‘Better Building, Better Service’ Project Continues this Week at Iowa City Public Library

Library materials and furniture are on the move this week as work continues on the Iowa City Public Library’s “Better Building, Better Service” project. Furniture in the first-floor self-check area has moved, and the self-check stations have been temporarily relocated. Signs on the first floor will help you find where you need to go to check-out, ask any Library employee for help, or visit the first-floor HELP Desk as we transition to a new layout.

The new grand magazine reading room is taking shape. Magazine shelving has been installed in the newly carpeted first-floor atrium. Magazines are now being moved to this new area. The movies, television, mysteries, fiction and science fiction materials will also move this week. New movie shelving is being installed in the former young adult reading room in the back right corner on the first floor as movies get ready to move to their new home there.

The renovation, which is divided into two phases – one this fall and one in fall 2013, will result in greater accessibility, service enhancements, and a more positive Library experience for all. In September, the Library made changes to its telephone system so callers would no longer have to listen to a long menu of option choices.  When you call the Library at 319-356-5200 during normal hours, a staff member who can answer most questions will be the first person you speak to.

The interior building renovation project is funded through Iowa City tax dollars ($100,000 each in Fiscal Year 2013 and Fiscal Year 2014) and gifts received by the Friends Foundation will pay for the additional $240,000 in improvements. The Iowa City Public Library Friends Foundation is accepting contributions.

For more information on the project, visit http://www.icpl.org/renovation/.

By the end of fall, the Library’s improvements will include:

• The ability to place up to eight holds at a time (up from five), and hold on-shelf materials to pick up at the Library.

• Adding more than 100 digital magazine titles and moving the magazines to the new reading room downstairs.

• Moving the Young Adult Fiction collection upstairs to add additional space for these items.

• Adding more self-check stations and DVD unlockers.

• Providing one centrally-located HELP Desk on the first floor.

• Raising the fine threshold that would stop you from  using your library card.

• More seating around the adult area on the first floor.

• Re-carpeting the main traffic areas.

ACCESSIBILITY

This project aims to make the Library even easier to use and more accessible in fall 2012 by:

• Making it easier for patrons to get the information they need by combining the two current service desks into one HELP Desk on the first floor where people can go for help with cards, assistance with the collections, to book a meeting room, or to check out materials.

• Reorganizing the main entry to make it easier for people to understand where to find what they need. This includes providing an interactive building directory.

• Creating more space for display and promotion of Library materials.

• Adding an electronic bulletin board in the meeting room area that will post meeting schedules.

• Moving the magazine collection downstairs to the atrium reading room. New shelving and a subject-oriented arrangement will make it easier to browse.

• Friendlier checkout rules and limits, including raising the fine threshold that would stop a person from using their library card.

• Providing more seating around the adult area on the first floor.

• Re-carpeting main traffic areas.

TECHNOLOGY

The “Better Building, Better Service” project will help Library staff provide enhanced technical support to the public, improve visibility and ease of use of its programs and collections, as well as offer new services.

Studies show 30 percent of Iowans do not have Internet access in their homes. Providing broader access to computers is just another way the Library can help residents of Iowa City stay connected to the world. 

The Library’s 40 computer workstations receive high daily use at our downtown location. The Reference Desk on the Library’s second floor will be repositioned so staff can provide more assistance to computer and database users. In 2013, we will add additional off-site “Tech Zone” computer labs at a variety of times and locations as well as more trained staff in the main Library. The public will continue to find a knowledgeable staff member to answer any tech question at Tech Help sessions at the Library.

More options are now available for people who place materials on hold, including up to eight holds at one time. The public can now place holds for on-shelf materials and pick those items up at the Library.

Other improvements in technology in 2012 will include:

• Faster video game checkouts with new security that allows the collection to be put on open shelves.

• More information for our patrons through targeted electronic news, new website features and promotion at community events.

• e-readers for checkout.

• Diverse electronic collections that are even easier to use and the addition of 100 digital magazine titles.

• An additional self-check station on the second floor will be added in 2013. Additional first floor self-check stations and DVD unlockers will be added in 2012.

CHILDREN

The Library firmly believes reading success starts with children’s earliest experiences with books. ICPL librarians are always exploring new ways to reach the youngest members of our community. This project aims to make both the Children’s Room’s physical space and its diverse collections easier to use, starting in 2013.

The Library will relocate the Children’s Services Desk and reduce its size to help Library staff be more accessible to patrons and collections. The Library will also make storytime easier to navigate for families with strollers. Picture book shelving will be rearranged to provide more space for adults and strollers outside the Storytime Room. The Library will re-carpet worn areas in the Children’s Room.

A new technology center will be created in the Children’s Room, emphasizing the Library’s belief that fostering a love of reading and engaging children in an interactive learning environment is key to an excellent quality of life.

TEENS

Providing a safe, welcoming environment for teens is a priority at ICPL. When school is not in session, the Library is full of teens attending Teen Tech Zone, playing video games, participating in hands-on programs and making themselves at home in the gathering spaces throughout the Library.

James Mims, the youth program coordinator at the Broadway Neighborhood Center, said he appreciates having a place to take after-school program participants.

It is essential to find new ways to engage youths in the area. One way the Library can fulfill the needs of this age group is by providing a dedicated space just for them. Soon, the Library will move its Young Adult Fiction collection upstairs. This will make way for the collection to be integrated into an inviting Teen Space that will be created on the second floor in 2013, including a technology center designed to help teens learn and play while interacting with their peers. This space will also be used for adult activities when school is in session.

HOW YOU CAN HELP

Free access to the Internet, quality children's programming, community gathering spaces, and technology support are just a few of the things the public expects from its Library.

You can help the Friends Foundation reach its fundraising goal for this project. The interior building renovation project is funded through City tax dollars ($100,000 each in Fiscal Year 2013 and Fiscal Year 2014) and gifts received by the Friends Foundation will pay for the additional $240,000 in improvements.

The Iowa City Public Library Friends Foundation is accepting contributions. To support the Library's "Better Building, Better Service" project, visit www.icpl.org/support/donate/ or call 356-5249.