RECENT COMMENTS

Library renovation plan in 2009, completed by 2012

An opinion and response gathering meeting took place Thursday evening at the East End library as part of a city-wide project aimed at renovating all of the Richmond Public Library branches. Citizens and representatives from several area civic associations and the Library Advisory Board met with representatives from Fanning Howey to discuss the needs and future of the 25th Street branch of the library.

The City of the Future project has provided funding to renovate all the Richmond Public Library branches. The project was described as already “fully-funded”, but I did not get a number to put on that.

Given the opportunity to freely evaluate the current status of the library, everyone in attendence voiced similar concerns:

• building needs to be bigger
• more computers
• more variety of spaces for public use
• open better hours
• current location is less than ideal; perhaps the Sunny Market location could be redeveloped

The system-wide plan is set to be finished by May 10, 2009. The goal then is to have the complete process done and built within 36 months. The Fanning Howey representatives will return to the area in late January or early February.

FYI: The Library Advisory Board meets on the 4th Monday of every month at 6PM at the 25th Street library and is open to anyone that thinks that they might be interested.