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BUILDING A NEW BALLARD LIBRARY & NEIGHBORHOOD SERVICE CENTER
PRE-DESIGN HOPES & DREAMS MEETING RECAP
7 p.m. to 8:45 p.m. Monday, June 4, 2001
 Adams Elementary School, 6110 28th Ave. N.W.

More than 70 people from the community attended this meeting to discuss their vision for the new Ballard Library and Ballard Neighborhood Service Center. Seattle Public Library City Librarian Deborah L. Jacobs opened the meeting with welcoming comments and introductions of Gloria Leonard, director of library/community partnerships; Ellen Fitzgerald, librarian at the Ballard branch; Darcy Stone, clerk at the Ballard branch; Terry Collings, executive director of the Seattle Public Library Foundation; Bonita Corliss, training and development librarian; Jim Diers, director of the city's Department of Neighborhoods; Rob Mattson, coordinator of the Ballard Neighborhood Service Center; Melanie Reynolds, director of the customer service division of the city Department of Neighborhoods; Teresa Rodriguez, senior capital program coordinator for the city Fleets & Facilities department; and Kate Kaehny, neighborhood assistant planner for the city Parks and Recreation department. During the course of the meeting, Jacobs also introduced Jane Appling, Library public services coordinator for neighborhood libraries; Marilyn Sheck, Library director of information technology; Lois Fenker, Library director of technical and collections services; Lynn Miller, Ballard branch librarian; Lisa Richmond, public art project manager, Seattle Arts Commission; Peter Bohlin & Robert Miller, architects for the new Ballard Library and Neighborhood Service Center; and David Traylor, Citizen Implementation Review Panel steward for the Ballard branch. Jacobs then introduced Paul Tomita, member of the Ballard Library Project Advisory Committee (BLPAC), who discussed the role of BLPAC and introduced the members of that group. He invited community members to contact the BLPAC members if they have questions about the project.

Jacobs explained the intent of this pre-design meeting was for members of the community to share their desires for the Ballard Library and Ballard Neighborhood Service Center. The library will be a new 15,000-square-foot branch developed in conjunction with a neighborhood service center and a U.S. Bank branch. Next, Fenker spoke about her role in Libraries for All and of planning for expanded collections for the larger branches and the new Central Library. Lynn Miller, Appling and Sheck spoke briefly about developing and expanding library services and programs. Richmond introduced Donald Fels, artist for the Ballard branch, and Valerie Otani, arts planner for the Ballard municipal center project. Richmond spoke about the Library's participation in Seattle's 1 Percent for Art program and on incorporating art in libraries as part of Libraries for All. Mattson spoke about the neighborhood service center. Bohlin and Robert Miller presented some of Bohlin Cywinski Jackson's work and identified some of the challenges for the project. Jacobs described the meeting format and explained the meeting would break into five stations. People were invited to circulate around the room to each station and offer ideas and hopes for the new library and service center. Additionally, the public asked questions of various staff members and architects:

Q. Is the $6.5 million budget and 15,000 square-foot building just the library or does it include the bank and neighborhood service center?
A. The $6.5 million budget and 15,000 square-feet are for the library only. The neighborhood service center and the bank have separate budgets.

Q. Do the library and neighborhood service center have to be separate?
A. No. Although design has not started, it appears the library and neighborhood service center will likely be attached as part of the same building due to the size of the lot.

A member of the community emphasized the importance of paying attention to plantings and landscape maintenance.

The meeting then broke into five sessions on design, collections, services/programs, art, and the neighborhood service center. Those sessions yielded the following comments from members of the public on their hopes and dreams for the new Ballard Library and Ballard Neighborhood Service Center:

Design

  • Include green space in project
  • Fresh air and daylight very important
  • Look at combining restrooms for library and neighborhood service center; chance for people to wash up before building opens
  • Look at different sized furniture for adults
  • Cluster buildings for maximum open space
  • As much parking as possible underground
  • Enough space at checkout, with a single line
  • Larger auditorium that can be partitioned with stage, screen; attractive to rent out
  • Space on floor for kids
  • Lots of light
  • Good relationship with street
  • Service center and bank should face Market Street
  • Take advantage of park and light for cozy reading and writing areas
  • Maximum height/consider stacking buildings to take advantage of views; buildings surrounding site may be 65 feet tall; library should not be dwarfed by surrounding buildings
  • Eliminate branch from name
  • Make building as "green" as possible
  • Separate readers from computer users
  • Good acoustical separation between noisy areas (children's)
  • Advantages of co-location: uses, space and structural interest
  • Look at niches/alcoves for groups (book clubs) to meet within library; still a part of reading room
  • Spacious & light interiors
  • Exterior should not be "flat"; limit blank walls; cover blank walls with vines, texture
  • People with chemical sensitivity: No carpet, high ceiling, good commissioning, off-gassing; Port Angeles has a room - policy to encourage not wearing scents
  • Study space with acoustic control
  • Two-story library; atrium, with rooms off atrium, easily monitored
  • Exterior should be classic in appearance and relate to environment

