The Brookfield Library Space Needs Study and Building Program
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The Brookfield Library Space Needs Study and Building Program Prepared by Leslie Burger and Kevin McCarthy Library Development Solutions, Princeton Junction, NJ June 2002 Modified August 2009 by The Committee for a New Library Approved August 17, 2009 by The Brookfield Library Board Modified slightly February 2015 Executive Summary .................................................................................................... 1 Brookfield Today ........................................................................................................ 2 Library Profile ............................................................................................................. 6 The Community and Staff Speak ................................................................................. 9 Library Vision, Mission, and Roles ............................................................................. 11 Library Space Today .................................................................................................. 13 Future Space Needs .................................................................................................. 19 Attachments ............................................................................................................ 38 Functional Area Sheets ............................................................................................. 38 Space Planning Guidelines ........................................................................................ 40 Section 1 Executive Summary The Brookfield Library opened in 1975 as a 9,600 square foot facility built to house 35,000 items. As of 6/30/14, the collection totaled 64,626 items. The building has not been renovated, modernized, or expanded in 40 years, although both the population and library use have increased significantly in that time. Services provided by The Brookfield Library are used by the community both on-site and online. The town has grown from 9,688 in 1970 to 15,664 in 2000 to 16,860 in 2010. The University of Connecticut State Data Center projects a population of 16,740 in 2025. As of June 30, 2014, a total of 11,264 (66.8%) of town residents held library cards. Library visits totaled 98,988. In 2014, there were 124,934 hits on the library’s web site. In 2002, the Library Board contracted with Library Development Solutions of Princeton, New Jersey to assess the library’s space needs, recommend improvements to address community needs, and develop a building program to meet community needs for the next 25 years. The report recommended an expansion of the current building that would add 18,000 square feet, bringing it to 27,600 square feet. Since that date, the Committee for a New Library has determined that the current site is not adequate for the library’s space needs. The Board of Selectmen of the Town of Brookfield has agreed to the use of a parcel of land on the municipal complex for a new library, estimated to be at least 27,000 square feet. The Committee for a New Library, in conjunction with the library director, created a brief survey to determine what the residents of Brookfield would like to see in a new library. Survey results are integrated with those of the focus groups conducted in 2002, and all results are incorporated in the design of the proposed building. In June 2009, the Committee for a New Library selected the firm of Tuthill and Wells Architects to design a new library. After approval by the Town Attorney, the First Selectman signed a contract with the firm for the design phase of the project. The Town submitted a Construction Grant request for $1,000,000 to the Connecticut State Library on September 1, 2009. The grant was awarded in November, but the Town has been unable to move forward with the project, and is submitting an amended grant application in February 2015. The Brookfield Library Building Program – February 2015 Page 1 Section 2 Brookfield Today Brookfield Community Characteristics Population The 2000 US Census of Population placed the population of Brookfield at 15,664, an 11% increase from the 1990 Census. In 2014, the population was estimated to be 16,860. The Connecticut State Data Center of the University of Connecticut predicted an increase of 26.04% in Brookfield’s population by 2030. In 2009, projected numbers for the town’s growth showed 17,044 in 2010, 17,756 in 2015, 18,425 in 2020, 19,066 in 2025, and 19,645 in 2030, but those numbers have now been revised downward. The State Data Center now predicts a population of 16,740 in 2025. According to the CERC profile, growth is now projected to be slower than estimated. Brookfield is predominately a Caucasian community (91.2%) with Asians constituting the next largest population group at 2.5%, followed by Hispanic, Black, and “other.” Females slightly outnumber males in Brookfield with 51.4% of the population female and 48.6% male. Children between the ages of 0-19 years of age constitute 28.9% of the town’s population. Adults