Westgate Will Open on Tuesday, September 6

Mon, 08/01/2016 - 1:08pm by aadl-news

The Westgate branch of the AADL will open on Tuesday, September 6 at 9:00 AM. We invite you to visit this newly renovated location, and to join us there for a public celebration on Sunday, September 18, at 12:00 PM. We will have music, food, and fun for all ages at this celebration of a new library in a familiar place.

Josie

AADL Welcomes Sweetwaters Coffee & Tea to Westgate Branch!

Fri, 02/19/2016 - 5:37pm by eli

Library patrons will soon be able to enjoy a delicious cup of fresh coffee or tea as they browse new collections at the expanded Westgate Branch Library!

Sweetwaters Coffee and Tea signed a sublease this week to operate a café adjacent to the Branch when it re-opens in late summer. Lisa Bee, Sweetwaters owner and founder, says, “We are so excited and thrilled to join the AADL family and Westgate. To be a part of the first Ann Arbor library where patrons can enjoy a treat with their favorite book is a great honor.”



According to Library Director Josie Parker, “The Ann Arbor District Library's opportunity to expand in place at the Westgate Shopping Center allows the Library to consider and develop a new and different type of partnership. We are pleased to launch this public/private partnership between the Library and Sweetwaters Coffee and Tea. Sweetwaters opening will coincide with the reopening of the expanded Library in late summer 2016.”



Sweetwaters Coffee and Tea was founded in 1993 by Lisa and Wei Bee in downtown Ann Arbor. Both Wei and Lisa are UM graduates who decided to stay in Ann Arbor, continue their families’ hospitality tradition, and become a part of the Ann Arbor business community.



Sweetwaters Coffee and Tea is a warm, comfortable, coffeehouse that offers a blend of traditional European espresso drinks, globally inspired beverages, beautiful Asian teas, delicious desserts, pastries, and savory treats.



Library Board President Jan Barney Newman adds, “It is with great anticipation that the Trustees of the Library look forward to Sweetwaters presence in the expansion of the Westgate Branch. A gathering place on its own, Sweetwaters will be a great asset to the Library and the Westgate Community. “



The new Westgate Branch expansion adds 16,500 square feet to create a branch with 21,000 square feet for its users. The Branch closed in late November and construction is now underway.



Updates on this project can be found on the library website. For more information, visit westgate.

Ann Arbor and the Huron River Watershed, with Dave Wilson of the Huron River Watershed Council

Tuesday January 6, 2015: 7:00pm to 8:30pm
Downtown Library: 4th Floor Meeting Room

Paolo Soleri, creator of counterculture architectureal wonder, Arcosanti, has died

Wed, 04/10/2013 - 12:17pm by sernabad

Paolo Soleri whose signature architectural Arizona community combined his love of design with his passion for sustainability, has died.

Soleri, a Frank Lloyd Wright apprentice, put his ideas about the cons of urban sprawl and the necessity for simplicity into practice by building Arcosanti in the Arizona desert. Using the principles of his coined beliefs, arcology (blending architecture with ecology), Soleri put them into practice at Arcosanti, his living laboratory located 67 miles north of Phoenix. The unique bee hive buildings in this compact community opened in 1970 and remains a viable neighborhood with more than 50,000 visitors every year.

Soleri believed that, in order for nature to survive, the human population must minimize its footprint on the planet. Soleri envisioned 5000 residents at Arcosanti, but the actual population never exceeded more than a few hundred people. Some of the features of the buildings at Arcosanti are the use of concrete poured on site, ceramic tiles made on site, and a large patio that has 12-foot swinging glass doors that can be closed to accommodate the greenhouse effect.

Soleri studied with Franklin Lloyd Wright, moving from Italy in 1947 to work with Wright at Taliesin West in Scottsdale, AZ.

Soleri, who was 93, died yesterday and was buried at Arcosanti.

Downtown Library 2012: Facts about the Downtown Library Bond Proposal

Wed, 10/24/2012 - 9:55am by aadl-news

We've been getting many questions about the upcoming Bond Proposal. We have put together this list of the most common questions and factual answers. Please don't hesitate to comment on this post or email us at downtown@aadl.org if you have further questions. Thanks for your interest in the library!

What is the Downtown Library Bond Proposal?

Residents of the Ann Arbor District Library service area will find a proposal for a bond to fund a project to replace the downtown library at the end of their November 6th ballot. If approved, the proposal will authorize the sale of up to $65 Million of bonds, and authorize the library to levy an annual property tax millage for up to 30 years to make the bond payments.

