Facilities Plan 2010 by Greater Victoria Public Library

Making Space for the Future Greater Victoria Public Library Facilities Plan Approved by the GVPL Board June 29, 2010

Making Space for the Future Greater Victoria Public Library Facilities Plan

Introduction

Executive Summary

Facility Standards

Making Space for the Future Report

Needs Assessment Report

Context Report

Acknowledgements

Introduction Making Space for the Future: Greater Victoria Public Library Facilities Plan

The Greater Victoria Public Library Board, in adopting the Master Facilities Plan, Making Space for the Future approves the concepts, strategic direction and vision for equitable service that resulted from extensive community feedback. The Board recognizes that the approval of the Facilities Plan sets the stage for further municipal consultation, planning and refinement of the conceptual plan. The plan’s recommendations reflect the varying needs and interests across the region, economic realities, and feedback from multiple stakeholders. Over the year-‐long project, the consulting team, CitySpaces Consulting Ltd and Chow Low Hammond (CLHa) Architects, and the Board Steering Committee worked together to create a conceptual framework that was based on community input. The new vision and facility model were shared with the community and our municipal partners in the draft plan. Working within the foundations of the plan, new Facility Standards were developed and form part of the Board’s comprehensive Facilities Plan. Library Facility Planning Perspective Maintaining a successful partnership of 10 municipalities that vary in size and geographic area and combine rural, suburban, and urban areas is the cornerstone of the Greater Victoria Public Library system and defines its planning context. The earliest library operating agreements were with Victoria, Esquimalt, Oak Bay and Saanich in 1966, to which were added the West Shore municipalities in 1996, and the Central Saanich and View Royal municipalities in 2002. Between 2003 –2009, the Library Board and their municipal partners conducted facilities planning, on a building by building, municipality by municipality basis, without a comprehensive facilities plan. New Facility Standard In previous Guidelines for Service/ Facility Standards approved by the Board in 2006, a Central Library model was the adopted standard and the square footage requirement for the region’s population was based on this model. However, as noted in the Facilities Plan, a large Resource (Main) library is not viable; the costs of funding one large library has proven to be prohibitive to municipal partners favouring improved services geographically closer to their residents. In the new Facility Standards (2010), the District Model was applied. Although, the Board has adopted new standards it is committed to working with municipality partners to create the library that meets their needs now and into the future. Meeting Victoria’s Needs The Facilities Plan reflects the cooperative vision that sustains the GVPL system. In considering that vision and the foundations for change laid out in the model, the Board recognizes that the City of Victoria has unique needs. Victoria is the capital city of British Columbia, and deserves special recognition as such. As the region’s downtown business and cultural centre, the number of people using the downtown area increases on weekdays and during special events. The influx of people who work in the urban core, tourists, and those who use the services that support arts, culture and entertainment may not be residents and taxpayers of Victoria; however, a library facility in the downtown must accommodate these numbers as well as meet municipal goals. Core District In 1980, the Central library was moved to the Waddington Complex as a temporary location until a more permanent solution could be found.

A succession of reports has identified inadequacies in the current building that houses the Victoria branch. •

In 1988, the City of Victoria received a consultant’s report on the functional requirements of a new Central Library and in 1989, the City conducted a referendum to build a 70,000 square foot library among other major capital projects. The referendum did not pass; however, a 70,000 square foot civic building/library remained as part of the City of Victoria Centennial Square Revitalization site plan (mixed use of office, retail, arts, cultural).

•

In 1995, the Library Board commissioned a space study on the Central Library that resulted in the relocation of Technical Services to the new Juan de Fuca branch serving the West Shore in 1997, and a major renovation of the Central Library in 2000.

•

The 2003 Skidmore Report, Great Libraries Make Great Cities allocated total square footage per capita and space requirements by functional area for a new Central Library and these figures were verified by Grant Thornton in the City of Victoria Central Library Study Due Diligence Assessment.

Since the 2003 report on the Central library, service delivery has changed requiring less space for: • • •

service desks (more roving assistance) reference and magazine collections (many more available electronically) children’s non-‐fiction resources (research and reference materials online) In the Facilities Plan, Systems and Administrative services are not co-‐located with a library. However, the Board’s governance function may be pre-‐eminent in the Victoria facility in a well-‐appointed Board Room/ meeting areas. Features previously identified in a downtown Victoria library: auditorium, café, etc., may be added components of a multi-‐use complex. Co-‐ location of other related municipal services such as the City Archives could build synergies. Adjusting for the new district model and current realities, a conservative estimate of the library space needed in downtown Victoria is approximately 63,000 square feet; a minimum of 70,000 square feet is needed for a multi-‐use complex, depending on the components added. Centennial Square remains the municipal site preference, and offers a number of opportunities to design a library that is the right building in the right place. Esquimalt, Oak Bay and View Royal make up the remaining municipalities in the Core District in the new plan. Esquimalt rebuilt its branch in 2003 as part of a municipal hall complex and has adopted the Esquimalt Village Project to guide long-‐ term planning for the town core. Oak Bay expanded its branch in 2000 and is considering options for a future library building. View Royal purchased a share of the Central library as its branch and maintains a volunteer –run location in its community. At present, only three libraries are located in the Core District, with the potential for more as neighbourhood branches are considered in future years of the plan. Saanich and the Peninsula District As GVPL’s largest municipality and contributor to the library operating budget, the District of Saanich considered the needs of its citizens in the provision of library service. Over the past 20 years, the municipality has built, re-‐built or considered expansion of its branches: • •

Nellie McClung branch (1976) re-‐built in 1991 after fire Emily Carr (1972) put in the Capital Plan in 2001-‐02 to address accessibility issues but age of the building, location and costs were factors against expansion • Bruce Hutchison (1994) desired an increase of 4,000 sq ft in 2002 for kids, teen and workroom; Commonwealth Place expansion not able to include library • Saanich Centennial (2007) received Federal –Provincial Infrastructure Grant to add onto George Pearkes Recreation Centre, a very successful model The Central Saanich branch was refurbished when it joined GVPL in 2002, but no additional space was provided in the Cultural Centre. The District’s Facilities Charrette in 2006, identified the library as a facility that was undersized for the

