Darien Library: 10 Top Reasons We Need a New Library

The 10 Top Reasons We Need a New Library

SPACE for Parking
There are only 84 parking spaces in the lot for the 100 visitors we have per hour. As Library use continues to increase, the problem will get worse.
SPACE for the Building
The current Darien Library has 22,750 sq. ft. (thanks to the last addition that is 20 years old.) We are the smallest library in the area.
SPACE for the Books
Our current book collection is 161,000 (40,000 items more than the latest expansion was designed to accommodate.) Darien has the highest number books per square foot of any library around.

The Darien Library discards 1 book for every book purchased. Thank goodness, a large percentage of the collection is out at any one time or there would be books all over the floor.
SPACE for the Shelves
The current library does not meet the requirements of the Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990. Currently a large portion of our collection is inaccessible to patrons with disabilities because the books are too high, too low or because the stacks are too close together. The Darien Library needs to more than double the space devoted to its collection in order to meet the Connecticut State Library Planning Guidelines.
SPACE for our Staff
The Library staff work space is overcrowded to say the least. Staff members need desk space in order to support all the activities for our patrons such as planning book collections, developing programs, budget development and website maintenance. Currently, we have staff members working out of closets without air circulation and planning their work days around when they share their desks with a co-worker. The Children’s room staff has nine people sharing two desks downstairs in an old closet. An extraordinary staff needs a suitable place to operate.
SPACE for New Services
In 1999, the Library Board of Trustees began to develop a Long Range Plan that mapped out our vision of the Library of the Future. This plan identified areas where we were deficient in our services and developed ideas to implement new services for our community. Specifically, we want to develop more quiet reading spaces, separate spaces for teens, small group conference areas, and more community program space. A new Library will enable us to offer these types of new services to the community.
Quiet SPACE for the Community
A library needs spaces that meet the many needs of our patrons—program space, community meeting space, quiet space for study, small group work space. The Library of today has become one space to meet all needs. It is more crowded and noisier than we would like and noisier than our patrons deserve. We need a library that will have separate spaces to meet different needs—quiet reading rooms, small group meeting rooms, teen space, community meeting space, etc. We want to create a user friendly atmosphere where many different needs are accommodated simultaneously with no group bothering one another.
SPACE for Convenient Circulation
The Darien Library’s circulation last year was 739,000 items. The Darien Library is committed to providing the best service to our patrons. This includes being able to hold reserves behind the desk, short checkout lines and an efficient checkout procedure.
SPACE for Technology
The current Library provides computer access to many of its users. The computers are used throughout the Library all day long. There are often patrons waiting to use a computer in all areas of the Library. More space would allow us to provide technology to all our users.
SPACE for a True Community Resource
Through extensive discussion and research, the Library Board has decided that our current needs cannot be met at our current location. To that end, we have found a new site where we can develop a Library that will provide the community many resources for years to come. Darien is a wonderful town and you deserve a wonderful library that meets all your needs. We are committed to providing that for you.

For more information, please feel free to contact Mary Bennett, Louise Berry or Kim Huffard at 655-1234, x118.

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