The support of the community is without a doubt reflected in the voice of their vote. The NJ Library Construction Bond Act passed in Woodland Park with 67% of voters in favor of the Bond Act, a clear mandate from the residents. Furthermore, the library is fortunate to have many strong and supportive relationships in the community.
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From the onset of this project, the Building and Grounds Committee Members and Library Board members conducted Focus Groups and meetings with a diverse representation of the community; residents of planned communities, local businesses, teachers, children, teens, volunteers, veterans, parents of special needs children, non-library users, residents in general, senior citizens, and the Friends of the Library.
Discussion with these groups were held throughout the planning process to access the community’s needs and perceptions. The results from the feedback from these group cleary prove the want aside from the need of a new and improved library. 100% of the youth focus groups wanted to see a designated area for teens and an improved children’s area. The teen tutoring group and teachers agreed that a designated study/tutoring area was essential. Young adults felt that the current library does not meet their needs for a meeting place to discuss books or complete work on a laptop without being in the midst of a program. The senior group would like to enjoy their programming in a separate programming room instead of in the middle of the library or in the children’s room. The parents' group concluded that they would visit more often if the space was larger and redesigned to accommodate more children. 100% of those polled that use a car to access the library, recognized the lack of sufficient parking spaces as a clear issue. All groups concurred that the library interior needs an updated appearance and more modern amenities.
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Finally, one of the greatest pleasures of the design process was from three distinct cohorts; the middle school students, high school seniors and a Berkeley College design student. The 6th grade students submitted essays with their ideas for the teen area. The high school seniors who applied for the annual Friends of the Library scholarship answered the following: “The Alfred H. Baumann Free Public Library is planning to renovate and expand. What would you include in the design to attract teens and young adults?” The library was astounded by the number of applicants and how many of our young residents are so invested in the design of the library.
Further, a Berkeley College design student used the construction project as her capstone project during an internship with an architectural firm. The concept designs that resulted in the process were simply beautiful and elegant. Although they were concept renderings, we hope to use some of the aesthetic in our design. The student received design awards and Berkeley College featured this project in their newsletter and will continue to follow the progression of this project.
