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Referendum for a new Dodgeville Public Library: You have questions, we have answers.
"Why place the proposed new Dodgeville Public Library at the Springate Mall?"
Looking for a new location for a new library took a number of factors into consideration. The first is available size. A building assessment completed in 2014 showed that a library for a population of our size should have 21,000 sq. ft. of space. This is a significant increase over our current size of less than 6,800 sq. ft., however the WI Department of Administration projects a nearly 20% increase in the library's service population over the next 15 years. Secondly, with City Hall needing additional space, there is no longer an option for expansion on its current site. Numerous locations were considered for a new building. The proposed location on the southwest corner of the Springate Mall parking lot allows room for an appropriately sized library with adequate parking. Additionally, this site does not incur the expense of purchase and demolition of current buildings and allows the entire building to be a single floor, which reduces the need for additional staffing. The proposed Dodgeville Public Library will remain convenient to downtown, our public schools and will be near Wilson park. The library would now be able to accommodate after-hours events, public group meetings, and display rare collections that are currently in storage which require monthly storage fees. Finally, a new library would provide expanded children, teen and adult reading, program and study spaces. We encourage you to stop in at the current library to see the architectural drawings now on display and attend the library open house and informational session on February 4th at 6:30 p.m.
Jesse Decker
The Dodgeville Public Library Board of Trustees