Ramsey County Library Master Plan
Total Page:16
File Type:pdf, Size:1020Kb
Ramsey County Library Master Plan Final Report May 2019 1 Acknowledgements The following groups and individuals deserve RAMSEY COUNTY LIBRARY BOARD OF TRUSTEES DESIGN CONSULTANT TEAM recognition for their input during this process and Deb Berry their ongoing leadership and advocacy of the Ramsey Marisol Chiclana-Ayala MSR DESIGN County Library: John Hakes Jack Poling Principal in Charge Craig Klausing Susan Morgan Project Manager RAMSEY COUNTY LEADERSHIP Sida Ly-Xiong Greta Foster Project Interior Designer Jill Boldenow, RCL Director Paula Mielke Ben Lewis Project Designer Jeff Eide, RCL Senior Library Manager Sylvia Neblett Sara Du Project Designer Amado Guevara, Project Manager, Ramsey County Gwen Willems Property Management CONSULTING ENGINEERS Bill Michel, RCL Library Manager Mary Jo McGuire (Ramsey County Commissioner MEP Associates Julie Neville, Senior Building Services Manager, Ramsey and Library Board Liaison) County Property Management Chuck Wettergren, RCL Digital Services Manager RAMSEY COUNTY LIBRARY PATRONS AND Lynn Wyman, RCL Deputy Director COMMUNITY MEMBERS Over 2,600 survey respondents and listening session RAMSEY COUNTY LIBRARY STAFF attendees. MSR also gratefully acknowledges all of the managers and other staff who graciously gave their time, knowledge, and information during branch visits and requests for data. 2 contents Introduction . 5 Existing Facility Condition Assessments Appendices �������������������������������������������107 Executive Summary . 61 Appendix A: MEP Engineering Assessment 108 Recommendations Matrix Existing Conditions Overview Appendix B: Survey 114 Project Goals RCL-Maplewood Survey Question 1 115 Process RCL-Mounds View Survey Question 2 116 Sources Used RCL-New Brighton Survey Question 3 119 RCL-North St. Paul Survey Question 4 129 Context ��������������������������������������������������� 15 RCL-Roseville Survey Question 5 130 Ramsey County Demographics RCL-Shoreview Survey Question 6 154 Ramsey County Transit Infrastructure RCL-White Bear Lake Survey Question 7 163 Ramsey County Schools Survey Question 8 167 National Library Trends Detailed Recommendations . 79 Survey Question 9 168 Library Service for the 21st Century Prioritization and Phasing Survey Question 10 171 Detailed Recommendations By Branch Survey Question 11 176 System Summary ����������������������������������� 33 Ramsey County “Accessible Service Delivery and Survey Question 12 196 Library Usage Statistics Facilities” Appendix C: Survey Boards 197 Operations Supplementing Operating Hours Collection Analysis . 41 Projected Facility Cost Summary Projected Facility Cost Matrix Collections Introduction Detailed Collections Analysis Detailed Recommendations: Finishes, Furnishings & Signage . 95 Digital Services ��������������������������������������� 51 Furnishings Introduction Digital Services Assessment Public Furnishings Peer Benchmarking ������������������������������� 55 Staff Furnishings Peer Benchmarking: Introduction Furnishings Recommendation Summary Benchmarking Analysis Furnishings Recommendation Matrix Exterior Signage 3 Branch Addresses RCL-Maplewood 3025 Southlawn Drive Maplewood, MN 55109 RCL-Mounds View 2576 Mounds View Boulevard Mounds View, MN 55112 RCL-New Brighton 400 10th St NW New Brighton, MN 55112 RCL-North St. Paul 2300 North St. Paul Drive North St. Paul, MN 55109 RCL-Roseville 2180 North Hamline Ave Roseville, MN 55113 RCL-Shoreview 4560 North Victoria Street Shoreview, MN 55126 RCL-White Bear Lake 2150 2nd Street White Bear Lake , MN 55110 4 Introduction 5 Introduction Executive Summary Ramsey County Library (RCL), one of eight metro accountable by following through on implementation Other RCL facilities in existence at the time of the last public library systems within the greater Minneapolis- of recommendations. In June of 2008, Ramsey County master plan are: Saint Paul Twin Cities area that is a member of the Library invested in a Facilities Master Plan to guide • RCL-Mounds View: the oldest facility in the alliance of MELSA (Metropolitan Library Service the next ten years of investment, from 2008 to 2018. system, constructed in 1990 without any Agency), is a consistently high-performing, high-impact Implementation of those recommendations led significant renovations thereafter. It is in need of public library system serving the suburban residents to new and renewed facilities, targeted collections investment to provide a vibrant, engaging library of Ramsey County. Across its seven locations, Ramsey expansion, and continued changes to operations that experience for all ages. County Library has a higher circulation per capita than have facilitated continued health and use of Ramsey • RCL-North Saint Paul: relocated in 2005 into other