To the Editor:
In 2019, the Bethlehem Public Library (BPL) Library Director, Geoffrey Kirkpatrick and the Board of Trustees began planning a major building and renovation project. The current estimated cost, as reported on the BPL webpage, is $35,406,019.33—over 35 million dollars. Bethlehem Central School District residents will be asked to approve a bond to finance most of this project on top of the previously passed $31 million to repair and improve the buildings and facilities for all Bethlehem schools. How much this new bond will increase the average library tax bill has not been disclosed, yet. Once the financial information is provided, the public will possibly vote in October of 2024.
The plan calls for the demolition of a previously purchased house to add a new wing to the library called “The Community Addition Meeting Space.” This space would not necessarily be for library related events. The capacity for the meeting space would be 250 people or more. “Operable partitions” are planned to permit the reconfiguration of the area for simultaneous meetings, somewhat like a high school gymnasium. In comparison, the largest meeting room at the Albany Public Library main branch is 125 people; Colonie’s library is 107; and Guilderland’s is 120. Of the four municipalities, Bethlehem has the smallest population. According to the Bethlehem library staff, the average meeting size booked at the library is between 30 and 35 people.
The rules are being revised, but generally, anyone in the Bethlehem School District with a valid library card can book a space. That person can organize a meeting, invite a speaker, or hold another type of event, library related or not. Attendees could come from all over the Capital District. Where would they park? What about security to manage large crowds? Other components of the plan include: tearing out the mezzanine, moving the entrances, and a “dramatic” new exterior that does not fit into or complement the surrounding neighborhood. Construction is estimated to be two years.
Most importantly, what do residents want? The first architectural firm the library hired, Butler Rowland Mays in Ballston Spa, specializes in public libraries. It remains a mystery why they were not hired to see the project through to completion. They collected 1,000 data points of information through public meetings, surveys, and interviews with patrons at the circulation desk. Their report, Bethlehem Public Library Master Planning Report can be accessed on the BPL website as Long-range building plan (pdf). The report stated:
“When discussing the collection and public programs, expansion of traditional library collections scored an astounding 56%…the availability of the physical resources (books, media, etc.) is by far the most valuable service in the eyes of the community”. The bold print is directly from their report.
After the report was completed, the library hired a new firm, Ashley McGraw, located in Syracuse and specializing in K-12 and higher education projects, but with very limited public library experience.
Are residents getting what they wanted? The shelving space for traditional library collections is not being adequately expanded. The shelves are aggressively weeded because there is no room to put new books. Bethlehem is a net borrower within the interlibrary loan system, and is dependent on borrowing from other libraries to meet patrons’ requests.
Bethlehem residents have always highly valued the library and its staff. They will gladly maintain it, improve it, and support it. However, they want a library, not a Community Center.
Plans, schematics, and the Board of Trustees’ meetings are at bethlehempubliclibrary.org. Mail comments and questions to the Director at [email protected] to be read and answered at the meetings.
Please educate yourselves about the cost and scope of this project as it is guaranteed to increase every resident’s school tax bill, and the library will be irretrievably altered.
Fran Royo, Bethlehem