population of Central Saanich. However, other municipal buildings had greater needs and a higher priority for capital improvements. It was determined in the Charrette that the library branch should remain in Brentwood Bay, and this was confirmed in the library facility plan. An expansion of the Nellie McClung branch to a District library serving the Peninsula and Saanich on land already owned by Saanich addresses the building upgrading issues needed currently and may assist Central Saanich until the District is able to increase capacity in its own municipality. West Shore District The West Shore is the fastest growing area in the region, and access to a greater range of library services within the area is supported in the Facilities Plan. The West Shore communities of Colwood, Highlands, Langford and Metchosin built the Juan de Fuca branch in 1997 using a cost-‐sharing formula. Building costs continue to be shared through the West Shore Recreation Society. In the plan, the current Juan de Fuca branch gains additional space when the Technical Service unit is relocated to a Systems and Administrative building. This District library will have almost 20,000 square feet in the early phase of the Facilities Plan and any additional square feet can be deferred until the population increases to a level that requires this extra space. In 2008, the City of Langford opened an express branch in its downtown and, as the economy improves and redevelopment occurs, it is anticipated that this branch will be enlarged as a successful model for a neighbourhood branch. District Model Cost Sharing In the District model, the three District libraries receive a portion of capital funding from each of the municipalities in the District. Order of magnitude cost calculations based on this conceptual model were provided to each municipality in the second phase of the consultation process. The cost sharing approach needs further discussion with municipal partners to ensure the needs of each municipality can be successfully met. Conclusion Libraries continue to change and adapt and within this very active library facilities planning context, the Library Board’s comprehensive, multi-‐year plan guides service delivery and financial planning. Working with the municipalities that it serves, the Board’s is committed to inter-‐municipal cooperation to realize its master facilities plan. In adopting the Plan, the Board confirms a vision to sustain the library system, and commits to implement capital budgeting and fundraising in conjunction with municipal capital and community planning.

Executive Summary

Making Space for the Future: Greater Victoria Public Library Facilities Plan Greater Victoria Public libraries are more popular than ever, but there is a growing understanding that today’s facilities are simply not adequate to serve the needs of an increasing population and an expanding economy. By 2026, GVPL will serve 350,000 residents — 15% more than in 2010. Extensive research, a detailed facilities’ assessment and more than 40 consultations in 2009 confirmed that the status quo is not a realistic, nor cost-‐effective, option. Of GVPL’s 10 facilities, several do not adequately or safely meet the needs of users and staff, branches have little space for literacy programming, and the system is challenged to keep up with innovations in technology. In the future these issues will be magnified. This Facilities Plan takes a proactive approach to “making space for the future” – by setting out a District Library Model. This approach prepares responsibly for the long-‐term growth of the system, addresses more immediate concerns, and underscores the importance of working with GVPL’s 10 municipal partners. Moving toward a District Library Model will strengthen GVPL’s offerings, better respond to changing growth patterns, and provide residents in every municipality with the library services they need.

Our Facilities — A Commitment to the Future Greater Victoria’s libraries are welcoming and inspiring places for all who seek information and knowledge. In the coming years, we will improve all libraries through a network of district, community and neighbourhood branches. Working cooperatively with our municipal partners, libraries will be located, sized and configured to meet the changing needs of users and tap the potential of emerging technologies. We are fully committed to enhancing access, promoting literacy, and ensuring a healthy environment for all users and staff as we prepare to “make space for the future”.

Guiding Principles and Key Elements The plan sets out a number of principles to guide future planners and decision-‐makers, addressing location, building design, accessibility, sustainability, size and interior space. There are 11 key elements to the plan: 1. Floorspace per capita across the system will gradually increase to the median ratio for Canadian urban libraries — from 0.39 sf to approximately 0.6 sf 2.

GVPL’s system will be organized around three geographic districts: the Core District (Victoria, Oak Bay, Esquimalt and View Royal); the Saanich and Peninsula District (Saanich and Central Saanich); and the West Shore District, (Highlands, Colwood, Langford and Metchosin).

Floorspace in branch libraries would gradually increase in each District: Core by 20,687 sf minimum (38%) – 30,687 sf; Saanich and the Peninsula by 23,299 sf (48%); and West Shore by 27,625 sf (159%).

The floorspace guideline would be: District Library = 35,000 minimum -‐ 63,000 sf; Community Branch Library = 10,000 -‐ 15,000 sf; and Neighbourhood Branch = 3,000 -‐ 5,000 sf.

Nellie McClung and Juan de Fuca would become District Libraries of approximately 35,000 sf.

There will be a larger District Library of 45,000 sf minimum – 63,000 sf in Downtown Victoria, acknowledging its pre-‐eminent role as the capital city and region’s business and cultural heart.

Within the Core, changes are recommended at a branch level: a new and expanded Oak Bay Community Branch; a new and expanded Esquimalt Community Branch; and two new neighbourhood branches in Victoria.

Within the Saanich and Peninsula District, changes recommended at a branch level: replacement of the Emily Carr Branch as a neighbourhood branch; major renovation and expansion of the Central Saanich Community Branch; improvements to the Bruce Hutchison Community Branch; and minor improvements to the Saanich Centennial Community Branch.

Within the West Shore District, changes recommended at a branch level: expansion of the Goudy Express Branch to a neighbourhood branch; and a new neighbourhood branch in Langford or Colwood.

10. System and administrative services combined in a geographically central, accessible location. 11. More efficient delivery systems of materials and services in all facilities, enabling library staff to assist users with value-‐added services.

Implementing the Facilities Plan From discussions and comments on the draft version of the plan, there is broad support for the District Library model. Funds to make the plan a reality must come from many sources – municipal partners, business and individual donors, and other levels of government. If fully implemented, the capital costs of the facilities would be 1 about $60 Million . Ninety-‐two percent of those investments will be for district, community and neighbourhood branches, with roughly 8% for system service improvements and administration. The plan identifies six priority projects, with Emily Carr and Downtown Victoria being the most pressing. The actual timing for implementation depends on the willingness and financial resources of the municipalities that own (or lease) space on behalf of GVPL. Each municipality has its own strategic priorities, identified in a 5-‐year Capital Plan. GVPL will work closely with its municipal partners to ensure that library facilities are considered in every municipality’s capital planning process.

1 The capital costs include construction and fit-‐up in 2009 dollars. Additional soft costs, parking, larger collection costs in District libraries, and potential escalation and contingency costs are not included. The details of this costing, prepared in a collaboration by Chow Low Hammond Architects and Advicas Consulting, are presented in Appendix A.

Greater Victoria Public Library Facilities Plan

Summary Page 3

GVPL

District

Model

2026+

C e n t r a l

Saanich

Central

Branch

Highlands Bruce

Hutchison

Branch

Saanich V i e w

Royal

System

Administration

Services Nellie

McClung

District

Branch

Saanich

Centennial

Branch

Optional Neighbourhood Goudy

Branch Neighbourhood

Branch

Langford

Emily

Carr Neighbourhood

Branch

Juan

Fuca

District

Branch

Esquimalt

Colwood

O a k

Bay

Hillside

Neighbourhood

Branch

Oak

Bay Branch

Victoria

District

Branch

Esquimalt

Branch James

Bay

Neighbourhood

Branch

Optional Neighbourhood

Branch

Metchosin Saanich

Peninsula

District

Library

West

Shore

Community

Branch

Core

System

Administraton Neighbourhood

Branch 0.5

Radius

Chow Low Hammond Architects | CitySpaces Consulting | Judy Moore, Librarian

15 January 2010

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Making Space for the Future Report Greater Victoria Public Library 15 January 2010

Making Space for the Future Report Greater Victoria Public Library Table of Contents 1. Introduction and Context Format of this Plan

