Two stories from libraries bidding for new construction: one from Tryon Daily News (Polk County NC),and another story from The Guthrie Center Times (Panora, IA), both finding construction bids way over budget. It made me wonder how other libraries are dealing with this issue.
Paying for Seattle’s new and extravagant library has cost the library system jobs and services and even the basics (like buying books). Building a new library is a capital expense, but what’s one to do when there’s not a low enough bid or enough money raised to follow through with improvements or new construction? Please report in on how your library dealt with high bidders and lost revenues by attaching a comment to this story.
a trend
I’ve seen this trend before of building big, airy buildings, then not putting many books or librarians in them. It happened in southern oregon where I used to live, and the librarians there were pretty bitter at the incompetence of management. Somehow they’d gotten these many building in the county, but couldn’t/wouldn’t support them.
I’m also wondering if the seattle story is related to Nancy Pearl’s retirement? Guess I haven’t paid much attention to the grapevine!
N. Pearl
Regarding Nancy Pearl’s retirement, she has a new website, here , still in the design stages. She’s writing, doing TV, speaking, etc., I suspect the job plus all of the above was just too much, but I do have a feeling that the new library might also have been a factor in her retirement.