Planning for the future…

In November 2013, the Library Planning Committee recommended that a Building Committee be formed to address the needs for the library for the next 25 years.  Four major concerns of the Planning Committee were identified: that the building should be “green,” that the design should be sensitive to the history of the town, that the project should preserve the character of the town center, and that the new building should able to accommodate future trends in technology and library programming.

Reusing what still works…

The Library Planning Committee recommended to the Town Council that the Pond Cove Annex (the part of the library currently housing the adult collection upstairs and the young adult and Maine room on the lower level) be renovated for reuse since its presence has been an integral part of the Town Center of Cape Elizabeth for close to 100 years.   Architect Dick Reed told the Planning Committee and the Council that “the greenest building is an existing building,” because it won’t need to be demolished (taking up landfill space) and replaced with all new materials, but of course the renovations will be “greened up” with energy-efficient heating and cooling systems, new windows and new and better insulation

New space for new needs…

To address many operational inefficiencies, the Committee also recommended that the remaining sections of the current library be replaced by a new addition to be built adjacent to the Annex building.  This new construction will allow for better functionality of library programming and will of course be designed with the environment in mind.

Open flexible interior space…

The proposed plans call for an exterior of the Pond Cove Annex that will look pretty much the same (with a few exciting changes planned at both the new and original entrances), but an interior that will be very different!  As you can see from these drawings, both new and renovated spaces will be open and flexible to easily accommodate future technologies and programming options and to allow library staff and patrons easy and efficient access throughout the building.

A main entrance that makes everything work

A bright and airy new main entrance to the library will feature a new circulation desk and provide easy access to both floors. Upstairs, visitors will be able to easily access the adult reading area and stacks, a poetry and quiet reading room, a media/technology area, and the young adult area.  Library staff will also be housed on this level.  At the lower level, a gallery space will open into the children’s and family areas in one direction, and community-accessible meeting rooms in the other direction.

The project cost, as recommended by the Library Planning Committee and accepted by the Council, will be $4 million.  A referendum is anticipated in November of 2014 when the voters of Cape Elizabeth will have the opportunity to support this project through the approval of bond financing to make all this possible.

Questions?  Please contact the Library Building Committee at lbcpublic@thomas.lib.me.us.  We’d love to hear from you!