Kilgore City Council hears proposals on library

At a recent meeting, city council members heard proposals on potential improvements to Kilgore Public Library from a local architecture firm.

Bill Hidell, of Hidell & Associates, explained the firm’s findings to council, saying the project had been significantly delayed by the pandemic.

“We started this program a little over two and a half years ago,” Hidell said.

“The plan was to make a long-range plan in 2020, and then COVID hit. That slowed things down. The report I’m giving you today is a summary of what we found. We had several focus groups of the staff, the library board, we met with the city administration and toured libraries. We also had a survey that had almost 400 participants.”

Hidell’s report contains 57 pages of information related to the firm’s survey and recommendations. Overall, the survey found KPL patrons were largely pleased with the service they received at the library and the library’s catalog is being well-used, but the size and layout of the historic building is causing some issues.

The final plan made seven recommendations covering what the firm found to be the most effective ways of improving KPL’s reach, impact and efficiency:

Renovate the existing library areas to comply with the Americans with Disability Act.

• Transition to a single service point on the first floor
• Revise access to children’s programs
• Improve access to popular materials
• Revise public access to technology
• Update and increase the number of reader seats
• Engage the aging population

The report laid out a series of steps by which its findings could be implemented.

“A logical progression of next steps should include a strategic approach to the implementation of recommendations,” it read.

“The recommendations with little to no cost impact on the library budget can be implemented upon the approval of the long-range plan. The recommendations with cost implications can be implemented as funding becomes available.”

The steps indicated include addressing the structural needs of the building by removing the current bathrooms and replacing them with ADA-compliant bathrooms. It also calls for addressing moisture issues in the basement, transitioning to a single point of service on the first floor and installing an elevator in the basement.

The report also calls for expanding and improving children’s programs, which are consistently among the library’s most popular activities. Also, the firm urged the library to allocate more resources to developing their online catalog, as more and more library users transition to digital media.

The library as it currently stands is 8,306 square feet located at 301 N. Henderson Blvd. The building was originally constructed in 1939 as a ground floor and basement of approximately 5,000 square foot library that was highly detailed.

In 1978, an addition of 4,458 square feet was constructed expanding the ground floor that did not follow the original level of detailing.

Both the original 1939 and 1978 construction was prior to the ADA, and as a result there are significant access issues that will have to be addressed in any renovation plan, the report found over 20,500 visitors in 2020.

“The facility is in excellent condition and well-maintained,” it read.

“Overall, the layout is manageable for patrons and staff, however inefficiencies were found in the ground floor layout. The community expressed easier access to popular materials as the most significant change to improve the facility.”

“There is also a lack of public seating and meeting/study spaces within the current library configuration. The planning team recommends implementing an enhanced marketing and signage strategy for popular items, both physical and electronic.”

Hidell said most of the work could be done in the interior of the building to maximize the efficiency of space used inside.

“To make this library work well with the space that we have we need to have that basement accessible for our staff,” he said.

“What we’re planning is reorganizing the staff downstairs and going down to one service desk from two. We’re planning on letting the staff put in some interactive things for the public, like self-checkout stations. Redoing the restrooms, adding an elevator and increasing the size of the study rooms to accommodate two or three people, rather than just one person.”

City Manager Josh Selleck said the initial library plan had been delayed during the COVID pandemic so as not to further delay extensive construction on downtown streets. Council members voted unanimously to approve the plan.