Question of the Day: Who supports this expansion plan?

This expansion plan has broad-based community support from individuals and community organizations.

The Village of Plainfield and Plainfield Community Consolidated School District 202 both passed resolutions of support for the expansion plan. Representative Tom Cross, Senator Linda Holmes and Village Trustees Bill Lamb and Jim Racich expressed their support in letters to editors of local newspapers. Community organizations like the Plainfield Soccer Association, numerous parent-teacher organizations and local service organizations like the Kiwanis Club, Lions Club, and Rotary International have helped to get the word out to residents by hosting presentations and providing information to their members. Earlier this year, the Plainfield Township Park District expressed its support and intention to partner with the Library District on future projects. The Plainfield Enterprise newspaper published an editorial in support of the plan.

A volunteer Citizens Referendum Committee actively supported and campaigned for the referendum. Co-chairs Vicky Polito and Barbara Ebeling led the Committee. Other volunteers included: Cheryl Basso, Nancy Bennett, Jana Bruen, Dennis Fink, Mina Green, Nikki Kaysen, Kristy Kipka, Mary Anne Michaels, Jim Racich, Elsbeth Ritz, Anthony Scala, Mary Stevens, Dawn Strand, Louise Svehla, Janet Swatek, Tammy Tunac, Jim and Mary Anne Waldorf, Bill and Pam Wilson, and Erica Wood-Bedi.

Question of the Day: Can staff parking be moved further away so there are more spaces closer to the building for patrons?

This question is more to do with today's configuration than the expansion plan, but I wanted to address it here. Today, the Library only owns the "little lot" up to the hedge to the north of the library. The larger parking lot just to the north of it is owned by the Village of Plainfield. Eleven spaces, or about 1/3 of the Library-owned lot is designated for the 55 staff members of the Library. Because there is no loading dock or service entrance, the staff entrance on the north side of the building and the spaces near it, are the loading area for Library use.

In the expansion, a loading dock and service entrance would be added, removing this from the main parking area. Also, the staff entrance for the downtown Library will be on the Illlinois Street side of the building, while the main patron entrance would face Route 59 and the expanded Route 59 lot. The Library is contracted to purchase the Route 59 parking lot from the Village in 2010, which would allow for the creation of staff spaces in that lot.

Question of the Day: Why does the Library need a 300-seat auditorium?

The 300-seat auditorium in the downtown facility fulfills a need articulated not only to the Library, but also the Park District and Village, in surveys and planning focus groups. Each entity independently heard that our community needs cultural programming and events to be available within Plainfield. Community groups need a larger venue for events like dance recitals, musical recitals, community theater, musical performances, author events, movie events, etc. The mutual need for auditorium space was actually the catalyst for the Library and Park District's exploration of a joint use facility. The auditorium remains a priority to facilitate those intergovernmental partnerships and support the community need for cultural programs and events by providing presentation space.

For example: the Candidates Night held at Village Hall on 3/19 was standing room only. This is precisely the type of community event that would be supported by the Library's auditorium. Programs already in place like Teen Readers Theater group, musical programs and larger children's programs would be able to accommodate triple the number of attendees in an auditorium than in the Large Meeting Room. The Park District already offers dance classes and need a recital space.

A frequent follow up to this question is about the high school auditorium. The auditoriums in each of the high schools are too heavily used by the schools (each serves all of its "feeder" schools) to allow for community use.