1 2

2. Floorspace Gap Analysis

3. Recap of Needs Assessment

4. Making Space for the Future

The Foundations of the Facilities Plan

Key Elements of the Facilities Plan

5. A Future Forward Approach — The District Library Model

6. Proposed Timeframe and Estimated Costs

7. Six Priority Projects

8. Next Steps

List of Figures Table 1:

Existing and Projected Floorspace

Table 2:

Proposed District Library Model, 2026

Map 1:

Proposed Locations, District Library Model, 2026

Figure 1: Capital Costs, District Libraries

Figure 2: Capital Costs, Community and Neighbourhood Branches

Figure 3: Capital Costs, System and Administration Services, Millions of Dollars

Figure 4: All Capital Costs, Millions of Dollars

Appendix A GVPL Facilities Plan Cost Analysis, October 2009 Companion Documents (under separate cover) GVPL Facilities Plan: Needs Assessment Report, September 2009 GVPL Facilities Plan: Context Report, March 2009

Making Space for the Future Report

Greater Victoria Public Library

The Greater Victoria Public Library system is a uniquely successful model of cooperation among 10 municipalities in Southern Vancouver Island. The entire library system — its branches and system-‐wide services — are housed in facilities owned by its municipal partners. Flowing from its Strategic Plan, in 2009, GVPL engaged a consulting team to undertake a detailed examination of these facilities to assess and make recommendations on their suitability for current use, and to anticipate future needs.

1. Introduction and Context Libraries are enduring elements of the social and cultural fabric of our daily lives — the facilities that house them are important, and can be inspirational places of learning and collaboration, open to all who walk through their doors. Library users, staff and community organizations are passionate about GVPL’s libraries. This was reinforced often during extensive consultations during 2009. The following quotes are a sampling of users’ perspectives about their libraries: “Libraries are democratic public institutions — a great equalizer among people of different ages, interests, backgrounds and education.” “I attended many preschool programs with my children — a fantastic offer, we benefitted so much from them. At the time finances were tight, so I really appreciated that programs are free of charge.” “I love this library and the people who work here. My only wish would be to enlarge it to accommodate more books, reading nooks and computer spots for people.” Increased user visits to all 10 locations and tremendous growth in circulation statistics mean that GVPL is busier than ever. Total circulation continues to climb every year, approaching 6,000,000 in 2009. Online use of the “holds system” has grown more than 20% in just three years, and each week there are more than 50,000 visits to GVPL’s branches. Yet, many of the facilities that house the libraries are stretched beyond their capacity, and have little if any room to grow to accommodate the diverse needs of users and staff. Despite the broad, positive support for GVPL’s services, participants in the consultation process were forceful, yet constructively critical about its facilities, and the physical readiness of these facilities to meet current and future needs. During more than 40 consultations, the consultants posed questions about each facility, probing about details of the exterior and interiors, as well as prompting discussion about the future distribution of facilities, including whether one larger facility is needed to serve the entire service area. The consultants also

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Greater Victoria Public Library Facilities Plan

met with elected and administrative municipal officials, potential institutional partners, community groups, and service providers. A great deal of input was received that has been documented in a companion report2 . From these discussions, it was clear that the status quo is unsustainable and that existing problems will only be magnified if not addressed proactively. Maintaining the successful partnership of 10 municipalities of varying sizes, with a mix of urban, suburban and rural settlements has been a fundamental consideration in developing the Facilities Plan. GVPL’s governance model is different from other Canadian library systems, where libraries either serve a single municipality, or provide services to many communities in large, sparsely populated regions.

Format of this Plan The plan is presented in six components: 1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6.

Introduction and Context Floorspace Gap Analysis Recap of Needs Assessment Making Space for the Future – Commitment, Principles, Key Elements Proposed Time Frame and Estimated Costs Six Priority Projects

2. Floorspace Gap Analysis GVPL’s strong desire, as expressed in its Strategic Plan, is to increase literacy, programming and community participation. Teen Services, World Language collections, and computer education programming are just a few of the initiatives in support of the strategic goal of providing and promoting opportunities for lifelong learning that affect floorspace. These initiatives, when combined with the meteoric growth of online holds and subsequent visits to libraries, strongly indicate the need for additional space across the system. Currently, GVPL serves roughly 305,000 people from 129,389 square feet of branch floorspace. This equates to a ratio of 0.394 square feet (sf) per capita, a considerably lower ratio than many other library systems3

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British Columbia's 2006 Public Library Branch Statistics http://www.bced.gov.bc.ca/pls/bcplstats showed the following:

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BC Median 0.65 square feet per capita

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BC Average 0.87 square feet per capita

The Canadian Urban Libraries Council (CULC) http://www/missisauga.ca/ﬁle/COM/2006 CULC Statistical Report, which collects and publishes statistics on larger Canadian public libraries, reported square footage up to 0.934 per capita, with a median of 0.524 square feet per capita.

2 GVPL Facilities Plan: Needs Assessment Report, August 2009 3 The use of a ratio of ﬂoorspace to resident population is a conventional methodology used by libraries and other institutions.

15 January 2010

Chow Low Hammond Architects | CitySpaces Consulting | Judy Moore, Librarian

Greater Victoria Public Library Facilities Plan

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Richmond Public Library http://www.yourlibrary.ca/BuildingOnSuccess.pdf, considered a Canadian leader in library innovation and technology, had 0.36 square feet per capita in 2008. The current Strategic Plan sets out an action plan to more than double this ﬁgure to 0.8 square feet per capita.

If no new branch space is added to GVPL’s system, with a projected 2026 population of 352,400, the ratio would decline to about 0.34 sf per capita. For GVPL to succeed in carrying out its main services and new initiatives eﬀectively, it is recommended that the ﬂoorspace ratio increase to 0.54 sf per capita by 20264 . This equates to an additional 69,900 sf across the system, an increase of approximately 58%.

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Table 1 shows the existing ﬂoorspace by municipality within three districts — Core, Saanich and the Peninsula, and West Shore5 . The table also shows the projected amount of ﬂoorspace needed within each district at a ratio of 0.54 sf per capita.

Table 1: Existing and Projected Floorspace Column A

District

Core

Saanich + Peninsula

Column B -‐ A

Increase between Existing and 2026

Existing Floorspace (sf)

2026 Projected Population

2026 Floorspace at 0.54 sf per capita

Victoria

32,025

84,700

45,738

Oak Bay

11,358

19,100

10,314

Esquimalt

8,600

21,100

11,394

View Royal

2,330

10,700

5,778

Total

54,313

135,600

73,224

Saanich

44,000

119,300

64,422

Central Saanich

4,701

17,700

9,558

Total

48,701

137,000

73,980

2,200

1,188

42,100

22,734

30,200

16,308

5,300

2,862

17,375

79,800

43,092

25,717

120,389

352,400

190,296

69,907

Municipality

Highlands Langford West Shore

Column B

Colwood

15,375 + 2,000 (Langford only)

Metchosin Total Total Floorspace Gap: Branches

18,911

25,279

Notes: Source of population projections – Capital Regional District and BC Statistics PEOPLE 33 projections.

