Politics & Government
Miller Library Project on Hold Due to Lack of State Funding
The Library Board has temporarily put a possible renovation/expansion to Miller Memorial Library on the backburner; but will push forward with a long range strategic plan.
The Library Board has decided to close the book, at least temporarily, on a plan to either renovate or expand the .
That’s because town library officials recently received word that there’s no new construction funding for new library projects included in Gov. Malloy’s budget proposal for fiscal year 2011-2012, except for distressed municipalities.
“The urgency to have a plan in place by August is impacted by the lack of funding for the CT State Library Public Library Construction grant program, except for distressed municipalities,” Library Director Bob Gualtieri said, adding Hamden is not considered a distressed municipality.
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Gualtieri said even with the renovation and/or expansion plan of the Miller Library on the backburner for now, the board will embark on creation of a new long range strategic plan to update and prioritize the needs of the town library system.
“It’s time to re-examine the goals, and the needs of the library by embarking on a long range strategic plan,” Gualtieri said.
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The board created a Long Range Plan several years ago which addressed the needs of the library from 2006-2010. Gualtieri said that plan; however, expired in Dec. 2010, and he said the time is right to reassess and re-examine the library’s goals and priorities over the next several years.
One of the bigger goals set forth in the original plan focused on the space needs of the Miller Library on Dixwell Avenue, which board members had said “needs an expanded or enhanced facility to accommodate changes in service for the next 20 years.” Board members had also stressed creating “an inviting environment is necessary where people can meet, gather and share information and ideas.”
Gualtieri said he and the library staff initially submitted a needs assessment study to the board in fall 2009.
One of the most critical space needs identified in that plan was the 3,400 square feet children’s room, which library officials said needs additional space to house the book collection, programs and staff.
The board had since moved forward, in hopes of bringing a consulting firm and an architect onboard to turn the library‘s needs into a comprehensive proposal. The board recently interviewed several consulting firms, and whittled the pool of applicants down to two finalists, which gave presentations of their past work on library expansions/renovations during the board’s March meeting.
However, upon learning about the lack of state grant funding this year, the board ended up not selecting a consulting firm, and decided to “table indefinitely the building study,” according to Gualtieri.
Gualtieri said in order for the project to have moved forward to the next step, the board wanted to have both a grant commitment from the state, which would have been for $500,000, along with the needs assessment study, in hand, before bringing it town officials for consideration and review.