Why is the Downtown Library Bond being proposed now?

The current building will need major investment over the coming years to maintain or upgrade aging infrastructure. This will require increasing percentages of AADL's operating budget. With interest rates at unprecedented lows and construction costs still well below average, the AADL Board of Trustees determined that now is the time for the community to decide if a new downtown library should be built, or if AADL should continue investing operating funds in the current inefficient building. In 2007, the AADL board studied the issue of whether to replace or renovate the Downtown Library to address the capacity issues, and it was found that a new building would cost only 10% more than a renovation. Those cost estimates were assessed again in 2012 and found to be still valid.

Why is the proposal for rebuilding a downtown library on the same site?

AADL owns the site of the current downtown library, and it is by far the most heavily used public library in the district. AADL is committed to making information, events, workspace, and collections available downtown, and current demand for these services is beyond the capacity of the current building. The compromises involved in the previous two renovations to the current downtown library building are a major factor that limits the ability of a third renovation to add space and efficiency, so the AADL Board voted to place the bond proposal on the November 6 ballot to seek public approval for a new downtown library on the current site.

Who is responsible for this project?

The publicly-elected Board of Trustees of the Ann Arbor District Library is the sole body responsible for the project, services, and facilities of the AADL. AADL is an independent taxing authority, and the Downtown Library Project is not affiliated with the Ann Arbor Public Schools, the City of Ann Arbor, Washtenaw County, or any other governmental or commercial entities.

How much will the project cost? What does that cost me?

The bond proposal seeks authorization to sell up to $65 million of bonds to be repaid over 30 years. That is enough to fund the estimated $53 million of construction costs, plus demolition, rental of temporary facilities during construction, furniture, equipment, technology, and other costs related to the project including permits, architectural and interior design, and engineering.

Once the bonds have been sold, the library will levy property taxes for the annual bond payments. Depending on the interest rate at which the bonds are sold, annual payments will by funded by a millage rate of .47 - .56 mills per year, meaning the cost to the owner of a $200,000 home with a $100,000 taxable value will be between $47 - $56 per year:

The library currently levies 1.55 mills per year for operation, costing the owner of a $200,000 home with a $100,000 taxable value $155 per year.

When would the bond payments begin?

If the proposal is approved by voters, the bonds would be sold in spring of 2013, and the millage would appear on tax bills starting summer 2013.

If approved, what will happen to the Downtown Library?

It is AADL's intent to have a downtown library open to the public throughout the process. If approved, when the current building closes, a temporary downtown library will open in a rented space offering request pickup, drop boxes, internet access, a kids' area, and popular materials, until the new building opens. AADL will not lay off staff during construction. The current downtown collection will be temporarily relocated and available by request as always during the construction process, and will be brought back into the new building before it opens.

If approved, when would the project begin and end?

A solid timeline will be developed if the proposal is approved, but it is anticipated that the project will begin by spring 2014 and construction will last 18-27 months.

If approved, who would design and build the library?

The AADL Board will select an architect and construction manager if the bond proposal is approved. AADL Board meetings, as always, are open to the public.

If approved, how can the community give input on the design?

In addition to the public forums seeking public feedback on the project that were held on June 9, 2012, June 12, 2012, and June 20, 2012, AADL will offer many opportunities for the public to give input and feedback on the design of the project as it progresses if approved. Similar events were held throughout the design process for the Malletts Creek, Pittsfield, and Traverwood branches, and the public is invited to speak to the AADL Board of Trustees at the beginning of every AADL board meeting.

Downtown Library 2012: The Vision | The Vote

Mon, 07/30/2012 - 5:32pm by aadl-news

This evening the Library Board approved the bond language for a November 6, 2012 ballot proposal that would provide $65 million to fund the replacement of the Downtown Library at its current site at Fifth Avenue and William Street in Ann Arbor. The Board voted earlier in June to replace the Downtown Library, and now the bond language will be submitted to the Washtenaw County Clerk for inclusion on the ballot.

Questions about this decision are centering around a few key issues. Those questions are answered in The Vision | The Vote. If your question is not contained here, please email downtown@aadl.org, and we will answer your question and post it to the Director's Blog so that it is widely available.