4 This ﬁgure is 0.58 when system and administrative services are included. 5 Core District = Victoria, Oak Bay, Esquimalt, View Royal; Saanich and the Peninsula = Saanich and Central Saanich; West Shore = Colwood, Langford, Metchosin, Highlands. These district groupings of municipalities were based primarily on geographical proximity and existing patterns of use (residents postal code / branch circulation).

Chow Low Hammond Architects | CitySpaces Consulting | Judy Moore, Librarian

15 January 2010

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Greater Victoria Public Library Facilities Plan

3. Recap of Needs Assessment The average age of GVPL’s 10 existing facilities is more than 20 years. These range in age from the Goudy Branch in Langford, opened in 2008, to the Oak Bay Branch, opened in 1971. Only small additions and improvements have been made to many of the facilities over their lifespan. During the Winter and Spring of 2009, a team of architects and a librarian consultant undertook a thorough physical assessment of each facility. Concurrently, community planners held consultations with users, staﬀ and stakeholder groups. The following is a recap of the needs identiﬁed at that time.

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Existing Locations

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The majority of facilities are geographically well-‐located, with most with good accessibility by transit, vehicle, cycling or walking.

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Several facilities are co-‐located with recreational, cultural or civic activities, resulting in mutual advantages.

Existing Facilities

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Central, Emily Carr, Nellie McClung and Oak Bay are not adequate in their present form to meet current needs. To meet future demand, they will need to be replaced. Of these, Central and Emily Carr have the greatest challenges and face the most pressing need for replacement;

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Central Saanich, Bruce Hutchison and Juan de Fuca will require substantial improvements / expansion over the lifetime of this plan in order to operate eﬃciently and eﬀectively;

•

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While Esquimalt and Saanich Centennial operate eﬀectively to meet current demand, they will need to be improved / expanded over the life of the plan to respond to future needs; and

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The neighbourhood Goudy Branch will need a modest increase in ﬂoorspace.

Resource (Main) Library

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There were mixed views among users and staﬀ regarding a “Resource (Main) Library”. Some supported a larger main library in downtown Victoria, while others favoured a broader distribution of branch services and collections.

Facilities housing system-‐wide and administrative services 6

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System-‐wide and administrative services are split among three facilities — Central, Emily Carr and Juan de Fuca. All require substantial improvements. Rather than renovate to remain in three existing facilities, there was widespread support for co-‐location of these services in a geographically central, leased space within GVPL’s large service area.

6 Visiting Library Services, Talking Books, E-‐Branch Services, Outreach Services, Shuttle Service, Administration, Information Technology Solutions and Technical Services.

15 January 2010

Chow Low Hammond Architects | CitySpaces Consulting | Judy Moore, Librarian

Greater Victoria Public Library Facilities Plan

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Future Considerations

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Create ﬂexible spaces that can adapt to changing technology;

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Continue to be a community destination for everyone; aim to integrate with other community facilities (e.g., daycares, schools, recreation complexes);

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Provide resources to access virtual books;

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Use technology for self check-‐in, as well as check-‐out; migrate to RFID (Radio Frequency Identiﬁcation) for optimum inventory control and materials handling;

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Plan for small neighbourhood-‐centred libraries, as people work towards reducing their “carbon footprint” through walking, transit and cycling;

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Retroﬁt and build new facilities to high environmental and energy standards (e.g., LEED™); and

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Explore partnerships with government, universities and colleges and others for sharing of administrative and information technology.

4. Making Space for the Future Many factors were thoroughly considered in the development of the draft version of the facilities plan:

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The existing location, size, conﬁguration and use of GVPL’s 10 facilities;

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GVPL’s governance structure and the interests of its municipal partners that in 2009, contributed more than 80% of the operating funds for the library system.

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Changing demographic and economic patterns in GVPL’s service area in the future, using population projections for the year 2026;

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The organization components of the system — branch, system-‐wide and administrative services;

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The deﬁciencies and issues of each facility as identiﬁed through the needs assessment;

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GVPL’s existing Guidelines for Service / Facility Standards (June 2006);

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Learning from newly built and renovated facilities in Canada and the United States;

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Library trends in collections, programming, technology, energy conservation and sustainability;

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Potential opportunities to co-‐locate with other cultural, civic and recreational facilities; and

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Cost-‐eﬃciencies through building and information technology.

In November and December 2009, the consulting team released a draft plan and invited comments from municipal partners, staﬀ and the public. While some changes were made to reﬂect the discussions and comments, in general, there was broad support for the District Library Model, as detailed below.

Chow Low Hammond Architects | CitySpaces Consulting | Judy Moore, Librarian

15 January 2010

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Greater Victoria Public Library Facilities Plan

The Foundations of the Facilities Plan The details of the plan have their foundation in the following “Commitment Statement” and “Guiding Principles”. These will assist GVPL’s municipal partners, management and consultants who will be directly involved renovations, as well as site planning and design development for new facilities.

Our Facilities — A Commitment to the Future Greater Victoria’s libraries are welcoming and inspiring places for all who seek information and knowledge. In the coming years, we will improve all libraries through a network of district, community and neighbourhood branches. Working cooperatively with our municipal partners, libraries will be located, sized and conﬁgured to meet the changing needs of users and tap the potential of emerging technologies. We are fully committed to enhancing access, promoting literacy, and ensuring a healthy environment for our users and staﬀ as we prepare to “make space for the future”.

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Guiding Principles — Location

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Libraries must be near centres of existing and future population and business, with safe and easy access by pedestrians, cyclists, and transit users7. Distance travelled to access library services is a key consideration in the planning and development of facilities. Research shows that use of a library is heavily dependent on convenience of use.

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In an urban area, a library should be accessible to residents within 2.5 kilometres of their home.

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In suburban areas, a library should be accessible to residents within 5 kilometres of their home.

Co-‐location with other recreational, cultural and civic destinations is highly desirable. Shared use facilities are very popular with residents and visitors, and are more ﬁnancially sustainable than independently sited facilities. Sharing and developing synergies within other uses will be

7 The CRD's “Regional Growth Strategy” identifies one Metropolitan Core and eight Major Centres within an “Urban Containment and Servicing Boundary”. The identified Major Centres are to be “revitalized as walkable, transit-‐focused complete communities with a dense mix of businesses, housing, services and public open space”. Municipal Official Community Plans (OCPs) are consistent with the Growth Strategy. OCPs also identify additional centres for mixed-‐use development.

15 January 2010

Chow Low Hammond Architects | CitySpaces Consulting | Judy Moore, Librarian

Greater Victoria Public Library Facilities Plan

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increasingly important. Libraries, with their year-‐round, day and evening use, are an ideal adjunct to other cultural facilities and communities activities.

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Compatibility with municipal Oﬃcial Community Plans and the CRD’s Regional Growth Strategy is highly desirable. These plans and strategy identify areas of business activity, higher residential densities mixed-‐uses, and transit corridors – all factors to be taken into account in planning for community and neighbourhood branch libraries.

