I've stated it before: the Library's building was designed to hold a maximum collection of 67,830 items, plus all of the required seating for library users and staff, according to Serving Our Public: Standards for Illinois Public Libraries. Today, the Library houses over 134,000 physical items.
To maintain services through the next 4-5 years without more space, Library Trustees and staff are once more figuring out how to squeeze more into the precious space we have today. Something's got to give. We're looking at each room, each area, each use of each room to determine how we can reallocate the space to maximize every inch, from increasing shelving height to removing interior walls to eliminating built in desks. The reality is that this project will be choosing priorities and lesser evils - trading seating for shelf space and accessibility for collection growth. There will be tough trade-offs. Not everyone will be happy with the choices.
But we'll make the best decisions we can to balance cost vs. demand to continue to provide the best possible service for you.
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