Library Renovation & Addition Project

Background - Building Committee - Design - Documents - Donate - FAQs


NEW! Details on Town Meeting Vote and Cost Considerations

Click here to view a one-minute video including existing conditions to be addressed by the renovation

Click here to view conceptual design images for the addition




Working with the Town Administrator and other Town Departments, The Library Board of Trustees has undertaken a project for critical repairs to the existing library building, and the construction of a meeting room addition. Work will be completed as a single renovation and addition project, to limit interruptions to library services for the public, as well as achieve significant cost savings. Funds appropriated at the April 2023 Town Meeting are being used for Owner’s Project Management services being provided by CHA Consulting, and for a review and assessment of existing conditions for the library building and grounds, completed in January 2024 by Tappe Architects.

Project designers Maryann Thompson, Architects, have produced a detailed schematic design for the addition, with a conceptual design for the courtyard landscaping, and will be completing construction documents for the combined addition and renovation of the existing library building by September 2024. The project will break ground in FY2025, pending completion of the capital campaign and the Special Town Meeting on at 7pm on December 17th, 2024, at the MV Regional High School Performing Arts Center.

PROJECT BACKGROUND

In a 2008 survey, 44% of respondents reported that they attended library programs, vs. 56% on 2011 survey and 68% on the 2015 survey. Since 2008, the number of Adult and Young Adult library programs has more than doubled, and attendance has nearly quadrupled (395% increase, 3,872 in FY17 vs. 979 in FY07).

Community Forums during the Library’s long range planning process identified space constraints as an impediment to desired community programming. Recent survey results showed that the existing library meeting room received the lowest satisfaction rating of library services and facilities: 28% rated meeting rooms as “Fair” or “Needing Improvement”.

Based on these usage trends, review of survey feedback, and the significance of programming to the library’s strategic goals, the Board of Library Trustees voted in September, 2016 to pursue funding from the town for the design of an addition to the building to house a multipurpose meeting room, and funding for the design work was approved at Tisbury's Town Meeting in April, 2017.

BUILDING DESIGN AND CONSTRUCTION COMMITTEE

In December, 2017, the Library Board of Trustees appointed a Library Building Design and Construction Committee, charged with producing requirements for the proposed addition, selecting an architect, and reviewing designs. Committee members were appointed by the Library Trustees, with input from the Tisbury Board of Selectmen.

The nine member committee is made up of community members with experience in building projects, representatives of the Friends of the Library, Library Trustees, and the Library Director. Meetings of the Committee are subject to Massachusetts Open Meeting Law, and meeting notices are posted in advance on the Library’s event calendar, Town of Tisbury Website, and at Tisbury Town Hall.

Committee Members:

Paul Munafo, Chair
Andrew Flake, Vice Chair
Elizabeth Bates
Jean Lewellyn
Sandy Pratt
Ben Robinson (Tisbury Planning Board)
Erik Blake (Tisbury Facilities Manager, Ex-officio)
Amy Ryan, Library Director (Ex-officio)

Arch Smith, Chair of Library Board of Trustees (Ex-officio)

DESIGN DEVELOPMENTS

In August 2018, the Building Design and Construction Committee issued a Request for Qualifications for Design Services, and interviewed four firms that responded. Maryann Thompson, Architects, was selected for the project.

In January 2019 the design team and the Commitee began the programming and conceptual design phase for the addition, and completed a site survey, documentation and analysis of existing conditions, and building systems assessment.

On February 7th 2019, the Tisbury Vision Forum hosted a Community Meeting with the design team, to learn how the community envisioned the new space, and how they would like the meeting room to look and feel, using a 'wish list' and a character study process to understand community preferences.

Conceptual design work continued through fourteen schemes based on four proposed site plans. Draft cost estimates were produced based on three site plans, and in May 2019 a site plan was recommended to the Board of Library Trustees and approved at the May 22nd, 2019 joint meeting of the Board and Committee.

On June 3rd 2019, the Committee hosted a 2nd Community Meeting to provide an overview of the conceptual design phase, present the site plan to serve as the basis for schematic design, and offer a "menu" of other potential building improvements.

In July, 2019, The Committee consulted with a traffic engineer, and followed recommendations to conduct a parking inventory and parking survey.

