Category Archives: Director’s Desk

GPL has many volunteers, and a very special few of them are the dogs from our Furry Friends program. Children, some of whom are reluctant readers, read aloud to these patient, gentle-eyed listeners and see their confidence increase. Cali, a golden retriever, was one of our longest serving dogs and had listened to children read at GPL since 2008. Cali was a Golden Retriever, and she was a fixture at GPL.  She loved everyone she met. Thanks to her wonderful owner and friend, Rhonda, Cali was also a trained therapy dog and knew how to be extra gentle with those who were unsure.  Many children came back again and again, even year after year, to read to Cali and the staff loved seeing her as well. She always knew when it was a work day, and proudly led the way through the doors to begin her work with the next reader.

Cali and her friend Rhonda were once featured speakers at one of our fundraising breakfasts. Cali laid on the stage and stole the show has Rhonda told the audience about the children Cali had loved and the lives she had impacted. She told of children whose halting voices calmed and grew strong in Cali’s presence. Over the years we watched as Cali’s face grew white and her step slowed, but Cali never lost her smile, her wag, or her love for children.

In honor and remembrance of Cali, we hope you’ll spend a few extra minutes listening without judgement to those around you. Read a book to your kids, or pull them into your lap and listen to them read to you. Cali’s life impacted many, and was a testament to what a non-critical, listening ear can do. We will miss her but those she served will never forget her.

I ran into an old friend (a patron) in the library yesterday, and after we exchanged hellos, she exclaimed, “Cheryl, this library just shines!” She meant the physical building, but she also meant more than that. I love hearing this because we work really hard to make sure that our facility, resources, and service reflect our love for our community and the relevance of our resources. But keeping the “shine” in our facility has been a pretty big job lately.

This spring and summer have been busy with two major project: A new parking lot, and a new HVAC system. Our parking lot project disrupted daily life for two months and we’ve had months of work inside the building on our new heating and cooling system. Both projects are set to wrap up soon. For the parking lot we are just waiting a few more finishing touches like the bike racks. The HVAC project, however, will finish with a bang. When we initially planned to upgrade our HVAC, we hoped to get another 10 years of life out of our condensers – but it was not to be. Damage from storms meant that our condensers could not be saved.

Once the decision to replace the condensers was clear, we faced a six-week wait for the new unit, pushing the project into the heat of our Indiana summer. Living with condensers that are on their last legs has been difficult. We had one scare where humidity levels in the building soared, forcing us to bring in an external condensing unit and dehumidifiers to bring the humidity levels back down. High humidity can warp and damage books if not remedied quickly. While we wait for the final piece of our HVAC puzzle to arrive, we continue to live with a air conditioning that is not well controlled. Many days it is actually too cold in the building, and other days the humidity starts to creep back up. All of this is to explain a little about how critical the final step of the process will be, and how it will affect you.

In the coming week we will assess the weather forecast for the next few weeks and choose the best time to begin installation of the new chiller unit. When this unit is being installed our existing condensers will be removed, leaving us with much less ability to dehumidify and cool the building. The danger in this process is that humidity levels will soar once again, endangering the collection. So we will be battening down the hatches, closing the library, and attempting to keep the building as cool as possible while they do the work. It is estimated to take anywhere from 3 days to a week to complete.

As soon as we know the exact dates for the closure, we will let you know. Unfortunately we have little control of the timing since it is dependent on the weather. Although this will be yet another disruption for you, our patrons, we know that the final result will be a very efficient system that will save us about $40,000 a year. Our current system is all-electric and last year cost us over $100,000 in electricity. The new system will better preserve our physical resources, and will allow your tax dollars to go even further when energy savings are realized in 2016. We so appreciate your patience through these disruptive projects. I’ve heard a lot of “it will be so nice when it’s done!” And we agree.

We are excited to see these projects completed and your library improved. As soon as the HVAC project is complete you’ll begin to see work on flooring projects and improvements to our lobby. This next phase is being funded with the same G.O. bond that provided the HVAC project, some from operating funds, and some paid for by the Friends of the Library Imagine the Future campaign. We are grateful to be able to make these key improvements to keep GPL sharp. When people walk into our building, we want them to know that libraries aren’t dusty relics from the past, but exciting, vibrant, relevant places to be. We hope you agree!

