To better serve the community over the next 20 years, the Capital Area District Library is looking to replace, expand and renovate its 13 current Ingham County sites.

“We plan to build five new libraries, expand six, and renovate two,” said Sue Hill, library director for CADL. “We are asking the voters for a millage on August 5 to fund this project.”

“There are two salient points,” added Charles Blockett, who was on the original library planning committee, is now a member of the Library Improvement Committee, and is currently serving as chair for the Lansing Regional Chamber of Commerce. “The first is that we’re running out of space and second, we need to make sure that people are aware that this is a plan all the way out to 2030.”

A September 2007 report commissioned by CADL showed its holdings had increased from fewer than 400,000 items in 2000 to more than 600,000 in 2006. During that same period, library visits increased from 920,000 patrons to more than 1.6 million for an increase of 181 percent.

“We’re looking for sustainability,” noted CADL’s facilities manager, Steven Jackson, about the proposed improvements. “We’re looking for quality buildings that are energy efficient to use the taxpayers’ dollars wisely. We want them to be long lasting, well maintained, and well run. That’s our primary goal. There are more specific needs for the buildings where we are adding more space, such as more study areas, program rooms, or more rooms for computers, to better serve the community.”

“We’re going through a planning process right now, and it’s been important for us to involve people in the community in that planning,” Hill stated. “We would like to have buildings that are community centered. We [held] meetings in April to get the communities’ ideas for what they would like. Each community has different and special needs.”

The buildings that CADL wants to replace are the libraries in Downtown Lansing, Holt, Mason, Okemos and Williamston. Those to be expanded include Aurelius Township, Dansville, Haslett, Leslie, Stockbridge, and South Lansing. Minor renovations would be provided in Webberville and to the Foster Library in Lansing.

“We’re evaluating sites,” said Hill. “A planning company and architects evaluated all of the buildings and looked at each community’s demographics to make recommendations for what the libraries’ needs would be through 2030.”

While CADL does not own any of its current sites, it would own the new facilities. Part of the plan would include incorporating the Impression 5 Science Museum into the lower level of the new Downtown Lansing facility.

But for those who may remember when the library was the place where children primarily went to check out books, times have changed. Patrons now come mainly to use the technology.

“Families are our biggest users,” said Hill. “We have many more people who come to use the computers and new technology. That’s our biggest draw. Technology [has become] the most important part, encouraging children to learn to read, to continue learning, to keep ideas before children, spark their interest, and support their curiosity. That’s why we think our connection with Impression 5 is a good one. They spark the interest of kids in science. Our economy is changing to science and information. We need kids interested in math and science to make that transition happen.”

“[CADL] is something I’ve become very passionate about, and the reason is that I see this as an investment in our youth,” Blockett noted. “If our community is going to prosper, we need an educated, intelligent workforce, and libraries are a key and integral part of that. It transcends politics. I believe if you teach a kid to read, and you empower kids to have a love of learning in math, science and reading, you’re giving those kids the tools they need to become successful, productive members of society.

For those who may be opposed to [additional funding of] the library, this is an opportunity for them to invest in the next generation.

More importantly, none of us got where we are by ourselves. So if we give our kids the tools they need to become successful, it means we will have a talented [labor] pool that employers would be interested in, and various companies could consider relocating to our area, so we’ll have more people who will be paying taxes. The demographics show that fewer and fewer people are paying into Social Security. If we empower those kids, it’s to our advantage; and when I say ‘our,’ I’m talking about my generation, those that are 60 or more. It’s a good project. It’s something the community needs.”

Additional services that CADL provides include having a business librarian who can help budding entrepreneurs prepare a business plan, get statistical information, and assist them with the procedures for applying for a loan. The library also has special programs for Lansing’s growing refugee population.

“We have materials in many different languages for them,” said Hill. “Lansing has a high percentage of refugees, so we have special programs on Fridays, after the library closes, when they can use the library in a very informal way. Many of them don’t understand that the library is free and available, so we show them what the services are that they can access.”

Overall, CADL has more than 200 employees, with the majority of those being part-time positions. CADL serves all of Ingham County, except for East Lansing, and all of Lansing, including the portion in Eaton County.

In addition to inventorying the libraries and anticipating their needs, the September 2007 report also included a poll of citizens to see if they would be willing to support the millage. Sixty-percent would, as long as the cost increase was minimal. Final cost and millage figures were not yet available, but efforts have been made to keep costs down.

“We urge everyone to support this initiative because this is for the good of our region,” said Blockett. “Education is a continuous process.”