At the April 2023 Tisbury Town Meeting, voters approved an additional $800,000 in funding in order to assess and undertake repairs needed for the existing library building, which will be combined with the planned meeting room addition as a single project. CHA Consulting was engaged to provide Owner's project management services.

In 2024, Tappe Architects completed a review and assessment of existing conditions for the library building. The Building Committee issued a new Request for Qualifications for Design Services, and selected Maryann Thompson, Architects for the expanded renovation and addition project. Construction documents, engineering, and cost estimates are due for completion in fall 2024, with plans for groundbreaking in 2025 when project funding has been secured. Renderings of the design can be viewed on the Building Fund Website: https://vhlibrarybuildingfund.org/design.html

CAPITAL CAMPAIGN

The Vineyard Haven Library Board of Trustees has announced a Capital Campaign to raise funds for the addition. Fundraising efforts are being led by the Vineyard Haven Public Library Building Fund, Inc. (VHPLBFI), a nonprofit, 501(c)3 organization made up volunteers from the community. VISIT THE VHPLBFI WEBSITE TO DOWNLOAD A PLEDGE FORM OR DONATE ONLINE

DOCUMENTS & LINKS

Committee Charge, Building Design and Construction Committee

Request for Qualifications for Design Services (2018)
Vineyard Haven Library Strategic Plan
Adult Program Attendance, FY17 & FY18

Library Events Calendar

Capital Campaign: VHPL Building Fund Inc.
Building Design and Construction Committee Minutes

Jan 7, 2019 Press Release: Community Visioning Meeting with Maryann Thompson

January 9th, 2019 Vineyard Gazette Article
Parking Inventory and Survey Results, July 2019-
February 2020 Schematic Design

Accessibility Survey

Review and Assessment of Existing Conditions

Request for Qualifications for Design Services (2024)

FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS

What work needs to be done on the existing building?

While a recent building assessment identified no structural concerns, 24 years since the last renovation and addition, the library building has damage and wear, failing systems, and accessibility issues. The renovation will address these issues and make the building more weather-tight and energy efficient. Issues to be addressed include the following:

• Redesign and replacement of heating & cooling systems, including additional ventilation
  Roof repair and insulation, and preparation for rooftop solar
• Update of electrical and plumbing to bring systems up to current codes
• Bathroom renovation, including correcting accessibility and plumbing issues causing odor problems
• Replacement of damaged, leaking, and inoperable windows throughout the building
  Interior painting and floor coverings (not done since the 1999 renovation)
• Repair and replace ceiling tiles and light fixtures throughout the building that are missing or damaged
• Repair or removal of masonry chimney (before it manifests as a structural issue)
• Address issues identified in 2019 Accessibility Survey for building and grounds
• Other repairs to the building envelope, and environmental upgrades for sustainability
• Meeting room addition, to include much needed storage and flexible meeting facilities that will position the library to deliver optimal services to our community for years to come.
  

Doesn't the Library already have a meeting room?

Education and lifelong learning are top priorities for our community, as is reflected in the library’s strategic goals. The library currently holds 7 to 10 free public programs each week for all ages, with several thousand people attending annually. The library’s current Activity Room lacks characteristics appropriate for community programming, and program attendance regularly exceeds the capacity of this room.

How will this project be funded?

The Town approved funding of $40,000 for design services at the April 2017 Town Meeting, and additional funding to begin to address repairs to the existing building were approved in April 2023. The Library Trustees are undertaking a Capital Campaign to raise the remaining funds needed for the addition. The Vineyard Haven Library Building Fund Inc., a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization, has been formed to assist with fundraising. The campaign has gifts or pledges nearing $1.5 million, and the volunteers will continue fundraising through the beginning of construction. Repairs to the existing library building will require municipal funding to be approved at a Special Town Meeting.

Why can’t the project be funded by grants?

VHPL will not be eligible for funding through the state Library Construction Grant Program until 2029, and there is no guarantee that the grant program will have funding at that time (projects remain on the waiting list since the 2017 grant round). The library building fund has received a number of generous grants from private foundations for the meeting room addition, but grant funding is limited as many local foundations do not support capital projects by organizations like the library that can be sustained by tax-payer dollars.

Is the project being designed in such a way that it is environmentally friendly and sustainable?

Our architects are creating a plan to improve the sustainability of the entire library with many new windows, super insulated building envelope, a state-of-the art all-electric HVAC system, and the addition of solar panels. A generator would allow the library to provide services following emergencies such as extreme weather events.