Her tshirt reads: Becoming the doctor my parents always wanted me to marry. An alumni in the making.

Several months ago, I met the Civil Engineer who would head our parking lot project, and as we talked about his background, I found out that his roots are here in Greenwood. In fact, he spent a good amount of time in our very library as he studied to become an engineer. I knew he looked familiar! We see a lot of college and graduate students in our library studying long hours, and we don’t always know their story. But more and more they are returning home as professionals, their studies having paved the way for their success. Just last week I met with a project manager for our HVAC project and found that he, too, had studied long hours at our library during his college years. I feel like we have an alumni, of sorts, and it is a delight to meet them as they return.

Some of our alumni graduated from story time, and are the grown up versions of the cute kids we see coming through our doors on a daily basis. They have warm memories of story time, armfuls of books, and the comfort of being read to. We have heard from a few of them, as well. One of them heard of our troubles several years ago and connected us with a much appreciated grant even though she now lives far away.

Mike is another alumnus – but his degree program wasn’t through a college, rather it was time spent searching for a job over a difficult 18 month stretch. When you see someone every day for that many months, you find yourself rooting for their success in a very personal way. Now, when Mike returns, he is proud in his work shirt and beaming through his safety glasses. His study at GPL paved the way for his success, too, and we love seeing him.

Some alumni are surprises. When I met Ashley, she was a middle school student and I was a part time librarian. Ashley became part of the GPL family as we watched her successfully navigate the boy crazy days and unique angst of being a teen. She did her homework, attended library programs, and was always a voracious reader. She paged for us, volunteered for us, and entertained us with stories of her school days. When it came time to send her off to college, we were as proud as if she were really ours. Some six years later, college degree in hand and over a year of teaching English in Japan under her belt, she is all grown up and back home again. To our amazement she is back in school to get her master’s degree in Library Science. And she’s even come home to GPL again, working at both our adult reference and children’s reference desks.

For me, these stories make each day at the library come alive. Our building is full today, but it isn’t just full of door count statistics. It is full of sparks of inspiration, the hard work of change, and the discovery of new journeys.  What a better mission could we have than to support the lives and future of our community? Perhaps Ann Patchett said it best:

 “Know this — if you love your library, use your library. Support libraries in your words and deeds. If you are fortunate enough to be able to buy your books, and you have your own computer with which to conduct research, and you’re not in search of a story hour for your children, then don’t forget about the members of your community who are like you but perhaps lack your resources — the ones who love to read, who long to learn, who need a place to go and sit and think. Make sure that in your good fortune you remember to support their quest for a better life. That’s what a library promises us, after all: a better life. And that’s what libraries have delivered.”

We were thrilled to receive funding in 2014 for several large projects needed at the Library. We want to make sure to keep you updated on this work so that you will know what to expect when you visit the library, understand why it is necessary, and (if you are interested) how it is funded.

Heating and Air Conditioning Project

• Funding Source:               $1,000,000 bond approved by the City Council and the County Council.
• Estimated Cost:                 $500,000
• Contractor:                         Ellis Mechanical (Chosen via formal bid process)
• Engineer:                             Durkin & Villarta Partners Engineering
• Timeline:                             February 23-May 22, 2015

Why is it needed?

The existing HVAC system at GPL is a mix of components from each of the last two remodels of the building. Some components are substantially past their lifespan and parts are no longer manufactured for their repair, and the newest components are 13 years old. In addition it is a 100% electric system with a proprietary control system. These two factors make it quite expensive to run and maintain. In 2014, GPL spent $111,883 on electricity.  Our new system is a conservative one designed by LEED certified engineers to give us a hybrid gas and electric system. It is estimated that the new system will save us $35,000 per year in operating costs.

What you will notice

The work on this project will begin in February as our attic is better insulated. By March 1st you’ll begin to see work happening in public spaces around the building. The most noticeable will be the demolition of ceiling areas as they work to install new heating lines. Ceilings may remain open for a time as this work is done. Heaters under windows will also be replaced with a more fuel efficient version. The noisiest work of drilling through concrete will likely be reserved for times when we are closed, but this will be a disruptive project. We will work to keep you updated on our *website timeline.

Parking Lot and Sidewalks Project   

• Funding Source:               RDC Collaborative Project
• Estimated Cost:                Total project (including lift station replacement) Not to exceed $310,000
• Contractor:                         To be determined by bid process
• Engineer:                             Schmidt and Associates
• Timeline:                             To be determined, approximately April to June

Why is it needed?

