New libraries recommended for three communities

Three new branches built in or near downtown have been recommended to improve library services in Ridgefield, Washougal and Woodland.

It’s part of a pre-design study done for the Fort Vancouver Regional Library District’s board of trustees by FFA Architecture and Interiors Inc. The recommendations from the Portland consulting firm feature input gathered from public meetings and focus groups in each community.

For all three future libraries, FFA has recommended single-story structures, between about 10,020 and 12,900 square feet. The report will help district officials move forward with leadership teams and Friends of the Library groups in each community.

“The next steps will be fund-raising plans and identifying more specific sites” for building the new libraries, said Nancy Tessman, executive director of the library district. “Hopefully, within the next three months, the teams will look at information and make recommendations to the board about sites to acquire and developing the fund-raising options.”

A summary of the FFA Architecture recommendations and public input for each location (estimates include all costs for planning, designing, building and outfitting a new building, excluding the cost of the land):

Ridgefield

• Current square footage: 2,055.

• Recommended square footage: 12,941.

• Meeting rooms: 80-seat community room; 10-person meeting room; two study rooms (two to four people).

• Children’s area: About 1,900 square feet.

• Teen area: About 570 square feet.

• Current collection size: 15,334 volumes.

• Recommended collection size: 41,817 volumes.

• New-construction cost estimate: $4,776,877.

Public input in Ridgefield overwhelmingly endorsed keeping the library in the downtown area. Many want the library to maintain its small-town feel but to have up-to-date technology.

Ridgefield librarian Sean McGill: “I’m excited about a children’s area. The space recommended is almost the size of the current library.”

As far as balancing new technology with a small-town atmosphere, “It is possible. Part of the small-town feel is the way the staff interacts with the public, and I don’t see that changing.”

Washougal

• Current square footage: 2,400.

• Recommended square footage: 12,830.

• Meeting rooms: 80-seat community room; 10-person meeting room; two study rooms (two to four people).

• Children’s area: About 1,800 square feet.

• Teen area: About 560 square feet.

• Current collection size: 13,477 volumes.

• Recommended collection size: 40,360 volumes.

• New-construction cost estimate: $4,732,537.

Residents favor keeping the library as close to the city center as possible. They also want to balance the need for active spaces for youth with relaxing, quieter areas for other patrons.

Washougal librarian Chris Hughey: “Meeting rooms are especially critical for Washougal. There just aren’t any in town. We’re asked about it every day and there’s nothing we can do.”

With the community effort, “People want to help this move forward. Some new people and joining our Friends group; we’re developing a good network.”

Woodland

• Current square footage: 2,376.

• Recommended square footage: 10,239.

• Meeting rooms: 80-seat community room; 10-person meeting room; two study rooms (two to four people).

• Children’s area: About 1,000 square feet.

• Teen area: About 430 square feet.

• Spanish-language area: About 300 square feet.

• Current collection size: 11,817 volumes.

• Recommended collection size, to include a sizeable Spanish-language collection: 27,630 volumes.

• New-construction cost estimate: $3,814,089.

Woodland residents expressed an interest in having meeting spaces, a larger collection, better access to computers, and distinct areas in the building for different age groups. Public input also favored keeping the library on the west side of town, in or near the downtown core, to help with downtown revitalization.

Woodland librarian Justin Keeler: “Increasing the space by almost 8,000 square feet will do a lot to relieve congestion. It will be great to have a dedicated teen space. I’m really excited about the prospect of a community center adjoining the library; we have a lot of need for a public meeting space.

“We’ll be able to offer a more robust Spanish-language collection.”