Frequently Asked Questions About the Library Facility

• Why does the Library need more space?

Currently our shelves are full in many areas, with Library staff finding it necessary to weed materials from shelves in order to accommodate newly purchased materials. We have no more room to add additional shelving for the materials that are requested from us, especially children’s materials, additional best sellers, and audiovisual items.

Also, our programming areas have become inadequate and in order to meet patron demand for expanded children's and adult programming, we need more rooms and more space. Our largest meeting room holds 32 people.

 

Our computer areas are at their limits. Ten computer workstations (6 adult / 4 youth) have over 3000 uses by Brookfield residents in a month. Our children’s computer area is sorely lacking and there is no more room to grow these spaces.

 

Other shortcomings include lack of parking with just 10 spaces and noncompliance with ADA standards.

• Can't you just add a floor to the existing Library? Why do you have to build new?

Our architects and engineers have explored this possibility. The current library was built without load-bearing walls and therefore a second floor could not withstand the weight of book stacks. Because we would have to reinforce the entire building and make other necessary upgrades to its infrastructure, it was determined that adding on to the building would cost just as much as building new.

• Why wasn’t a larger facility previously constructed?

An advisory referendum was held in the 1980’s to determine whether tax payers would support a new library. Voters supported a new library building costing no more than $1,000,000. With this advice, the then seated Board chose to ask for and build a facility costing $1,000,000.

• Why not purchase the land / homes closest to the Library and rebuild?

We have already approached the Library’s neighbors on both Grand Boulevard and Lincoln Avenues. Residents received an interest letter from the Library Board in November of 2006 and met in person with Trustees on January 17, 2007 to discuss options. Unfortunately, none of the Grand / Lincoln residents are interested in selling their homes to the Library.

• How long has the Library Board been discussing space needs and the idea of a new library?
  

Trustees have been weighing in on space issues at the present Library building since the 2005-06 fiscal year.

Internal discussions as well as work with reputable Library consultants have been ongoing over the last three years. Most of the Library Board’s discussions about local real estate and land acquisition take place in “Executive Session” which is a closed-session meeting of a municipal body permitted under the Illinois Open Meetings Act. However, any voting undertaken by the Library Board takes place in open session. The Board always welcomes and encourages attendance at their meetings, which take place on the fourth Wednesday of every month at 7:00 p.m. in the Library.

• Why did you pursue purchasing homes for a new library in Hollywood?

The Board of Trustees were approached by several residents who organized themselves and proactively expressed interest in selling their homes. Architectural studies showed the collective lot sizes large enough to accommodate a future facility, something that is rare to find within Brookfield. In the end, while four out of the five homeowners were committed to selling their residences, one of the home owners decided against it.

• How can you buy property without my permission as a taxpayer?

The Board of Library Trustees takes very seriously its fiduciary responsibility to Brookfield residents.

As stewards of public funds, Trustees are required to make decisions that are in the best interests of the Library’s future. When the Board recently took financial action involving real estate purchases on behalf of the Library, it did so by utilizing existing funding sources. In other words, if a public body is financially secure enough to conduct business transactions without needing to request additional funding from the community in the form of a referendum, it may do so.

• Exactly how much space does the Library need?
  

We are in search of available parcels between 50,000 to 60,000 square feet in order to construct a library building that will serve the current and future generations of Brookfield. With the architectural rule of thumb equaling two square feet per resident, Trustees will look to build a new facility that ranges between 35,000 and 40,000 square feet.

• Will you assure that any future Library facility will last several generations into the future?

Yes. The Board of Library Trustees has undertaken a course of planning over the past couple of years and has engaged not only Trustees and staff, but also the Library Advisory Committee – a citizen’s group that has provided feedback to the Board, for ideas for the future facility. Dr. Fred Schlipf of the University of Illinois, Urbana-Champaign was hired by the Board in 2006 to assess the current Library and to outline necessary space requirements to ensure that a new facility will incorporate flexible areas and last into the future. “Flex-spaces” as well as adaptable interiors and interchangeable technologies will be standard in the new facility, and options for future expansion will be built in to the plan.

• Why not choose to build a branch or satellite facility on the south end of Brookfield?

Communities with populations similar to Brookfield’s at 19,085 can very rarely afford to staff and maintain more than one central facility. Creating and staffing a ‘satellite’ or branch library would drastically cut funding for materials, programs, computers, and maintenance. The idea of a branch, then, has been ruled out by the Board of Trustees due to Brookfield’s size and the Library’s operating budget, as well as the need to staff such a facility.

• Will you stay central to Brookfield?

We have been researching feasible options for a new facility for over two years and find Brookfield to be a land-locked community. With very few 50,000 to 60,000 square foot parcels empty and available, it may be necessary to choose a location that is not central to the community.

• I am not convinced there is a future for libraries, given the advances the Internet has brought. Why should we still invest in bricks and mortar?

The Internet and information technology has only changed libraries. In our case, the Internet has made the Library much more in demand, with recent statistics greatly increasing, especially in the area of computer/Internet usage. On a daily basis, every one of our 10 computers in the building is in use – often with people waiting. Similarly, our circulation of library materials and attendance at programs and events has only increased. We serve a community of growing minds of all ages, with approximately 400 residents visiting the Library daily. Our library is an essential adjunct to Brookfield’s education system at all levels.

• Will you ask taxpayers to support a building referendum for a new library? When?

Yes, the Board will be pursuing a building referendum to fund the construction of a new library facility. The Board is still working on the time-frame of such a measure and will keep the community apprised of any decisions made at monthly Board of Trustees meetings.

• What percentage of my tax bill goes toward the Library?

A typical Brookfield homeowner’s tax bill will show 80% of total property taxes designated for local school districts and the Village of Brookfield, each averaging between 20% to 35%. The remaining 20% of your property taxes is divided between Cook County services and Triton Community College, with the Library accounting for 3% to 4% of the total taxes.

• As a senior citizen, I can’t afford another potential tax increase. Do tax relief options exist for seniors?

Yes. The Cook County Assessor’s office can walk you through their “Senior Citizen Exemption” and “Senior Freeze Exemption” programs. The Senior Citizen Exemption provides tax relief by reducing the equalized valuation of an eligible residence. This savings is in the form of a deduction on the second-installment of the real estate tax bill. The Senior Freeze Exemption allows qualified senior citizens to apply for a freeze of the equalized assessed value (EAV) of their properties for the year preceding the year in which the applicant first qualifies and applies for this exemption. Please contact the Assessor’s office at 312-443-7550 for more information.