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Guiding Principles — Buildings / Design

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For centuries, libraries have been important cultural institutions in societies throughout the world. The buildings that house them must be inspirational, prideful and welcoming civic spaces. They must be easy to ﬁnd, and safe to use, day or night.

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Buildings must be safe and secure, with healthy environments. They should be seismically sound, barrier-‐free and accessible to all. Buildings should meet current BC Building Code standards and, when retrofitted or built new, should strive for cost-‐effective, energy-‐efficient building systems, compatible with LEED™ Silver.

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Buildings must be designed to be durable, adaptable and easily maintained in a cost-‐eﬀective manner, as libraries are well-‐used and open for long hours.

Guiding Principles — Interior Space

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Libraries should be able to meet the needs of all users in comfortable, functional, imaginative environments. There must be sufficient floorspace, able to be reconfigured to adapt to changing user and staff needs. Teen and children’s spaces, public computing stations, and programming spaces are integral to a well-‐planned library.

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Furnishings, equipment, technology and telecommunications must anticipate users’ future interests and take advantage of technologies that maximize self-‐service, minimize materials-‐ handling and improve security.

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There should be intuitive and self-‐navigable way-‐ﬁnding in all facilities.

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There are unique staﬀ needs that include ergonomic furnishings, well-‐planned, ﬂexible space for “back of house” materials’ handling, adequate storage and private areas for work and meetings.

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Guiding Principles — Floorspace

Library planning literature indicates that there are many factors aﬀecting space needs, including the unique needs of the individual community. In traditional library planning methodology, this is expressed as a “square foot per capita” ratio.

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Across the whole system, a ratio of 0.54 sf per capita is recommended. Including system-‐wide and administrative services this would be 0.58 sf per capita.

Chow Low Hammond Architects | CitySpaces Consulting | Judy Moore, Librarian

15 January 2010

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Greater Victoria Public Library Facilities Plan

Building size should also be determined by the major components: collection, user area, staﬀ area, multipurpose rooms, building systems and other non-‐assigned space.

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Guiding Principles — Organizational Components

GVPL’s organizational components are divided into branch, system and administrative functions.

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Branch service functions are those that interact directly with library users: circulation, reference, public computing, meetings and programs, local history and genealogy, World language materials, and other special collections. Branches need to be geographically central to a local community of users, with good walking, cycling and transit access.

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System-‐wide service functions usually do not depend on direct interface with library users. They include E-‐Branch Services, the Shuttle Service (inter-‐branch delivery), Outreach Services, Visiting Library Services, and Talking Books. Several of these functions would beneﬁt from a geographically central site for ease of distribution of materials, regional road access, ease of vehicle access, functional loading docks, and a practical working environment.

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Administrative service functions do not involve daily contact with library users. These functions include the Oﬃce of the CEO, ﬁnance, human resources, strategic development, facilities management, revenue generation, and community relations. Additionally, Information Technology Solutions and Technical Services have no regular contact with library users. Their locational needs are similar to system services, with the additional requirement of having access to the region’s best IT infrastructure.

Key Elements of the Facilities Plan 1.

During the implementation period, library ﬂoorspace per capita will gradually increase from 0.39 sf to 0.54 sf per capita – approaching the median for all Canadian urban libraries (2006). Including system and administrative services this ratio will increase to 0.58.

Working closely with our municipal partners, GVPL’s system will be organized around three geographic districts:

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The Core District, which includes Victoria, Oak Bay, Esquimalt and View Royal;

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The Saanich and Peninsula District, which includes Saanich and Central Saanich; and

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The West Shore District, which includes Highlands, Colwood, Langford and Metchosin

As shown in Table 2, if all elements of this plan are undertaken, by the end of the implementation period the branch library ﬂoorspace increases in each district:

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Core District = +20,687 sf (38%)

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Saanich and the Peninsula District = +23,299 sf (48%)

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West Shore District = +27,625 sf (158%)

15 January 2010

Chow Low Hammond Architects | CitySpaces Consulting | Judy Moore, Librarian

Greater Victoria Public Library Facilities Plan

Page 9

The recommended ﬂoorspace guideline for each of the three types of libraries is:

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District Library = 35,000 -‐ 45,000 sf

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Community Branch Library = 10,000 -‐ 15,000 sf

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Neighbourhood Branch Library = 3,000 -‐ 5,000 sf

Nellie McClung (in its current or an alternative location) and Juan de Fuca become District Libraries of up to 35,000 sf. Ideally, with the support of the District of Saanich, Nellie McClung will be rebuilt at the nexus of an east-‐west, north-‐south transportation corridor with access to major employment centres, including the University of Victoria, and Camosun College (Lansdowne campus). In the long-‐term, Juan de Fuca will be expanded in its existing excellent location – co-‐located with recreational and social facilities, and well served by roads and, increasingly over the implementation period, by transit. Both expanded libraries will house larger book, magazine and audio-‐visual collections, particularly for children and teens, and space for programming.

In the Core, a District Library of 45,000 sf in Downtown Victoria is recommended – approximately 30% larger than for the other two district facilities. The larger ﬂoorspace is a recognition of Downtown’s pre-‐eminent role as the region’s business, government and cultural heart. A totally new facility is recommended to be built in an easily accessible, landmark location — potentially, at Centennial Square. Serving a large number of workers employed in the most dense oﬃce and commercial part of the Capital Region, the Downtown District Library will house more business-‐oriented resources and special collections.

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A Downtown District Library would play a key role in the continuing vitalization of downtown, recognize the signiﬁcant use of the library by a daily working population of more than 25,000, and provide an improved quality of life for all Victoria and View Royal residents, for whom it is their “branch.”

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The detailed vision for a Downtown District Library will continue to be formed during the implementation of the plan. There is great potential to co-‐locate with other cultural and civic destinations. For example, a shared space, such as an auditorium, could support a wide range of literature, arts, and community events, further enhancing the library’s role as a major cultural institution.

Within the Core District, the following changes are recommended for community and neighbourhood branches:

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A new and expanded Oak Bay Community Branch within 10 years;

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A new and expanded Esquimalt Community Branch as part of its planned Village Centre redevelopment, possibly within a three to ﬁve year horizon; and

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Two new neighbourhood branches in the City of Victoria in the mid-‐ to longer-‐term, with the locations to be determined by the City in consultation with GVPL. Possible locations

Chow Low Hammond Architects | CitySpaces Consulting | Judy Moore, Librarian

15 January 2010

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Greater Victoria Public Library Facilities Plan

would be in James Bay and along the Hillside Corridor8. (Alternatively, at the City’s discretion, the ﬂoorspace proposed for these two neighbourhood branches, could be reallocated to the ﬂoorspace for the Downtown District Library). 8.

Within the Saanich and Peninsula District, the following changes are recommended for community and neighbourhood branches:

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Minor improvements to the Saanich Centennial Community Branch, towards the end of the implementation period;

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Replacement of the Emily Carr Branch with an neighbourhood branch, when this can reasonably be accomplished;

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Major renovation and expansion to create a Central Saanich Community Branch possibly in 10 years, with minor revisions in the interim; and

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Improvements to the Bruce Hutchison Community Branch, with the time frame for implementation to be determined in consultation with the District of Saanich.

