1. Grand Forks Public Library The mission of the Grand Forks Public Library is to CONNECT the community, ENRICH the mind, and INSPIRE the imagination.

2. Nuts and Bolts Grand Forks Public Library 2015 Facts (2014) 677 (629) Library Events 253,070 (249,122) Total Library Visits 695,867 (739,538) Items circulated 33,229 (23,989) E-Books Loaned 1,801 (1,476) Volunteer Hours 16,341 (14,384) Program Attendees 89,177 (88,111) Computer Logins

3. ! 2008 Death of Library Director Dennis Page. Board establishes Task Force for Revitalization 2009 Wendy Wendt hired as Director. Library Consulting hired by GFPL Board to conduct a GFPL Needs Assessment—recommends new building Grand Forks Public Library Recent History

4. ! 2010 Phone and paper surveys of community (1900 responses) report 70% support “favor a new library in GF” 2011 Failed Library referendum in Special Election More History…

5. Why not just renovate? Cost of renovating items identified by JLG in 2012 $8-9M without expansion (loss of 30-40% of stacks) $14-$15M with expansion to keep collection and space for technology/events (Cost of New build is ~ $20-23M)

6. 2013 Library Working Group: “A new facility is the most cost‐effective, flexible solution to meet the future needs of a growing Grand Forks Region.” 2015 100+ participants in several GFPL Foundation Focus Groups advocated GFPL pursue new building and bold vision Why not just renovate? Because…

7. Where Should It Go? In 2014, an eight- member Library Building Committee began vetting potential corridors for a new GFPL…

8. ! Downtown Recommendation

9. ! Land acquisition for downtown may be cheaper relative to our midtown Parking can be managed 10,000 fewer cars per day, driving slower. Fed Highway Admin scored downtown intersections safer on average than midtown Anxiety over loitering may be legitimate, but coordination between the Library, City, County, PD can mitigate many concerns Why Downtown?

10. Socioeconomics: Puts programs / services directly closer to a greater percentage of City residents generally, esp. those in middle / low incomes South End = less density of neighborhoods City is growing to the northwest also Why Downtown?

11. User Profile: 2015 Vast majority of users live North of 32 nd Ave S.

12. ! Closest to schools w/ highest % of children on free/reduced lunch Highest “walkability” score in City Public Transit hub means more GF citizens from across town can access the library via City Bus— all routes go downtown Why Downtown? Midtown Downtown

13. ! More Subjective Measures: Greater “capacity”: organized Northside/Southside/Riverside Assns/DDA Greater potential for “multiuse” if City is looking to maximize space Traditional home of public libraries—where cities choosing to place their new libraries/reinvesting in downtown libraries to keep them there Dynamic place where millennials/students want to be What became a “midtown” option failed 62-38 in 2011 Downtown as a district better positioned to add to GFPL functionality, programs, services: close to civic/arts institutions. Downtown = unrivaled concl. to “flood chapter” in Book of Grand Forks Why Downtown?

14. Grand Forks Public Library A Community Vision To create a culture of production rather than consumption of information only To expand the public sphere and facilitate gathering in a robust and versatile commons—a “community living room” To increase all citizens’ access to information and the technologies that enable such access To serve as a bridge between institutions and organizations from City Government to UND to the public schools to the arts community to area nonprofits.

15. Glass and Natural Light

16. Open, Flexible Spaces

17. Collaborative Multiuse Space

18. Maker Space / Innovation Lab

19. 3D Printing Self-Publishing Apps/Robotics Multimedia Information Production

20. Performance Space Recording Studio

21. Café & Used Book Sales

22. How Do We Make This Happen?