Josie

AADL Library Bond Proposal

The Vision

1. What will a new Downtown Library offer our community?

Here are ten things that are possible in a new building, but are not possible in the current building:

• A destination, multi-­‐age, youth area that can simultaneously accommodate open play, story times, and other youth programming
• A grand, quiet reading room
• A 400-­‐seat auditorium to comfortably accommodate the crowds that AADL’s
lectures, movies, discussions, and performances already bring to Downtown
• An accessible downtown location for AADL’s Local History collections, specifically the
collection from The Ann Arbor News
• Individual and group study and workspaces throughout the building with adequate
comfort, power, and acoustic privacy
• An array of meeting spaces that can simultaneously accommodate events that range
from messy, hands-­‐on programs to formal public assemblies
• A café that is open before and after the library hours
• A Friends of the AADL shop in the lobby
• A Media Production Lab that provides high-­‐end computer production bays adjacent
to larger, comfortable, public computing areas
• An environmentally sound, comfortable, efficient structure that is accessible to all

2. What will the new library look like?

The Library Board has not commissioned any specific plans at this time. The Board is, however, using the work that was done and paid for in 2008 to develop a program for a 21st century library building in Ann Arbor. Even with ongoing changes in technologies, that building program is valid, and we are confident that replacing 110,000 square feet with 160,000 square feet will result in a building that reflects the increasing use of Ann Arbor’s Downtown Library with the flexibility to change spaces in the future without major renovations. The Board is asking the community to first decide if it is willing to invest $65 million. If we receive an affirmative answer from voters, then we would move onto the next step and select an architectural firm and a construction management firm. The Board considers this a prudent, fiscally conservative approach.

3. Is $65 million enough?

Yes, it is. The bond amount covers every aspect of the proposed project, and the actual amount estimated to be spent on construction would necessarily be less than the total.

In 2008, we estimated spending $334 per square foot on a new downtown facility. In the library’s experience managing construction projects, that cost per square foot is sufficient to deliver an outstanding facility. That these numbers hold true in today’s construction market is a very important factor in the Board’s decision to move forward with a bond proposal at this time.

4. Why can’t you just renovate the existing facility?

The work that was done in 2007/2008 included a thorough review of many options that had been brought forward by staff and consultants. The architect and construction management firms at that time, with the Library Board and staff, concluded that two of the options provided the best opportunity to build a library building for the 21st century. One option was to replace the current building with a new 160,000 square foot facility and the other was to completely renovate the 1990’s portion and to replace the 1958 portion with a four-­‐story addition. It was determined through construction cost modeling that the renovation option cost would save less than 10% of the cost of a new facility. After careful consideration, the Board determined moving forward with a request for a new facility was a better return on the requested investment.

5. Why hasn’t the Library Board chosen to build the new library on the top of the underground parking garage on Library Lane?

The Library Board considered this option in the 2007/2008 process and ruled it out for two major reasons. The first is that public library space is safest and most efficient when arranged on large floor plates with direct sight lines on each floor. The buildable space on the parking garage is too small to provide necessary large floor plates. The second reason is that the AADL owns the property at the corner of Fifth Avenue and William Street, and that property is zoned public land. In short, the parking garage space is too small, and we have more flexibility on property owned by the Library to build a facility that will meet the community’s needs in a public library space well into this century.

6. Why doesn’t the Library Board sell the property at Fifth and William and build elsewhere?

The AADL owns the property at Fifth and William streets where the Downtown Library is located. However, in the separation agreement with the Ann Arbor Public Schools in 1995, the AAPS reserved the right of first refusal if the property was to be sold. The AAPS also has a year in which to make such a decision. In addition, the AAPS would pay only 65% of the estimated value of the property in such a sale, and if the AAPS chose not to purchase the property, but it was sold, the AAPS would receive 35% of the proceeds. The AADL Board has determined that this cost is too great to consider selling the site.

7. Are libraries needed in the age of EBooks and the Internet?

EBooks and the Internet are a big part of why a new library is needed. The explosion of digital content has not decreased demand for library services; in fact, demand continues to grow, and that demand is increasing for new and different services. The current downtown building was not designed to accommodate, and cannot be retrofitted to enable, the delivery of 21st century library services. EBooks and the Internet have changed and expanded the demand that AADL enjoys and works to meet. A building built around warehousing one particular format no longer serves this community well.