Within the West Shore District, these changes are recommended:

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An expanded Goudy Neighbourhood Branch in the mid-‐term, within the same general vicinity and co-‐location with businesses and residences; and

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A second neighbourhood branch, located in one of the major growth centres of either Langford or Colwood, likely beyond a 10-‐year period.

10. System and administrative services are to be combined in one geographically central location, with easy access to major roads, and aligned with the South Island’s information technology grid, resulting in cost and space efficiencies. The exact location should be determined through a process of tendering for leased space, with Saanich and View Royal being possible locations. An executive office and boardroom will be maintained in the Downtown District Library. 11. More effective and efficient delivery systems of materials and services are recommended in all facilities (self-‐service, display and signage, and the use of radio frequency identification – RFID). These improvements will free library staff from more repetitive tasks, enabling them to assist users with value-‐added services such as community outreach, information and referral and increased programming. Table 2 provides a detailed breakdown of the size of all facilities proposed by the end of the implementation period. Map 1 shows their proposed location – in several cases these are existing locations.

8 The CRD’s 2003 Regional Growth Strategy identiﬁes the Hillside/Shelbourne area as one of seven “major centres”

15 January 2010

Chow Low Hammond Architects | CitySpaces Consulting | Judy Moore, Librarian

Greater Victoria Public Library Facilities Plan

Page 11

5. A Future Forward Approach — The District Library Model In establishing the long-‐term direction for GVPL’s facilities, it was concluded that a unique approach — referred to in this plan as the “District Library Model” — is essential to satisfy the needs of people living and working throughout the service area, and at the same time maintaining the balance between the local interests of our municipal partners and the overall library system. The following points help describe and explain the rationale for this direction:

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The District Library Model for GVPL’s library facilities responsibly prepares for the growth of the library system and addresses its more immediate concerns. Current space constraints hampers GVPL’s ability to operate at an optimum level, and overall square footage for facilities must increase. As well, all libraries, be they be a neighbourhood, community or district facility, must be aesthetically pleasing, functional, sustainable and enhance the environment of Greater Victoria;

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The new model will enable library users to obtain more services and collections closer to where they live, work and recreate. For example, seniors and those with accessibility issues will have resources and assistive equipment in district branches. Additionally, an opportunity exists for there to be more local history resources in the community, and for branches to be a gathering place for people. Distributed services and larger collections in district branches will include greater breadth and depth of materials;

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Additional space will be available for community and literacy programming in each district to augment the space that is available in community and neighbourhood branches. More efficient and effective space and equipment for staff functions and operations that support the network of library locations will be provided both from the administrative facility and district branches; and

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The district approach will strengthen GVPL oﬀerings, better respond to changing growth patterns, and provide opportunities for municipal partners to connect with their libraries contributing to community and economic development. Well-‐designed libraries in ideal locations ensure that everyone in GVPL’s service area has easy access to quality library services.

Alternatives to District Model Before recommending the District Library Model, other approaches were considered for the distribution size of facilities for the future. Two approaches are described below.

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A “Regional” model, involving a system of library branches of varying sizes, according to community need, coordinated through one administrative centre, typically located in a business park. This approach is used by the Vancouver Island, Fraser Valley and Okanagan Regional Library systems.

Chow Low Hammond Architects | CitySpaces Consulting | Judy Moore, Librarian

15 January 2010

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Greater Victoria Public Library Facilities Plan

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Application to Greater Victoria. The geographic catchment of a “regional” model is typically much more dispersed over a considerably larger area, and has a much less urban population than Greater Victoria. The Vancouver Island system serves communities in a vast area from the Queen Charlotte Islands to Port Renfrew. A benefit to a “regional” approach is to centralize administrative and technical functions in a cost-‐effective facility that does not provide direct customer services. In the Greater Victoria context, this benefit can be realized in a District Library approach.

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A large Resource (Main) Library with a series of community branch libraries. Administrative and technical services are housed in the main library. This library acts as the “ﬂagship” for the system, with a greater depth and breath of collections, signiﬁcant public display and gathering space. This approach is typically found where there is only one municipality involved in governance – for example, Vancouver, Edmonton or Seattle.

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Application to Great Victoria. This structure is typically found in a densely urbanized setting that concentrates many resources into one large facility. In Greater Victoria, the costs of funding one large library may be prohibitive to some municipal partners who favour improved services geographically closer to their residents.

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While this approach is not viable in a service area with 10 municipalities, it is recognized that more than a community branch is needed to provide a focal point within Victoria — BC’s Capital, hence a 30% larger Downtown District Library is recommended in the District Library Model.

15 January 2010

Chow Low Hammond Architects | CitySpaces Consulting | Judy Moore, Librarian

Greater Victoria Public Library Facilities Plan

Page 13

Table 2: Proposed District Library Model, 2026 + District

Core

Saanich and Peninsula

West Shore

2026 Population

135,600

137,000

79,800

352,400

Proposed Floorspace in 2026

Libraries

Floorspace in 2009

Change in Total Floorspace 2009 -‐ 2026

54,313

20,687

48,701

23,299

Victoria District

45,000

Hillside Neighbourhood

5,000

James Bay Neighbourhood

3,000

Oak Bay Branch

12,000

Esquimalt Branch

10,000

Total Core

75,000

Nellie McClung District

35,000

Emily Carr Neighbourhood

5,000

Bruce Hutchison Branch

9,500

Saanich Centennial Branch

12,500

Central Saanich Branch

10,000

Total Saanich + Peninsula

72,000

Juan de Fuca District

35,000

Goudy Neighbourhood Branch New Neighbourhood Branch

5,000

Total West Shore

45,000

17,375

27,625

192,000

120,389

71,611

5,000

2009 Floorspace

120,389

2026 Floorspace

192,000

Library Per Square Foot Per Capita in 2026

0.545

System and Administrative Services in 2026

14,500

Total GVPL System in 2026

206,500

Total Per Square Foot Per Capital (including System and Administrative Services)

