The Search for a New Library

You may have heard buzz around town that the DCL is moving. Maybe you even filled out one of our surveys to determine the things you like and dislike about us. This is because the Board is engaged in planning for a move, but we aren't quite there yet. Although we have been talking about it for a while, and our current ShoppingTown space is temporary, our Board of Trustees is currently gathering information for its strategic planning process. This plan helps the Board guide the library through the next few years, taking into account patron and staff input to give a good idea of where we are now and where we want to be -- not just building-wise, but in general as a library. We see the DeWitt Community Library as a gathering place for the community, and we want to make sure we accomodate what you already like about us and also plan for future needs.

The DCL has packed up and moved a few times in our history, although they have all been moves to other areas within ShoppingTown as the mall itself expanded its space. Back in January 1969, the Board minutes record that "Mr. Carl Condit, a member of DeWitt Rotary, reported that Rotary has decided this year to make a sizeable contribution to one project rather than several small contributions to the organization. The DeWitt Library has been selected as the recipient. Rotary must know soon the intentions of the library board, especially its plans for moving to larger quarters. Mr. Robertson expressed both the Board's gratitude to Rotary and its desire and unsuccessful efforts to find more space. Mr. Condit mentioned the possibility that out of the survey being conducted by Rotary on the needs of the community might come an expression of need for a Library with more space to enlarge its services."

The truth is that space issues are actually good problems for a library to have! They indicate that our collection is growing, our services and programs are growing, and our regular group of patrons is growing -- and that means we need to grow, too. It was a while, however, before the DCL actually made its move, in the mid-70s, to the basement location in the Sears wing of the mall that we occupied until 2008. Throughout the early seventies, the subject of moving the library came up in several Board meeting minutes, until ShoppingTown's decision to inclose the former strip mall gave us the opportunity to be a part of their expansion. A similar situation happened a couple years ago, when the new ShoppingTown owners decided to make part of the mall back into a strip mall and we moved to our current location near the cinemas.

In the late 60s, the DCL Board had already been talking about making strategies for a new library, recognizing the tremendous growth of the DCL already after less than a decade of service. In November of 1971, the Onondaga County Public Library System was just beginning to really take shape as a formal structure for area libraries, and it simultaneously became apparent to the DeWitt Library Board that they needed to investigate outside properties. According to the minutes:

"Mr. Beemer and Mr. Sager [DCL Board members] met with Mr. Egan [of Egan Realty]. There is no room for the Library at Shoppingtown. Library may stay in present quarters but no other space will be available. The three gentlemen discussed other possibilities of property which might be acquired, but none seem suitable for our needs.

"Mr. Robertson gave an informal discussion of Onondaga County Library System expansion possibilities. In the future there might be a Central County Library which would take the place of the SPL Main Library . . . .Individual county libraries would retain their individual boards of trustees and their autonomy, but there may be different funding arrangements. Mr. Robertson also discussed a talk by Dr. Stephen Bailey on the 3 R's and the future of public libraries as resource centers for people taking degrees off college campuses. With these future considerations the need for land area which offers room for active present needs and future expansion becomes apparent.

"Mr. Robertson pointed out that federal money will be coming into the 5-county area in the forseeable future. To qualify for aid a library must have land, adequate (by federal definition) and continued support, and a plan. Mr. Robertson moved that, as a Board we establish criteria for library facilities and search out such a parcel of land. This motion was tabled until after our December meeting, when establishing criteria for our land needs will be the major item on the agenda."

The Board did discuss building issues at length in their December '71 meeting, including talk "about the effectiveness of a basement library." But they also talked at greater length in this and other meetings about acquiring property, stating "a new facility would require paid staff, not volunteers," finding methods to determine size needs, expanding shelving (which was already growing tight), and longer hours. Eventually, the owners of the mall agreed to expand our space and make us a part of the new ShoppingTown in 1975. Later, we also expanded that space, pushing out the back end to make room for YA and magazine shelving and computers. I wrote in more detail about that move in December 2007 and January 2008. We have similar circumstances in our present situation as we did back in '75, because not only do we need more space, but we moved to this location on a temporary basis in 2008, just as in 1973 the library made a temporary move prior to the permanent location two years later.

Thanks to everyone who filled out our paper surveys, commented in our oral surveys, and expressed an interest in the possible relocation of DeWitt Community Library. We'll be sharing the results with you soon!