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Lake City Branch

EXPANDING THE LAKE CITY BRANCH PRE-DESIGN HOPES & DREAMS MEETING RECAP

7 p.m. to 8:30 p.m. Thursday, March 29, 2001
Olympic Hills Elementary School

About 19 people from the community attended this meeting to discuss their vision for the expanded Lake City Library. Seattle Public Library City Librarian Deborah L. Jacobs opened the meeting with welcoming comments and introductions of Library Board member Betty Jane Narver; Douglas Bailey, Library capital project manager overseeing the Lake City branch; Ray Serebrin, director of neighborhood libraries; Lois Fenker, library director of technical and collections services; Beth de la Fuente, Lake City Library branch manager; Lisa Richmond, public art project manager, Seattle Arts Commission; and the design team of Stan Lokting, Dave Rutherford and Suzanne Finly of ARC Architects, architects for the Lake City Library expansion and masterplan with interior designer Barbara Swift of Swift and Co.

Deborah Jacobs said the intent of this pre-design meeting was for members of the community to share their desires for the expanded library, which is growing from just over 9,000 to 15,000 square feet. Next, Lois Fenker spoke about her role in Libraries for All and of planning for expanded collections for the new, larger branches and new Central Library. Lisa 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. Ray Serebrin and Beth de la Fuente spoke briefly about developing library services and programs. Architects Stan Lokting and Dave Rutherford discussed early design concepts for both the library and the overall master plan with the neighborhood service center. Jacobs described the meeting format and explained the meeting would break into four stations. People could circulate around the room to each station and offer ideas and hopes for the expanded library. Additionally, the public asked questions of various staff members and architects:

Q. Will traffic walking through the neighborhood service center be a problem for the library?
A. No, we will have a shared lobby.

Q. Will there be private study rooms?
A. Yes.

Q. How will the collection expand?
A.
There will be major expansion in all areas; an exact count is on the fact sheet and is about 25 percent.

Q. Will you build models?
A.
Architects will build study models, but a presentation model is not planned. We will show you the study model at our next design update meeting if we can.

The meeting then broke into four sessions on design; collections; services/programs; and art. Those sessions yielded the following comments from members of the public on their hopes and dreams for the expanded Lake City Library:

Design
  • Preserve the south façade
  • Important to design the "back" park entrance to the library
  • Signage and identification of library
  • Concern for security in parking garage and park; names and colors on garage levels to help people remember where they parked
  • Don't make it look like an addition!
  • Concern about the looks of the community center against the new building
  • May not be adding enough square feet
  • Park needs to feel light/airy and be safe for kids coming in from classes
  • Need to provide seating for 25-30 kids in clusters (class) as well as seating for small groups of one, two and three
  • Simple, unsophisticated image; a place where children can cuddle up

Collections
  • More biographies, women's history, large-print & audio books, young adult & science fiction
  • Increase awareness of mobile services
  • Provide book lists or newsletters in a readable font
  • More detective novels
  • Improve the location of paperback books in the collection
  • Provide non-book related things to use in library; create more for young adults to do in the library
  • Provide investment newsletters and electronic home schooling

Art
  • Use artist Gerry Tsutakawa (his dad did the existing metal gates)
  • Water feature in courtyard plaza
  • Art kids can climb on in plaza or park (like at SAM or zoo)
  • Tactile/Braille art; art people can touch
  • Partner with high schools, Summit, Nathan Hale, Ingraham, Roosevelt

Services/Programs
  • Better way of signaling patrons when it's their turn to be served (bell, light, reader board??)
  • Don't want to have to ask for reference items; would like to see them circulated for use in the library
  • New books strategically placed for accessibility for all folks
  • Apple computer available for special consideration to have longer computer use
  • Medical research computers
  • More mid-teen programs for after homework/after school; partner with community center for physical activities, game rooms, teen book club
  • More audio books to take home
  • More outreach to the elderly via a bookmobile, monthly one page newsletter about literature & services
  • Collect and preserve community history

A few moments were spent recapping highlights from each breakout session. Board steward Betty Jane Narver briefly discussed next steps for the Lake City Library, stating design would begin shortly and there would be a master plan presentation to the community in the near future. Deborah Jacobs concluded the meeting by asking people to send comments to Library staff or e-mail the capital program office at capital.program@spl.org or to contact Capital Project Manager Douglas Bailey at 386-4173 or by e-mail at douglas.bailey@spl.org. She also mentioned that as the design progresses, information would be posted to the Library's Web site at www.spl.org . The meeting ended at 8:30 p.m.

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Content Modified: Content Modified:18 April 2001

12/30/2005

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