 You’ve heard the phrase “our patches have patches?” In 2013 we repaired portions of the parking lot where serious cracking had occurred. We have also made repairs over the last several years to the sidewalks to maintain safety. Both the sidewalks and parking lot would have continued to incur substantial repair costs as they continue to degrade. In order to keep a safe parking lot for the public both who visit our building and who use our parking lot for city functions, engineers  determined that a major upgrade was needed. Not all of the lot will be completely torn out, some will be resurfaced if the underlayment is still solid.

What you will notice

Of the projects this year, this will be the most disruptive for our patrons. Our goal is to stay open through the entire process but we are still working out how that will happen. There will be weeks when all visitors must park on the west side of the building, and we may have to use some of our emergency exits as our main entrances during parts of this project as they replace sidewalks directly in front of our main doors. Once the actual dates for the project are set, we will update the project website and timeline and also keep you updated on social media throughout the project.

 Carpeting and Flooring Project

• Funding Source:               $1,000,000 bond approved by the City and County Councils
• Estimated Cost:                To be determined. This is the last project on our list for bond funds.
• Contractor:                         To be determined by bid process
• Timeline:                             To be determined, possibly August or September

Why is it needed?

The carpet you see in most of the library is 14 years old. We are fortunate that it has worn as well as it has and we have worked hard to keep it clean and in good repair. However, it is worn and needs to be replaced, especially in high traffic areas.  Our goal is to replace flooring in the entire building (minus a few areas we already replaced after flooding in 2013 and 2014).

What you will notice

In order to re-carpet the library, hundreds of shelves must be moved, offices must be emptied, and access to our resources will be impacted. Our goal is to phase this project in such a way that we would still be open and we will work hard to maintain access to as many services as possible through that time. It is possible that we might have a short time when we must close. Since this is the last project on our list of bond projects, we must wait until all other bond projects are finished before determining the size and timing of this project. I will keep you updated as we move through this year.

Projects Completed or in progress:

• Gutter repair is another Bond project that is almost complete! Hopefully you have noticed the lack of icy patches on our sidewalks this year.
• Lift stations are fairly invisible to the public – except when they fail, which they did in dramatic fashion earlier this year. We are grateful to have had them replaced and for the help received from the City of Greenwood for this collaborative project!

*Our project website will be unveiled in a few weeks and it will be the place you can go to check what areas of the building or parking lot are being impacted by construction on any given day.

Libraries share.

It is part of who we are. We are made for it.

We share what we have with our communities, but we are also governed by laws that regulate the way taxpayer dollars can be spent and how we can share. Taxing districts are always a bit confusing, but in cities where taxing unit boundaries don’t continue to match the boundaries of the city as it grows, it can be extremely frustrating to explain and even harder to understand. If you have walked with us over the last three years (and really, the story goes back much further back than that), you know how difficult this issue has been for everyone.

But I have found that if relationships have a high value in your life, a lot of problems can be solved. Over the last two and a half years, the libraries in Johnson County have enjoyed building a new and more solid relationship. On August 1^st that relationship will bear some pretty amazing fruit as the first reciprocal agreement our county libraries have had in decades is inaugurated. Reciprocal agreements are allowed under Indiana library law, and they are all about sharing.

This agreement won’t be everything that everyone wants it to be, but it makes a clear statement that the incredible, local resources found in Johnson County libraries are available to everyone. We are very fortunate in our county to have six excellent libraries and this new agreement brings them together for the good of our community.

In addition, the first County-Wide Read “Hit the Road, READ!” will kick off with Author Lance Oliver speaking at the White River Branch on Saturday, August 16^th at 3:30. This County-Wide Read program is truly a cooperative effort and will feature events at all of the county libraries. The grand finale, Ride for Reading, will take participants on a cross-county ride on their motorcycles (or cars, bicycles, scooters, etc.), stopping to visit five county libraries!

Libraries today are absolutely amazing places. What they share with the community makes it richer, fuller, and more vibrant. What the community shares with us through their support and patronage makes us a better.  It is a relationship. The Trustees of the Greenwood Public Library and I are pleased to be a part of this new Johnson County Reciprocal Agreement. After all, it really is true that the more we share, the more we have.