Chow Low Hammond Architects | CitySpaces Consulting | Judy Moore, Librarian

0.586

15 January 2010

Map 1

GVPL

District

Model

2026+

C e n t r a l

Saanich

Central

Branch

Highlands Bruce

Hutchison

Branch

Saanich V i e w

Royal

System

Administration

Services Nellie

McClung

District

Branch

Saanich

Centennial

Branch

Optional Neighbourhood Goudy

Branch Neighbourhood

Branch

Langford

Emily

Carr Neighbourhood

Branch

Juan

Fuca

District

Branch

Esquimalt

Colwood

O a k

Bay

Hillside

Neighbourhood

Branch

Oak

Bay Branch

Victoria

District

Branch

Esquimalt

Branch James

Bay

Neighbourhood

Branch

Optional Neighbourhood

Branch

Metchosin Saanich

Peninsula

District

Library

West

Shore

Community

Branch

Core

System

Administraton Neighbourhood

Branch 0.5

Radius

Greater Victoria Public Library Facilities Plan

Page 15

6. Proposed Timeframe and Estimated Costs “Making Space for the Future” means investing over the coming 15 years and beyond. Funds to make this a reality must come from many sources – municipal partners, private businesses and individual donors, as well as other levels of government. In 2010, GVPL will be developing a capital campaign to help advance the implementation of the facilities projects. Over the implementation period, if the full program is undertaken, the total capital costs will be about $60 M9 . Fully 92% of those investments will be “branch-‐specific”, and roughly 8% will be system and administration related. The following four figures set out the construction / fit up costs but do not factor in soft costs, parking, additional collections for District libraries, potential escalation or contingency. Also, neither land costs (nor leasing costs) have been factored into these estimates. The principal reason for this is that several sites are already owned fully by the municipalities in which they are located. Figure 1: Capital Costs, District Libraries, Millions of Dollars District Core Saanich + Peninsula West Shore

Library Downtown Victoria

Short-‐Term

Long Term

All

15.75

Nellie McClung

12.50

Juan de Fuca

GVPL System

Mid-‐Term

15.75

12.50

1.18

5.77

1.18

5.77

35.20

Long Ter m

All

Figure 2: Capital Costs, Community and Neighbourhood Branches, Millions of Dollars District

Library Oak Bay

Core

Short-‐Term

Mid-‐Term

0.60

4.40

Esquimalt

0.15

Neighbourhood (2)

Saanich + Peninsula

Emily Carr Neighbourhood Bruce Hutchison

3.67 1.25

1.00 3.03

Central Saanich

0.15

2.26

Saanich Centennial West Shore GVPL System

0.94

Goudy Neighbourhood West Shore #2 Neighbourhood

0.75

0.85 1.25 1.60

3.18

1.00

12.83

1.69

20.30

9 2009 dollars. The details of this costing, prepared in a collaboration by Chow Low Hammond Architects and Advicas Consulting, are presented as Appendix A.

Chow Low Hammond Architects | CitySpaces Consulting | Judy Moore, Librarian

15 January 2010

Page 16

Greater Victoria Public Library Facilities Plan

Figure 3: Capital Costs, System and Administration Services, Millions of Dollars System and Administration Services

Short-‐Term

Mid-‐Term

Visiting Library, Talking Books

0.02

Shuttle

0.05

Signage

0.07

0.09

Telephone System / Cards & Accounts

0.14

0.10

RFID (Radio Frequency Identiﬁcation

0.60

4 0.60

Display Racks and Furniture

0.05

0.10

Administration

0.75

Information Technology

0.31

Technical Services

Long-‐ Term

All

0.04

0.40

0.30

0.40

0.30

4.95

Long-‐ Term

All

5.77

35.20

0.63

Total GVPL System

1.99

1.52

0.74

Figure 4: All Capital Costs, Millions of Dollars All Branches and Services

Short-‐Term

Mid-‐Term

District Libraries

15.75

12.5

1.18

Community and Neighbourhood Branches

1.60

3.18

1.0

12.83

1.69

20.30

System and Administration

1.99

1.52

0.74

0.40

0.30

4.95

All Services

19.34

17.2

2.92

13.23

7.76

60.45

15 January 2010

Chow Low Hammond Architects | CitySpaces Consulting | Judy Moore, Librarian

Greater Victoria Public Library Facilities Plan

Page 17

7. Six Priority Projects An audit was conducted on all GVPL facilities, including accessibility and building code; functional spaces such as computing, teen, children's and adult areas; workrooms, areas for circulation and information; program rooms; and ventilation, cooling and lighting, along with the overall quality of space and building’s image. In order of priority, six facilities warrant significant capital improvements, or replacement. While these are viewed by users and staff as the most urgent for renewal, their timing depends on the willingness and financial resources of the municipalities that own (or lease) space on behalf of GVPL. Each municipality has its own strategic priorities and identifies these in its 5-‐Year Capital Plan.

‣

Priority #1 – Emily Carr Neighbourhood Branch. This 38-‐year old facility is challenged to meet today’s users needs due to its inaccessibility, poor conﬁguration, poor lighting, and outdated building systems. Locked between two major arterial roads, the location is poorly suited to its current use, with no prospect for expansion. The branch ﬂoorspace, on two levels, is without elevator access. This branch should be moved to a more suitable location, co-‐located as an “neighbourhood branch” with other compatible uses. Emily Carr Neighbourhood Branch

‣

Type of Service

Neighbourhood Branch

Total Space Required

5,000 sf

Possible Locations

Uptown Centre

Co-‐location Potential

Retail and oﬃce complex

Occupancy Year

Capital Cost (2009$)

$1.0 M

Priority #2 – Downtown Victoria District Library. There are significant deficiencies in building systems, space configurations, programming, accessibility, and shipping / receiving in the existing “Central” branch. The 30-‐year old facility suffers from lack of visibility and identity. It is seriously compromised by lack of space for special collections, and is virtually unrecognizable as the region’s main library facility. A major renovation will not solve many of the disadvantages of the building and its location. The Victoria and View Royal community branches would also be incorporated as purpose-‐designed within this District Library. Downtown Victoria Library Type of Service

District Library

Total Space Required

45,000 sf

Possible Locations

Centennial Square

Co-‐location Potential

To be further explored

Timeframe for Completion

Capital Cost (2009$)

$15.75M

Chow Low Hammond Architects | CitySpaces Consulting | Judy Moore, Librarian

15 January 2010

Page 18

‣

Greater Victoria Public Library Facilities Plan

Priority #3 – Nellie McClung. This extremely busy, well-‐located branch, is space-‐challenged to satisfy current needs and will be too small to serve this intensifying area of Saanich. Building conditions and systems are among the poorest within the system and there are many interior challenges to customer service and staﬀ workﬂows. This facility needs to be redeveloped or relocated to meet future needs. Its location on a major north-‐south; east-‐west corridor, close to UVic and Camosun College (Lansdowne) further reinforces its strategic location in Saanich. Nellie McClung District Library

‣

Type of Service

District Library

Total Space Required

35,000 sf

Possible Locations

Vicinity of existing site

Co-‐location Potential

To be further explored

Occupancy Year

Capital Cost in 2009 Dollars

$12.75 M

Priority #4 — Bruce Hutchison. This community branch library was designed in the early 1990s and opened in 1994. Its co-‐location with the recreational activities at Commonwealth Place make it a very busy small facility. Few changes have been made since its opening and, to satisfy future needs, the facility requires improvements for both users and staﬀ in the mid-‐term. Bruce Hutchison Community Branch

‣

Type of Service

Community Branch

Total Space Required

9,500 sf

Possible Locations

At existing location

Co-‐location Potential

Already co-‐located with several

Occupancy Year

Capital Cost (2009$)