Why is the Meeting Room addition important?

Since 2007, the Vineyard Haven Public library has experienced more than 300% growth in attendance at adult programs. The library hosts at least 40 events each month for all ages, and attendance has continued to be robust, with more than 8,000 attendees at online and in-person events in FY2024.

In order to safely gather our community for future in-person events we will need a larger space with proper ventilation. The planned community room will have up-to-date technology, ample storage, and appropriate lighting and acoustics. Features will include large windows and doors looking out to the garden, a state-of-the art sound system including an assisted hearing loop, and a large projection screen with high resolution projection system. The project will also include technology and features to allow for quality live streaming of programs for those who can't attend in person.

The room will also be available as a meeting space for area nonprofits, government organizations, and social service providers, and will be used as a collaborative work space for library visitors. Having a large and flexible multipurpose space will allow the library to respond to other community needs, such as serving as cooling center and participating in food insecurity initiatives.

How will the courtyard garden area be impacted?

24 years since the last renovation of the library, plantings have outgrown the space, brickwork has settled to create tripping hazards, and regrading is needed to create proper pitch to shed water away from the building. The addition will encompass a portion of the existing patio garden but is sited to leave a large garden area (approximately 2,000 square feet) remaining. Landscaping will increase accessibility and improve interaction between the meeting room, reading room, and garden space. Project planners expect that public use of the garden will increase as it will be available for indoor-outdoor programs. A planted border and fencing will maintain privacy both for library users and for abutters, since the courtyard is in a residential neighborhood.

What is the "Shakespeare Garden" that has been discussed at recent meetings?

Prior to the last library renovation in 2000, a feature of the library's landscaping was a "Shakespeare Garden" dedicated to Margaret Webster, American-British theater actress, producer and director. The garden was laid out in an oval roughly 19’ in diameter, planted with herbs and flowers mentioned in Shakespeare’s works. The centerpiece of the garden was a bronze statue by Priscilla Pattison, given by Ms. Webster in memory of her partner Jane Brundred.

In 2000, a Landscaping Committee was appointed to create a new plan for the library grounds, which did not include a Shakespeare Garden, although the statue remains in place in the library courtyard. The library would like to honor Margaret Webster’s memory in a permanent and sustainable way, through landscaping and/or interior features. Renowned landscape architect Michael Van Valkenburgh has contributed a conceptual design for the library grounds.

Will there be enough parking to accommodate the attendance at library events?

Our review of the recent programs indicate that the new room will not significantly change the number of attendees, but will allow for more flexibility, fewer disruptions to other uses of the Library, and more appropriate accommodations. Many citizens currently walk to the Library and others who do drive find sufficient parking nearby (more than 80 street parking spaces are available within walking distance).

Has the Town considered a new library building, in a different location?

Renovating and expanding on the current site is the most cost-effective option, and will retain the advantages of the village location. For the renovation and addition project, only 23% of the square footage is new construction, while the remaining is renovation without structural changes. This project as planned would add 3,267 GSF to the existing 10,582 GSF building, for a total of 13,849 GSF. The estimated construction cost for this project is $7.9M (excluding soft costs), with a cost per square foot of $574.63. According to CHA Consulting who are providing our OPM services, current market trends for a new construction project on island are $1200-1300 per square foot. A new construction project for a library building of the same size on an empty plot of land which does not require any demolition would have a total estimated cost of $16.6M.

While the 200 Main Street location does not have a parking lot, there are more than 80 street parking spaces within walking distance (as calculated by a traffic engineer). There are also numerous advantages to the current location in a residential neighborhood, in walking distance from the ferry terminal, harbor, VTA bus hub, and many local businesses. The library is walkable for local preschools, the Montessori school, and Tisbury School, and is ideal to serve some of the island’s most vulnerable populations, with Community Services’ Family Center across the street, and an Elderly Housing campus and Camp Jabberwocky also nearby.

Will the Library be open during the renovation?

The library building will need to be closed for a period during renovation, but the library will plan to provide services from a satellite location. The repairs and addition can be done at the same time to avoid multiple closures.

How can I stay informed and involved?

The Library will be seeking community input as this project develops. This web page will be updated as we receive new information. To recieve email announcements, including invitations to upcoming community forums, contact the Library Director ([email protected]).

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