Frequently Asked Questions About the Library Project

 

WHERE WILL THE MONEY COME FROM TO BUILD THE NEW LIBRARY? WILL I BE ASKED TO PAY MORE TAXES?

There will not be an additional tax assessment for library services. In fact the tax rate for library services remains the same as it has been since the late 1970s. In an effort to meet its anticipated space challenges in a growing community, the library has been saving funds for a new facility for many years and has 80% of the needed funding for a new building. The remaining 20% may come from excess Town Center Redevelopment bonds. The estimated cost of the project is $29 million.

HOW OLD IS THE CURRENT LIBRARY BUILDING?

The north side of the current library facility opened in 1959 at 6,000 square feet to serve a population of 1,198. By the late 1960s Yorba Linda's population had grown to more than 11,000, and a three-story, 18,000 square foot addition on the Library's south side was built and opened in 1971. When the population reached 52,000 in the early 1990's, a renovation of the building's interior was conducted to maximize existing space, and 4,000 square feet were added for the used book store run by the Friends of the Library as well as an additional entrance and lobby/display area. The renovated facility opened in 1992 and brought the total square footage to 28,350 square feet, but the overall structure, roof, heating/air conditioning system and elevator were not replaced.

WHY DOES THE LIBRARY NEED MORE SPACE?

The current, heavily-used facility offers 50% less space than what is recommended by industry standards and has been outgrown by the community. The Yorba Linda population has increased significantly since the library was last renovated in 1992, and the population is expected to grow beyond 70,000 residents. Since 1992, use of the library has increased dramatically - in-person visits have increased by 54%, check-outs by 71%, event attendance by 337% and computer usage by 688% (public computers were first made available in 1998).

IS A NEW LIBRARY REALLY NEEDED? WHY CAN'T THE CURRENT ONE JUST BE EXPANDED AGAIN?

There are several challenges to further expansion of the current building. The site the library sits on poses one of them. Because the library site is bound by streets on all sides, the only option for expansion is to extend into the parking lots and reduce parking that is already at an inadequate level. The vacant triangular lot adjacent to the library that once was a gas station and is now being remediated for environmental impact issues will not provide the needed amount of parking should it be converted into a parking lot. Another complication for expansion is that the existing building is structurally damaged and has an awkward, multilevel interior layout (the result of three successive expansions over the past five decades) that compromises operational functionality and complicates the ability to support service innovations and improved technology requirements. Attempting to fix the current facility will be extremely costly, will not provide any additional space and will require the facility to be closed for at least two years.

WITH THE INTERNET AND E-BOOKS WILL ANYONE STILL USE THE LIBRARY? WHAT IS THE FUTURE OF LIBRARIES?

The library is changing and evolving with the development of new technologies just as businesses and other organizations are. Providing access to the internet, electronic databases and digital collections (such as e-books and downloadable audiobooks and music) has only made the library busier than ever. The community has come to rely on the library to teach children, teens, adults and seniors how to use computers, online tools and electronic devices. Also, the demand for more events has changed how the community uses the library. In addition to being an outlet for research and quiet reading, the modern library is also expected to be an activity center and community gathering place as well as a technology hub. Libraries are now collaborative environments where individuals and groups converge to study, socialize and gain access to resources in all formats: digital, print, online.

A new facility for the Yorba Linda Public Library will provide the much needed flexibility to accommodate a variety of new and future services while maintaining the library's traditional roles. Flexibility is not what the current building can provide since it is already in its third expansion which was completed before computers were made available in the library. The "Yorba Linda Public Library Space Needs Assessment", found in the Key Documents on this website, outlines Yorba Linda's specific current and future needs for library services.

To access more information about the future of libraries:

• Click here for "Confronting the Future: Strategic Visioning for the 21st Century Public Library" (American Library Association).
  
  
• Click here for a video from the Director of the Pew Research Center speak about "Libraries and the New Community Information Ecology".
  
  
• Click here to see new and exciting ways libraries are providing a variety of digital media and technology to their communities.

WHERE WILL THE POTENTIAL NEW LIBRARY BE LOCATED?

Site options are currently being studied for the library to relocate, grow and meet the community's current and future needs.