready before the library must vacate school property, future board discussions will also address how to provide library services for Alta residents in the interim.

For more information about library facilities and services, contact Library Director Deb Adams at 733-2164 ext. 128 or dadams@will.state.wy.us. To read more about library news and strategic planning, visit the new Director’s Blog on the library’s website at: http://www.tclib.org/director. Library Board Member’s contact information can also be found on the library’s website at www.TCLib.org/administration/board.php.

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