2 weeks Ago By [email protected] (Aidan Schonbrun)
GEORGIA – Groundwork is being laid to revitalize the Georgia Public Library and bring its accessibility and character into the 21st century. The Library Revitalization Committee is made up of two selectboard members, vice chair Brian Dunsmore and Paul Jansen, as well as two library trustees, Terry Cleveland and Deb Mann, and the library director. Officially set up during a March 24 selectboard meeting, the goal of the committee is to get to the library in compliance with the Americans with Disabilities Act.
“We have a very nice building that is showing its age and needs some upgrades,” library director Bridget Stone said. “The question before us is whether it makes sense to invest in this building and make it ADA compliant, finally, and bring it into the 21st century, or whether it makes sense to move to a new location.” The Georgia Public Library has a long history dating back before the 1990 act, which prohibited discrimination against individuals with disabilities including by updating buildings to be more accessible.
In its first steps, Stone said the committee is setting up meetings with members of the Vermont League of Cities and Towns, to help really move the project forward. One of the major considerations is the size and scope of the project the committee has to consider. “The library needs electrical outlets, and new flooring,” Stone said.
“But there’s an order of operations that needs to be followed so you’re not creating more work for yourself and spending unwisely.” While the inside needs work, the outside of the library is also going to be looked at. Which puts further consideration into a move, or to just renovate the existing property.
The way the parking lot currently faces makes it inaccessible and not up to ADA standards, Stone said. The lot has a steep grade making it difficult for those in wheelchairs or facing other disabilities to get inside. So the new question for renovations – which will spark countless questions from there – is should the committee decide to create a new entrance? “We don’t want to do flooring before that, and we don’t want to do an outlet before that because it could be where we’re cutting into the wall,” she said.
But while the committee begins its initial movements, Stone said it’s important to gather people who live with disabilities for the committee. “I think it’s crucial we don’t make decisions for people, but that we include people who know the most about this and have lived experiences with this to give input,” she said. Part of the revitalization project is also deciding the character of the library in line with its mission statement of fostering a sense of community, bringing people together and appealing to a wide range of interests and learning.
All work should flow back into that statement, Stone said, whether that be the revitalization project, budgets or capital plans. The mindfulness of the library's role in the community and what the community wants its role to be can make the project successful, she added. “Are we a community living room? If so, we tolerate happy noises from kids.
Or are we a place for quiet study and reflection?” she said. “I think we can be both. There’s architectural things and acoustic tiles we can do [in the project] to check multiple boxes.
” The library is a part of Georgia and Stone said she wants the community to come together and think of the project as an exciting time with great opportunities to last for generations that are both positive and creative. As the committee starts exploring its options, Stone said they will be setting up community forums for residents to decide on the direction of the project and library..