Collections

  • Video player for watching videos
  • Let neighborhood services know they need to advertise their meetings better
  • New England Journal of Medicine
  • Strong reference collection
  • Strong fiction collection
  • Reading tables - "writer's atmosphere"
  • More graphic novels
  • Ancient history reference
  • Native American collection, especially Northwest
  • Gale Directory of Bi-coastal Media
  • Library is doing a great job with collection
  • Periodicals to reflect changing demographics (Atlantic Monthly and Harpers)
  • Partner in some way with Nordic Heritage Museum, Sons of Norway, and Ballard Historical Society (such as knowledge of holdings, etc)
  • More "quality fiction" and fewer titles on military history
  • Not as much science fiction
  • Better quality magazines
  • More multiple copies of children's books
  • Specialty destination collections: Marine, Native American
  • Parenting section; more children's books
  • More of everything
  • Expand paperback exchange collection ("bring back when you are done")
  • More fiction and non-fiction printed materials for educated adults
  • Don't neglect print materials
  • Too many mainstream periodicals; change some subscriptions
  • Sea Kayaker magazine is published in Ballard, but is not in library
  • Library is last public institution of learning
  • Ballard history collection
  • Multi-lingual collection to reflect diversity in Ballard; and signage, pathfinders, programming and outreach
  • Inter-Library Loan reference books available at branches for use
  • Ballard newspaper on microfilm at library

Services/programs

  • Collaboration with Nordic Heritage Museum and Sons of Norway collection
  • Don't make it look like a long boat
  • Weekend programs, story times, plays, etc. for kids
  • Adult events
  • Big meeting room
  • Check out equipment (i.e.: video camera)
  • Media lab
  • Meeting room that could be partitioned
  • Internet for seniors classes: continue/expand
  • Public restrooms: baby changing in both men's & women's
  • Online Inter-Library Loan, like the University of Washington
  • Technology separated from collection (too much noise)
  • Jacks for personal laptops; comfortable tables; electrical outlets
  • Scanner for the public to use
  • Larger, quieter reading area near periodicals
  • Better work space for staff and volunteers
  • Classes for all ages
  • Tapes and CDs; educational; for disabled customers too
  • Customer input on periodicals
  • Show movies in library
  • Computers placed so you can sit and watch your children in the children's area
  • Ability to retain book list for longer time than current three-month period
  • More "direction" for book groups
  • More "kiosks" to distribute information
  • Debit cards for library functions
  • Collaborate with Ballard High School for extra large groups
  • Auditorium for 200 people, partitioned for smaller groups (rental possibility)
  • Author programs, appearances, signings
  • Single line at checkout going to multiple windows (bank style)
  • Have Telecirc not ask for card number
  • Library becomes reason for people gathering; neighborhood "living room"
  • Multiple drops for books, videos, etc.
  • Microfilm reader for Inter-Library Loan materials and other information (such as Ballard Times and other Ballard historical information currently held at the Central Library)

Art

  • Bright colors, but also fitting with Northwest palette
  • Light, movement
  • How will Donald Fels approach coming up with a design appropriate for Ballard?
  • Have Donald Fels' images at the current library
  • Fishing community
  • Boating community
  • Reflect Ballard's heritage (especially important because of gentrification)
  • Nordic/Scandinavian heritage
  • Art and building must be inviting
  • More art books
  • Art videos to be viewed at library
  • Art projects (ex: murals on revolving basis)
  • Fountain
  • Where's music? Is part of the fine arts, but missing from these designs
  • More non-print materials on site
  • Library must be integral to the function of surrounding area (people place, not cars)
  • Native American art; recognize that they were here first, we are occupying their land; involve them in consecration of space and sense of place
  • Artist's interest in working in ways appealing to kids
  • Memorial, special donor recognition opportunities in Library
  • Draw on content of collection
  • Reflection of changes in Ballard's community
  • Reflect the future
  • Create flexible display space to bring in local artists' work and young people's work
  • Have any written elements in many languages; accessibility
  • Make art vandal-proof

Neighborhood service center

  • Offer better access to city services on weekends (at least Saturday)
  • "Shared restrooms" accessible from both neighborhood service center and library
  • Mail drop for neighborhood service center, city mail
  • Orientation should also be toward Market Street, not just park
  • Seattle Police Department needs more space; room for community service officer and crime prevention
  • Meeting space is important
  • Meeting space could/should be shared between neighborhood service center and library
  • More publicity about the whole project
  • Neighborhood service center should have its own identity from the street
  • Have more than minimal meeting space; joint use of at least all public spaces in facility


David Kunselman, Library capital project manager overseeing the Ballard branch, spent a few moments recapping highlights from each breakout session. He introduced Linda Larson, the Library Board steward for the Ballard branch, who closed the sessions by thanking the attendees for taking the time to attend, participate and express their interest in the library. Larson also discussed the design process and assured the gathering we will keep the community informed of our progress. The next steps for this project are to begin the design process and report progress back to the community at the end of schematic design, and again at the end of design development. Kunselman noted tonight's comments would be shared with the Library Board, posted to the Seattle Public Library Web site at www.spl.org, and made available in hardcopy in the branch. Kunselman concluded the meeting by asking people to send comments to Library staff or e-mail the capital program office at capital.program@spl.org. People can also contact Kunselman at 386-4096 or by e-mail at david.kunselman@spl.org. The meeting ended at 8:50 p.m.

Content Modified: Content Modified:28 June 2001

12/30/2005

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