8. How many people use the downtown library?

• The Downtown Library averages over 600,000 annual visits, about 1,700 visitors per day.
• The Downtown Library averages over 1,000,000 annual checkouts: 32% of total AADL checkouts.
• The Downtown Library holds a collection of over 344,000 items, about 56% of AADL’s total collection.
• The Downtown Library serves over 75,000 annual Internet sessions, about 30% of AADL’s total.
• Since 2009, there has been a 21% increase in use of meeting rooms by outside organizations; 364 such uses, about one every day in 2011-­‐2012.
• AADL produces over 500 downtown events per year for a total of over 26,000 attendees

9. Why does the board think the public is interested in a new downtown library?

In March of 2012, the Board commissioned EPIC­‐MRA to conduct a scientific telephone survey of district voters, looking to see whether the library was valued by voters, whether they thought the library was an important part of the community’s future, what they liked and disliked about the library today, and whether they would be willing to support building a new library. The survey showed that 45% of the respondents were willing to support a $65 million bond for a downtown library project. An additional 15% of the respondents said they would likely vote yes to such a bond.

After reviewing that survey, the board held three community forums to discuss the need for a new library, the interests of the public, and the opportunities presented in a new library project. The Board also reviewed past reports and studies about the need for and cost of a new or renovated library. After taking all of that information into consideration, the board decided, in the words of Facilities Committee Chair Prue Rosenthal, “The needs today are even greater, and now is the time for us to ask the community to support construction of a new library that can fulfill the community’s requirements for information in many forms for years to come.”

10. What is wrong with the current building?

The Ann Arbor District Library Board’s Facilities Committee reviewed the shortcomings of the current building, first constructed in 1958 and updated twice, most recently in 1990.

The Committee found the facility has:
• Inadequate capabilities for meeting patron needs for safe, quiet reading space
• Outdated heating and air conditioning systems
• Insufficient meeting space for community events and large presentations
• Inadequate capacity for additional infrastructure to meet growing computer use
• No space for children’s programming and services that reflect the needs of contemporary families and students
• Built before the passage of the Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990
• No auditorium

After reviewing renovation possibilities, the committee determined that a new facility built on the site of the existing building was the most cost-­‐effective solution.

11. Where can I give my feedback?

Questions are important and helpful as the Board and staff move through this very important phase in the Library’s history. Video of each of the three forums, held on June 9, 2012, June 12, 2012, and June 20, 2012, and a summary of the feedback from the public are available on the Director's Blog. Send your questions to downtown@aadl.org. All questions will be addressed and answers posted to the Director's Blog.

The Vote

1. What is a bond proposal?

A bond proposal is a request by the Library Board for voters to approve the sale of bonds, which will raise funds to build a new downtown library.

2. Why is a bond proposal necessary?

In 1994, in response to law passed in the legislature, the Ann Arbor Public Schools could no longer fund the operation of a public library with school millage. The AAPS and the City of Ann Arbor then established the Ann Arbor District Library in accordance with this new legislation. The Library is not connected in any way with the budgets of the Ann Arbor Public Schools or the City of Ann Arbor. The Library is a completely separate institution with an elected governing Board of Trustees. In 1994, the voters approved the establishment of the district library, and at the same time approved a millage of 2.0 mills in perpetuity to fund the operations of the Ann Arbor District Library. Today, the Library could levy up to 1.92 mills. Due to the improved technologies and choices made by the Library to use all of our resources to return an investment to the taxpayer, the levy is now 1.55. The current difference between 1.55 and 1.92 is $1.6 million, and that is not enough to fund a project of this magnitude.

3. What is on the November 6, 2012 ballot?

Shall the Ann Arbor District Library, formed by the Ann Arbor Public Schools and the City of Ann Arbor, County of Washtenaw, State of Michigan, borrow the sum of not to exceed sixty-­‐five million dollars ($65,000,000) and issue its general obligation unlimited tax bonds, in one or more series, payable in not to exceed thirty (30) years from the date of issuance of such bonds, for the purpose of paying all or part of the costs of constructing, furnishing and equipping a new main library building to be located at the current site of the downtown library building, including costs related thereto?

Yes [ ] No [ ]

The following is for information purposes only:
The estimated millage to be levied in 2013 to pay the debt service on such bonds is 0.56 mills ($0.56 per $1,000 of taxable value). In accordance with State law, a portion of the revenue collected may be subject to capture by the City of Ann Arbor Downtown Development Authority and the Scio Township Downtown Development Authority.

4. Who can vote in this election?

Registered voters in the Ann Arbor District Library district boundaries can vote on this proposal. That includes all of the City of Ann Arbor and parts of Ann Arbor, Lodi, Webster, Pittsfield, Superior, Salem, and Scio townships.

