New, improved library facilities sought

As a kid, Tim Hattenburg, along with his eight siblings, learned the value of a good book and a good library.

“I’ve used the Spokane Valley library since 1959. During the summer when most kids were looking for the ice cream man, we were looking for the bookmobile,” he laughed.

After 20 years of teaching geography, history and “even home economics” to students at North Pines Middle School, Hattenburg retired and that’s when his work really began.

Today, Hattenburg works with a historical group detailing the history of the Spokane Police Department. He’s also a member of the library board and the campaign chairman for The Citizens for the Greater Spokane Valley Libraries.

In March there will be two issues on the ballot for voters to consider: the formation of the Library Capital Facility Area and a $33.4 million library bond to be paid over a 20-year period. The bond will pay for a new main branch, a new branch library in Greenacres and expansion of the Argonne branch.

“The LCFA takes a 50 percent simple majority and the bond issue is 60 percent,” Hattenburg said. He estimates the cost to taxpayers will be 25 cents per $1,000 of assessed property value.

“Our mission for the next four months is to help educate the public on why we believe new and expanded facilities are necessary and beneficial for the future of our community,” Hattenburg said.

The main branch at 12004 E. Main Ave., has been in that location since 1954 and was last remodeled in 1987. Hattenburg said that the facility is running out of space and “parking is terrible.”

The library district is eyeing two locations to build the new main branch. One is at University City facing Appleway; the other is the vacant lot on Sprague Avenue, west of Balfour Park. “We were going to build a new site in U-City long before the city center idea had surfaced,” Hattenburg said. “It’s not contingent on whether they have a city center or not; we’re still going to build.”

The ideas for the new library are based, in part, on the comments the library board received from residents who attended open houses last spring.

“For example,” Hattenburg said, “the current main branch has 22,000 square feet. The new one will have 58,000. Library materials of 120,000 items will expand to 300,000.”

And that’s not all.

“The children’s area is 2,600 square feet; the new one will be 5,800,” Hattenburg said. “A children’s activity room will be included for story time and similar events.

“The teen area will go from 250 square feet to 1,600. There will be a quiet reading area and five small study rooms,” Hattenburg said. “The computer work stations, that are now literally booked all day long, will go from 16 to 29.”

In addition, Hattenburg said, “A 200 fixed-seat auditorium equipped with lecterns and proper acoustics for presentations compared to the current meeting room which holds 75 people and is booked two and three times a day.

“There will be a public meeting room with seating for 100 with removable tables and chairs and a drive-through book return.”

Greenacres would have a new branch on Conklin Road and Sprague Avenue. “The land’s been purchased,” Hattenburg said.

The Argonne Branch will remain at the same site but with increased square footage and the addition of 10,000 new materials plus computer stations.

The projected completion year is 2010, but there’s one small detail – voter approval. That’s why Hattenburg is setting his sights on informing the public of the necessity for new and expanded library facilities.

“A library is the best return of your tax dollars. If you had a son or daughter who checked out the Harry Potter series instead of buying them, you can imagine how much money you’d save,” Hattenburg said. “And the audio-books, you’d save $30 to $40 on each.”

Hattenburg said that, with a simple library card, the community has easy access to a multitude of library materials which can be can checked out through their local branch or the Internet.

In addition, the library’s outreach program accommodates people in retirement homes, adult care facilities and the housebound by mailing or dropping off library materials at their facilities or homes.

“We’re here to support the value and expansion of libraries and library services in the greater Spokane Valley,” Hattenburg said. “A library makes a huge difference in a community.”