Library accepts bid for signage at new location

The Three Rivers Public Library Board of Trustees discussed a bid and mockups for prospective signage for the new library location on North Main Street from Sign Art Inc. of Kalamazoo at its regular meeting on Tuesday evening. 

At $21,765, Sign Art’s bid was the lowest submitted, but board members also liked the look and appeal of the artwork the company provided. After discussion, board members voted to accept the bid and authorize the purchase and installation of the signs, which include an electronic sign in front of the library, a parking sign for the small lot adjacent to the rear entrance that also points across the street, and lettering for each end of the building. Additional permanent signage for the parking area across Pealer Street may come later; the library has movable signs for that area for now.

The library recently received approval for two $200 rebates from the Three Rivers Downtown Development Authority toward the cost of two of the signs. Interim Library Director Bobbi Schoon said additional funds to offset the cost of the signage could come from elimination of three gates at the entrances to the building.

The gates were planned as a theft deterrent for the building, but Schoon said up to 500 books per year would have to be stolen over ten years, totaling 5,000 books, before the library would break even on cost of the gates. Most thefts occur in the form of unreturned lent books, which the gates would not prevent. Schoon also said in speaking to other libraries, she learned 19 out of 20 that had the gates said they would not install them again.

Schoon pointed out even with possible variations, the bid approved on Tuesday is well under the $29,000 projected cost for the signs, which also allowed for fewer signs than what Sign Art’s bid covers.

REOPENING CONTINUES WITH SUMMER PROGRAMS

Starting this week, the library will offer its usual summer reading programs in modified form, adapted for COVID-19 precautions. To participate in the program, members of the public can call or go to the library’s website and order a box containing the summer reading program kit, and staff will notify people when their box is ready for pickup. 

Schoon said every Thursday at 4 p.m., library staff will conduct Zoom sessions so participants can engage with the activities live with staff and others. If possible, the library will record the sessions for people who can’t join the Zoom sessions live. Most weeks will feature activities based on at least two different items that are in the box. Before Thursday’s Zoom session, the program will kick off today, Wednesday, June 24, at 2:30 p.m.

Working out the program’s logistics “took a while, but we have a good plan,” Schoon said. “We looked at what’s popular and how would we transfer that into something that they can take home.”

The curbside service the library initiated last week has been immensely popular, Schoon said. She told board members aside from a few hitches staff encountered in learning to use the software that helps with orders and ensuring books are properly quarantined, the program has been going smoothly. Staff are gradually catching up on lending back orders that have accumulated during the shutdown.

Staff are working under social distancing restrictions. Three clerks work Monday through Wednesday, and three more work Thursday through Saturday. “With the drastic numbers rise last weekend, I think we’re doing the right thing by being cautious,” Schoon said.
FUNDRAISING FOCUSES ON GRANTS

Due to the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic and associated recession, library board members agreed there will be limitations on how much money they can raise through direct giving. For companies that are still open to supporting various causes, Board Member Sarah Van Oss said, the library’s relationship to its community will be important. “Speaking well about how we have responded to the crisis is what they are looking for,” Van Oss said. “That will add value and affect whether we get a response.” 

Schoon has focused her work in fundraising primarily on pursuing grant opportunities. She has pursued funds through the Library Services and Technology Act, which is a program of the Federal Institute for Museum and Library Services. She was recently successful in applying for a grant through Wal-Mart that will help with the teen room at the new library, as well as the TRDDA sign rebate. She is also pursuing monies through other local and state agencies. “We’re trying to locate all the funding sources we can to make everything we want in the building work out,” Schoon said.

MOVE PREPARATIONS CONTINUE

Schoon is investigating whether the Three Rivers Department of Public Services (DPS) can help with the move after moving bids came in higher than expected. One bid came in at around $30,000 and one at around $50,000. She expects to have information from DPS head Amy Roth shortly.

In preparation for the new library facility, Schoon led board members through updates to the library’s Policy Manual, which she is working to modify in accordance with new services and operational logistics that will come into play with the new building. Schoon and other staff compiled information from their own experiences as well as experiences, practices, and policies from other libraries to come up with changes, additions, and further details for the manual. 

Particular attention was paid to the prohibited behavior section, an infectious disease policy, and an unattended child policy. “We did a lot of research and ours was small, so added a lot to encompass the behaviors we encounter,” Schoon said. Schoon also added detail to the manual’s indexing system. Library Board President Julie Keefer said, “(Board members) have time to review this and get back to approve it with any changes at the next meeting.”

Schoon updated board members on developments in construction at the new building. The teen room, which will contain computers, 3-D printers, and other technology lacks sufficient security, so she is looking into the cost of a lockable door. “It will be important to protect the technology in that room,” Schoon said. 

She also said lighting along the side of the building was not in the original scope of work, but Brussee Brady recently discovered existing fixtures are not working. Schoon asked for the board’s input on a decision whether to keep the lighting and fix it later, fix it now, or remove it. Fleckenstein pointed out there is currently no landscape plan, and “maybe we need to look at what we want the outside to look like. Rather than make a decision one way or the other, we should look at the whole picture.” Schoon said she had a staff person weed outside of the building after noticing it was becoming overgrown. “We cut back bushes for now to make it more presentable,” Schoon said.

The building inspector has permitted a walkway ramp that slightly exceeds steepness requirements to follow existing specifications, despite the fact that it needs to be totally reconstructed after underground work. The inspector’s leniency came about because the physical limitations of its location make adjustment of the grade or replacement with a stair difficult, and because it leads to a service entrance.

Schoon discussed the possibility of adding benches as an amenity in a place where entrance area walls inside the building have been removed and existing tile, which is being kept, can’t be matched. She is investigating pricing but says the contractors have informed her that benches would be the most cost-effective way of dealing with the aesthetic issue and would add the most value to the space. “It’s a solution I’m a little excited about, because it will bring something beautiful to that space,” Schoon said. Keefer added, “It’ll be a lot more welcoming, and functional. It’s a nice two-for-one solution.”

In closing remarks during Tuesday’s meeting, Keefer thanked library staff, contractors from Brussee-Brady, and board members for their work, flexibility, and leadership during construction and the pandemic. Of Schoon, Keefer said, “it’s obvious you’ve been responsive.” 

Schoon thanked the board, as well, for their support of staff. “It was great for staff to come back to gift bags after being apart for so long,” Schoon said.

Dave Vago is a writer and columnist for Watershed Voice. A Philadelphia native with roots in Three Rivers, Vago is a planning consultant to history and community development organizations and is the former Executive Director of the Three Rivers DDA/Main Street program.