5. Why did you put this on the November ballot?

This is the election when turnout tends to be highest. We wanted to give everyone an opportunity to express his/her view through the ballot box.

6. How much will the proposal cost the average taxpayer?

If the bond proposal is approved a property owner’s taxes will be increased by approximately 0.56 mills. Property owners can use the following home value samples to determine their estimated individual tax increases.

7. If the ballot issue passes, when will property taxes be levied?

If the bond proposal passed on November 6, 2012, the first tax levy related to the bond would be in July 2013.

8. Where and when can I register to vote?

You may register in person with your city, township, county clerk or any Secretary of State office. You may also download printable voter registration forms.
Please follow the instructions carefully for polling locations.

9. What are the key dates coming up for the election?

The election is November 6, 2012. To vote, you need to be registered by October 9, 2012. No date has been given yet for when absentee ballots will be available. Absentee ballots are usually available about six weeks before the election, which would be about mid-­‐September.

Downtown Library 2012: Library Board Votes to Place Bond Proposal on November 6 Ballot

Tue, 07/17/2012 - 9:15am by aadl-news

At last evening’s Board meeting, the Board of AADL voted unanimously to place a bond proposal on the November 6, 2012 ballot for $65 million to replace the Downtown Library at its current location. Attached are the Library Board's resolution, press release, the Facilities Committee's recommendation, and some Downtown Library Facts & Figures.

The Board will meet on Monday, July 30 at 7:00 PM to approve the language for the ballot. We appreciate the questions, feedback and the attendance of so many of you through this website, and at the community forums held earlier this summer. Your questions are important and helpful as the Board and staff moves through this very important phase in our Library’s history. Video of each of the three forums, held on June 9, 2012, June 12, 2012, and June 20, 2012, and a summary of the feedback from the public is available on the Director's Blog.

You may use this blog or send your questions to downtown@aadl.org. All questions will be addressed and answers posted to this blog.

Josie

Downtown Library 2012

Tue, 05/29/2012 - 11:43am by aadl-news

The Ann Arbor District Library Board is hosting three community forums in June to discuss the future of the Downtown Library. In March of this year, the Library Board commissioned an EPIC-MRA telephone survey, and based on the results of the survey, the Board is considering the options on how to provide 21st century services in a building originally built in 1958 and renovated twice. The last of two renovations was completed in 1991. The AADL library system has received 1.7 million visits a year for several years and the Downtown Library alone receives over 600,000 visits each year. The library in Ann Arbor is, and will be, about books for a long time to come, but more importantly, it is about people. How will people use a library going forward, what will people need, and what type of building can provide for that need and those demands?

Currently, the capacity of the Downtown Library is constraining the services we can offer. If the level of service and the array of program offerings currently enjoyed by the thousands of people using the library are to continue to grow into the future, these building constraints need to be considered and addressed.

Please join us for one of three community forums to learn what we know about our current situation, and to tell us what you think about the future of the Downtown Library in Ann Arbor. All three meetings will be held in the lower level multi-purpose room in the Downtown Library.

June 9, Saturday from 10:00 AM to Noon
June 12, Tuesday from 7:00 PM to 9:00 PM
June 20, Wednesday from 7:00 PM to 9:00 PM

If you are not able to join us at one of these community forums, questions and comments can be sent to downtown@aadl.org. All questions and answers will be posted on this blog.

Josie

Documentary about the making of the Traverwood Branch now online

Thu, 08/06/2009 - 11:52am by andrewjmac

Earlier this year, Detroit Public Television debuted a documentary by KDN Films called "Up From Ashes" about the making of AADL's Traverwood Branch Library. Documentarian Bill Kubota takes us through the process of building that library, from the concept to the opening. His film explores the sustainable design features of the building, like the harvesting of devastated ash trees from the site, and the construction of a technically complicated building that won a 2009 AIA Michigan Building Design Award. Now you can watch this film online or download it to your computer or iPod to watch anytime, or check out the DVD of "Up From Ashes" from AADL if you want to watch on your TV.

More about the new air handlers

Sun, 05/17/2009 - 9:06am by Clarence Cromwell

Delivery of the library's new air handlers raised passing interest and even mild titillation among the characteristically blase citizens of this teeming sub-metropolis. For the first time in half a century, patrons on the west side of the downtown branch quaffed un-handled air. Ken Raynor snapped a series of photographs to record the event for posterity.