Friday, March 14, 2003
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Friday, March 14, 2003 |
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PTC library group to consider asking voters for $1.4 million to expand By JOHN MUNFORD
A scaled-back plan to expand Peachtree City's library with a 5,000 sq. ft. addition could be on the ballot for voters this November. The city's Library Commission is exploring the possibility of asking voters to approve bond financing for the project. There are no firm costs estimates yet but city staff are working to choose a company to design the expansion. The commission wants the expansion to add a separate children's wing. It would also create more room for the library's adult offerings to expand, said commission member Barbara Swafford. "It's two things at once," Swafford said. "It's for everyone." The expansion would allow the library's inventory to nearly double from 68,000 items to 119,000 items. The estimated cost for the expansion is $1.43 million, which includes renovation of part of the library's existing space. Once the expansion is complete, the library will need a full-time children's specialist and a part-time children's assistant to help staff the additional space. This would add roughly $53,000 annually to the cost of the facility for salaries, according to projections. The library currently has a full-time staff of seven employees with 10 part-timers; nearly 20,000 registered cardholders have borrowing privileges at the library. The commission will have a workshop on the issue Wednesday at 6 p.m. at the city's public works department off McIntosh Trail. Commission chairman Chris Clark said time is of the essence to get the issue on the ballot, and he urged city staff to work as quickly as possible on the matter. "Time is ticking with the November election coming up," Clark said. Much advance work has already been complied on details of what the commission would like to see happen with the children's section, including: A miniature circulation desk, which would be fully staffed. Four children's computers. A story time room. The current story time room would be converted to a young adult section that would be maintained by the youth services librarian.
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