The Mary Cheney Library has been operating in its current building since 1937. The current building has the third highest circulation in the state, hosts numerous programs, but suffers from a lack of space and accessibility, making it a challenge to meet patron needs and demands for services. The library has had few interventions since its 1962 expansion due to a decades-long lack of consensus on how to proceed.

Our team has conducted site analysis / selection narrowing down five previously identified sites to three that were further investigated and resulting in one finalist. The preferred library site is centrally located to maintain ease of community access. Our conceptual design and demonstration of how the new building’s facade ties into the vernacular of the historic streetscape were used to gather support in preparation of a bond issue. Happily, the bond issued passed in November of 2022 and the project can continue moving forward.

The building entry opens to a welcoming area with clear visibility to seating, popular materials, a service desk, local history room, public computers, a maker space, and large meeting rooms. The main level also contains staff work areas so that a drive-up service window can be accessed from the workroom. The second floor is devoted to youth services; a teen area, a children’s area focused on early learning, and a program room that opens to a rooftop patio. The third floor houses the bulk of the adult collections with seating, display, and an AV studio. Much needed study rooms are located throughout each floor of the library building. Even though this site is in a denser urban setting, we were able to provide 71 parking spaces on the site with access to a public lot directly across the street.