between the ages of 35-54 constitute the largest age cohort in town at 36.1%. Older adults aged 60+ constitute 4.5% of the population. The median age for Brookfield residents in 2012 was 43, compared to the state average median age of 40. There are 5,833 households in Brookfield, according to the CERC Town Profile. The census indicates that 78.4% of this number is family households, with 39% of that number indicating they have children under the age of 18 years of age. The average household size is 2.8 persons; the average family size is 3.1. The number of young adults (20-34 year olds) is expected to decline until 2000 and then grow slowly until 2020. The number of residents over 55 will continue to increase, with one-third of Brookfield’s population expected to be over 55 years of age by 2020. Housing Brookfield has 6,781 housing units with most of Brookfield’s population living in owner occupied housing (96.4%). The Brookfield Library Building Program – February 2015 Page 2 In 1990, Brookfield had more households with three or more people than the statewide average. 32.8% of Brookfield’s population lives in a two-person owner-occupied housing unit, 20.6% live in 4-person households, 19.4% live in three-person households, 14.9% in single person households, and 12.4% live in households with 5 or more people. Education 43.7% of Brookfield’s population over 25 years of age has a bachelors or advanced degree as compared to the state average of 31.4%. More than 90% of the town’s student population attends the public schools. Close to 91.9% of those graduating from high school go on to pursue post- secondary education, compared to a statewide number of 83.4%. Economics Brookfield has two regional roles, one as a residential suburb for Danbury, Westchester County, and New York City, and the other as a sub-regional center offering business and employment. Seventy eight percent (78%) of Brookfield residents commute elsewhere for employment. The Connecticut Economic Resource Center, Inc. (CERC) shows the following median household income figures in their 2009 Town Profile: Brookfield $111,096 Fairfield County $ 82,614 State $ 69,519 Brookfield has the highest ratio of jobs to workers in the area. Only one in three workers employed in Brookfield lives in Brookfield. School Enrollments Approximately 90% of Brookfield’s children attend public school. Given the current economy it is expected that this number will remain stable or grow slightly in the next few years. School enrollment for the Brookfield public schools is expected to decrease slightly in the next 5 years, from a total enrollment of 2,894 in 2009-2010 to The Brookfield Library Building Program – February 2015 Page 3 2,669 in 2013-2014. The staff of the Town School Office was unable to provide data beyond 2014. Section 3 Library Profile The Library Today Today the Brookfield Library provides a wide array of services that are actively used by the community both on site and through the library’s website. 11,624 people (68.9% of the community) had library cards in 2014. Library Hours The library is open 54 hours a week. Unlike many other libraries that are open to 9 p.m., the Brookfield Library closes at 8 p.m. on two evenings, at 6 p.m. on two evenings, and at 5 p.m. on two evenings. Sunday hours were added in September 2009. The library is closed on Sundays during the summer months. Circulation The rate of circulation increase in the last five years has been fluctuating for a number of reasons. The library was built to hold 35,000 items; today its collection is almost 63,000 items. Materials are housed on shelves that are too high, shelves are packed from end to end, and books are even shelved on windowsills, making it difficult to browse the collection and display it effectively. Children’s books are on shelves as tall as 84”. From the focus group sessions, we learned that many people are choosing to use neighboring libraries because of the space constraints and parking difficulties at the Brookfield Library. Table 1 Circulation Statistics 1997-2014 Print Digital circulation circulation 1997 159,765 1998 146,885 1999 126,450 2000 122,536 2001 126,150 2002 131,836 2003 147,026 2004 151,741 2005 159,720 2006 156,112 2007 146,882 2008 149,602 2009 150,484 2010 155,943v 2011 151,369 The Brookfield Library Building Program – February 2015 Page 4 2012 156,058 2013 145,808 6112 2014 136,689 11,735 2015 to 5,081 1/31/15 81923 Library Visits Library visits have remained steady over the last five years. A library visit may include checking out an item, but it also includes all of those people who come to the library to attend a program, ask a question, read a magazine in the library, or use the library’s computers. Patron visits in FY2014 totalled 98,988. Book Stock At the end of 2008, the Library collection totaled 62,950 items including books, audiobooks on CD, tape, and PlayAway, magazines, newspapers, music CDs, and video and DVDs. By the end of 2014, we had eliminated PlayAways, audiobooks on tape, and all of our VHS videotapes, in order to make room for more audiobooks on CD and DVDs.