national systems with comparable expenditures County Library over the past ten plus years including: available built-out space within what was then the (Library Journal America’s All Star Libraries 2017), has • Renovation and expansion of RCL-Roseville in North Saint Paul Community Center, though that a higher number of registered users and visitors than 2010. portion of the building is now leased by a private other national systems with similar service populations • Renovation and expansion of RCL-White Bear tenant, which has greatly decreased the volume (IMLS Library Systems FY 2015 Public Libraries Lake in 2015. of visitors to the building. Survey), and the highest program attendance per • RCL-New Brighton branch was co-located within • RCL-Maplewood: constructed in 2007; while capita and circulation per square foot of any system the newly-constructed New Brighton Community the overall building envelope is in fairly good within MELSA, (MELSA and Library Journal). Center in 2011. condition, since its opening there have been • A newly-constructed RCL-Shoreview was significant acoustic and operations issues that Vibrant, healthy public library systems make continual completed in 2017. require remediation, which led to a pre-design renewal a priority, investing in strategic planning study of potential solutions, completed in 2018 to guide investment in facilities, operations, and and referenced in this report. resources; these systems then hold themselves RCL-Maplewood RCL-Mounds View RCL-New Brighton RCL-North St. Paul RCL-Roseville RCL-Shoreview RCL-White Bear Lake 6 Introduction In 2018, Ramsey County Library committed to around the existing seven branches: Mounds continuity of strategic planning, issuing a Request for View, New Brighton, Shoreview, White Bear Lake, Qualifications for Library System Master Planning Maplewood, North Saint Paul, and Roseville, as well services, intended to “provide a framework for as recommendations for how Ramsey County Library decision-making over the next six years (2019-2025)” can best serve and connect with residents across the (Ramsey County RFQ 05/16/18). This process, of breadth of the county, within and outside of library which this report is the culmination, is intended to be walls. Each of the existing facilities have different issues, a holistic plan inclusive of visioning, detailed facilities challenges, and opportunities: those that have been assessment, comprehensive collections and furnishings renewed or constructed most recently do not have the evaluations, thoughtful reflection on technology and same critical space and infrastructure needs as those access, and inclusive of community outreach. in greatest need of renovation and reconfiguration; for some branches, growth and change in community During this master plan process, the design team demographics are driving new and expanded needs recommended that a slightly longer view be taken: that for tailored collections and services. to propose full phasing, funding, and implementation of recommendations within a six year window might In addition to a library-focused process these not be feasible or in the best interests of the system; recommendations reflect review of strategic and as such, this report proposes recommendations and comprehensive plans by affiliated organizations, which implementation within both a six year and a more provide reference points for expectations about the Image courtesy of Ramsey County Library standard ten year timeline. This adjustment allows for contributions and value of Ramsey County Library, • The Ramsey County 2040 Comprehensive a proposed phasing of projects that include a mix of goals and aspirations for civic leadership and service Plan (current draft date 05.25.18 and issued shorter-term, concentrated effort, lower financial- for ever-changing constituent needs, and long-term 10.31.18) impact set of projects, and those that require more planning and development goals for each part of • Comprehensive Plans from Ramsey County time, more planning and resources, and may require Ramsey County. Such plans include: cities: Mounds View, New Brighton, Shoreview, more extensive capital planning. • The Metropolitan Library Service Agency White Bear Lake, Maplewood, North Saint Paul, (MELSA) Strategic Plan 2017-2020 and Roseville. This 2019-2025+ Facilities Master Plan provides a • The Ramsey County 2018 Strategic Plan framework for continued management and planning • The Metropolitan Council ‘Thrive MSP 2040 7 Introduction Plan’ an outcome-based orientation to regional policy (Choice, Place and Opportunity). RCL-Mounds View • The in-process “Accessible Service Delivery and Facilities” initiative by Ramsey County to RCL-White Bear Lake establish a vision for connecting Ramsey County RCL-Shoreview residents to County services