La Conner will have a new library building - someday

As I was mopping the library bathroom a few weeks ago after a storm, I bemoaned the fact we’re not yet building our new library.

The bathroom flooding is just one symptom we’re dealing with in a building that lacks what we need in a 21st century library. In a hard rain the water backs up because of the drains and comes into the library through the bathroom fan vent. I fully expect to see mushrooms pop up in the carpet in front of the bathroom after all the times it has been soaked.

The current building has a severe lack of space for accessibility, for resources like books and technology, for programs and just more open and quiet space for studying and reading. We want our library to be more responsive to the needs of our users and to serve as a community center, accessible to everyone.

Accessibility is a concern given our population. The library is definitely not ADA compliant. Take the bathroom. There is no way a wheelchair could get in with the tight shelves blocking the path. Even a person in a walker can have a problem. And the toilet is too low for people with knee and hip issues.

I worry for the safety of people in their wheelchairs and walkers. Just getting into the building can become an issue. The back door has a small step barely wide enough for one person and the front door a narrow ramp. We have had people fall off the back step in the past. One of our ladies in a walker can get in through the back, but has to go out through the front door or risk a fall. Once in the library, the shelves are too close together and furniture creates an obstacle course.

A community meeting space would open up so many possibilities. There are programs, speakers, community meetings, and events we could host, but we do not have the space to do that. We could have our computer classes during the day, and have kids exploring in a Makerspace lab after school. We could have baby story times that are convenient to both baby and mom. We could host author presentations and film series. Community groups and organizations could meet in a convenient space – at no charge.

Fundraising has been challenging in our economic environment, and the Great Wolf Lodge ruling of the federal 9th Circuit Court of Appeals has made our task more difficult by effectively removing any possibility of the library running a bond. There are few private foundation funders willing to award grants for capital projects without substantial funds already in place. A few state agencies will fund community buildings, but we don’t meet their criteria.

The La Conner community has been very supportive. Despite the challenges, over the past three years we have raised $400,000 in private donations and library reserves toward the new library.

The support and donations of many people have encouraged our efforts and we want to express our deep appreciation to everyone in helping us move toward our goal.

The Friends of the La Conner Library and La Conner Kiwanis have been running the Library Thrift Store which pays the mortgage on the property. La Conner Rotary has committed to supporting the project with a generous annual pledge. Then there are the many individuals who continue to make donations as they can.

Our largest asset is the current library building, which was paid off in December. There will come a time when we need to sell it, which will boost our assets to about $750,000.

However, we need $3 million for the new library. Each year we delay, the cost could rise 5 percent, based on current escalation estimates.

The library is an important resource for our community. While we continue to fundraise, we are asking the Washington State Legislature for help during the 2017 session.

We are meeting with our three legislators to request their support. I invite our community to be advocates for the new library project. Find out how you can help by contacting the library or emailing Susan Macek, La Conner Library Foundation director, at [email protected].