Village officials have decided to take a look at possible improvements and physical repairs for the Oak Brook Public Library.
The Village Board approved the expenditure of $25,000 in July to hire a consultant to do an assessment of the needs and opportunities for such potential work. Village and library staff plan to evaluate consultant proposals, talk to the firms involved, and select a company to assess the library and provide ideas for improvements.
Village President Larry Herman said the library study contract is a first step to help Village officials understand library improvement opportunities and anticipated costs.
“Those results will be fed into the Village’s 2024 budget process, which just started, and allow us to prioritize and determine what can actually be funded in the near term,” he said.
“For several years, the Village has deferred capital projects throughout the Village due to financial constraints. That includes needed work at the 21-year old library, where, for example, the carpet is original and now quite worn, as is the carpet at Village Hall.”
Village Manager Greg Summers said the idea of the assessment is to develop a new plan to proactively guide decision making over the next several years at the library, 600 Oak Brook Road.
“The current building was constructed in 2002 and is reaching an age where it is time to reexamine both ongoing maintenance obligations as well as assess any potential changes to maximize use of the public asset,” he said. “This plan will ensure that future decisions and investments are made in the framework of serving our constituents, while minimizing operating costs.”
Head librarian Jacob Post said the library is approximately 25,000 square feet and houses more than 90,000 items in addition to providing space for the community to gather for meetings and events.
He said in 2022 the library had 57,846 people walk through its doors and 155,667 items were checked out. This year the numbers are on track to be about 30% more.
“I attribute the increases to people being more comfortable with the status of COVID-19 and resuming their pre-pandemic library habits,” he said, adding that 4,693 Oak Brook residents currently have a library card.
Post said the library’s core service continues to be loaning patrons educational and entertaining materials.
“However, we are finding more and more patrons looking for quiet areas in the library to work and study,” he said “In addition to quiet areas, patrons are requesting small to midsize meeting spaces for group work. Currently this is something the library lacks.”
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Post said the library building is getting older and maintenance is becoming an issue.
“The well-used building is starting to depreciate and show its age. We want to be thoughtful in how we address aging infrastructure, while also looking at opportunities to adjust or expand services in a fiscally responsible way, he said.
“The village and library would like to be proactive and have a master plan for the maintenance of the building’s infrastructure and any potential updates to improve the quality of service to the community.”
Herman said because the village’s finances have vastly improved over the past couple of years, largely from increased sales taxes and enhanced fiscal discipline, officials are in a better position to start “catching up” on some of the deferred projects, including the library.
“However, there are many other competing priorities for budget dollars, including village infrastructure, such as roads,” he said.
“The library is widely used and valued by the community, and the village will continue to support its success. But amenities have costs and since our financial resources are limited, every so-called amenity has to be evaluated through a cost/benefit lens, which we are now constantly doing. Any proposed library improvements will receive the same scrutiny.”
Chuck Fieldman is a freelance reporter for Pioneer Press.