9 August 2000

Seattle Public Library's Citizen Panel recommends projects for funding

The Citizen Implementation Review Panel (CIRP) of the Seattle Public Library has evaluated 10 proposals for funding through the Opportunity Fund, a $6 million fund to pay for new or unanticipated neighborhood library capital needs.

The panel, made up of citizen volunteers, will present its preliminary recommendations to the Seattle Public Library board of trustees at the board's meeting at 4:30 p.m. Tuesday, Aug. 22, at the Central Library, 1000 Fourth Ave., Lee Auditorium. CIRP recommended funding nine of the proposals.

The Library Board has scheduled two special public meetings to listen to presentations about the proposals and take comment. Those meetings will be: 6 p.m. to 9 p.m. Tuesday, Sept. 5, at the Greenwood Library, 8016 Greenwood Ave. N., lower level; and 6 p.m. to 9 p.m. Thursday, Sept. 7, at the Rainier Community Center, 4600 38th Ave. S, multipurpose room. For more information, call Douglas Bailey at the Library, 206-386-4173.

The Library Board will make its final allocation recommendation in late September and send it to the Seattle City Council. The City Council has until Dec. 31, 2000, to pass a resolution allocating all or part of the Opportunity Fund.

The Opportunity Fund is part of the $196.4 million "Libraries for All" bond measure that Seattle voters passed in 1998 to rebuild the library system.

CIRP members interviewed representatives from each group that submitted proposals for funding and assessed the proposals based on criteria that was set as part of the original Libraries for All ballot legislation.

The panel's recommendations, in ranked order, are:

South Park: $2.5 million for a 5,000-square-foot, full-service library. Proposed by South Park Library Steering Committee.
Sand Point: $1.4 million for a 5,000-square-foot, full-service library inside an existing building. Would require City Council action to rescind Initiative 42 for selected property. Proposed by Citizens for a Library at Sand Point.
Beacon Hill: $98,000 for a 400-square-foot Language Center inside the new Beacon Hill library. Proposed by Friends of the Beacon Hill Library. The panel recommended no funding for a related proposal by the Friends group to build meeting space, a gift shop, and workroom for Friends of the Beacon Hill Library in the new branch.
Magnolia: $1.6 million for an approximate 1,800-square-foot addition to the existing Magnolia Library. Proposed by Magnolia Community Club.
Queen Anne: $100,000 to reconfigure staff and public spaces in the existing Queen Anne Library. Proposed by Friends of the Queen Anne Library.

The Library also received four proposals for various library services from the Belltown Cottage Project for Belltown; Shirley Riley for Crown Hill; Mt. Baker Housing Association and North Rainier Stewardship Committee for Mount Baker; and the Uptown Alliance for Queen Anne uptown. The panel recommended spending $200,000 on a bookmobile with technology and new collections to serve the four areas.

The panel recommended no funding for a proposal by the Washington Literacy Learning Center to add 2,000 square feet to the new Greenwood Library for its use.

(For more information, call Caroline Young Ullmann, communications assistant, 206-615-1627.)

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Content modified: 15 December 2006

12/15/2006