$3.03 M

Priority #5 — Oak Bay. This branch is the second busiest in GVPL’s system. Despite a character renovation/addition in 2000, this 38-‐year old branch has fundamental problems, related to the building’s systems and conditions, signiﬁcant space limitations to meet user needs, shipping / receiving, and other matters. It requires either a major renovation / expansion, or relocation. Oak Bay Community Branch Type of Service

Community Branch

Total Space Required

12,000 sf

Possible Locations

Uncertain. Space limitations at existing

Co-‐location Potential

To be further explored

Occupancy Year

+6 -‐ 10

Capital Cost (2009$)

$4.40 M

15 January 2010

Chow Low Hammond Architects | CitySpaces Consulting | Judy Moore, Librarian

Greater Victoria Public Library Facilities Plan

‣

Page 19

Priority #6 — Central Saanich. This 20-‐year old facility is small (4,700 sf), dated, poorly conﬁgured and undersized relative to the population of Central Saanich. Accessibility and lack of dedicated programming space are problematic. A major renovation / addition to this building is required to provide a purpose-‐designed library. Central Saanich Community Branch Type of Service

Community Branch

Total Space Required

10,000 sf

Possible Locations

Existing Brentwood Bay location

Co-‐location Potential

Seniors Centre (existing)

Occupancy Year

+6 -‐ 10

Capital Cost (2009$)

$2.26 M

8. Next Steps Since the draft version of the Facilities Plan was released for review in late Fall 2009, comments from GVPL’s municipal partners, and all interested members of the community, have been taken into account. In the coming months and years, GVPL will use the plan as it redevelops its “guidelines for service / facility standards” and will work closely with its municipal partners to implement the plan’s long-‐term vision. This will require continuing communications between the library and municipal administrations and, ideally, a harmonization of capital planning processes. GVPL will convey its ﬁnancial aspirations to each municipal partner well before the municipality’s annual operating and capital budgeting processes and be alert to opportunities for involvement in future community planning processes. More than 2,000 years ago, Cicero, the renowned Roman philosopher and statesman, wrote, “to add a library to a house is to give that house a soul”. Today, for many people, our neighbourhoods and city centres are also “our house” and libraries, as they have been for centuries, are an institution that “gives that house a soul”. Through the progressive implementation of this plan, GVPL and its partners will ensure that libraries continue to play this essential role throughout Greater Victoria, while helping to build healthy and sustainable communities.

Chow Low Hammond Architects | CitySpaces Consulting | Judy Moore, Librarian

15 January 2010

Appendix A — Cost Analysis CHOW LOW HAMMOND ARCHITECTS INC. Advicas Group October 2009 January 2010 Note: CLHa’s and Advicas’ scope of work was to develop a costing model on a 15 years basis for the draft plan. Their work has not been updated, as the revisions between the draft plan and the ﬁnal plan do not have a substantive impact on the costing of the plan’s elements. It is important to understand that, as a result of review by GVPL’s municipal partners and in recognition of municipal capital planning processes, the timeframe for completion of all elements will likely extend beyond 15 years. In the text of the plan, references are made to short, mid and long-‐term implementation.

Executive Summary – GVPL FACILITIES PLAN COST ANALYSIS ESTIMATED COST / YEAR

Branches

Totals by Branch

Responsible

Year 1

Year 2

3-5

6-10

11-15

Municipal

15,750,000

$15,750,000

GVPL

Core District Core District Library (Victoria)

$15,750,000

Neighbourhood Branch 1 (Victoria)

Municipal

1,250,000

$1,250,000

GVPL

$0 $1,250,000

Neighbourhood Branch 2 (Victoria)

Municipal

750,000

GVPL

$750,000

Oak Bay Community Branch

Municipal

150,000

GVPL

450,000

4,404,000

$4,554,000

$450,000 $5,004,000

Esquimalt Community Branch

Municipal

3,670,000

$3,670,000

GVPL

150,000

$150,000 $3,820,000

Sub Totals - By Year

Municipal

15,900,000

9,324,000

750,000

GVPL

450,000

150,000

TOTAL - Core District: 16,350,000

150,000

9,324,000

750,000

$25,974,000.00 $600,000.00

$26,574,000

Saanich and Peninsula District District Library – Nellie McClung

Municipal

12,500,000

$12,500,000

GVPL

$0 $12,500,000

Emily Carr Neighbourhood Municipal Branch GVPL

875,000

$875,000

125,000

$125,000 $1,000,000

Bruce Hutchison Community Branch

Municipal

2,817,700

$2,817,700

GVPL

209,000

$209,000 $3,026,700

Saanich Centennial Community Branch

Municipal

GVPL

937,500

$0 $937,500 $937,500

Central Saanich Community Branch

Municipal

2,259,700

GVPL

150,000

$2,259,700 $150,000 $2,409,700

Sub Totals - By Year

Municipal

875,000

15,317,700

2,259,700

$18,452,400.00

GVPL

125,000

359,000

937,500

$1,421,500.00

15,676,700

2,259,700

937,500

$19,873,900

TOTAL - Saanich and Peninsula District: 1,000,000

October 5, 2009 / Page 1

Executive Summary – GVPL FACILITIES PLAN COST ANALYSIS ESTIMATED COST / YEAR

Branches Responsible

Year 1

Year 2

3-5

6-10

Municipal

682,500

GVPL

500,000

11-15

Totals by Branch

West Shore District West Shore District Library (Juan de Fuca)

5,766,300 0

$6,448,800 $500,000 $6,948,800

Goudy Neighbourhood Branch (Langford)

Municipal

850,000

$850,000

GVPL

$0 $850,000

Neighbourhood Branch 1 (West Shore)

Municipal

GVPL

1,250,000 0

$1,250,000

$0 $1,250,000

Sub Totals - By Year

Municipal

1,532,500

GVPL

500,000

2,032,500

TOTAL - West Shore District:

Total Branch Costs All Districts

Administrative Services

System Services

Municipal GVPL

Municipal

Total Combined Costs

October 5, 2009 / Page 2

5,766,300

$9,048,800

1,532,500 12,833,700

6,516,300

$52,975,200

937,500

$2,521,500

Total All District, Community and Neighbourhood Branches

$55,496,700

16,775,000 15,317,700 575,000

1,062,500

359,000

625,000

650,000

$1,687,500

Municipal

Municipal GVPL

Total GVPL Costs

1,250,000

GVPL

Total Municipal Costs

$500,000.00

Branches, System, Admin

Project Soft Costs 18%

$8,548,800.00

GVPL

Escalation Contingency 4%

5,766,300

GVPL

Subtotal

1,250,000

930,000

890,000

400,000

300,000

$3,260,000

1,532,500 12,833,700

6,516,300

$54,662,700

1,390,000

1,237,500

$5,781,500

$19,342,500 $17,191,700 $2,922,500 $13,233,700 $7,753,800

$60,444,200

17,837,500 15,942,700 1,505,000

1,249,000

740,000

400,000

713,500

1,275,416

245,200

4,106,784

3,388,476

$9,729,376

60,200

99,920

222,400

128,000

643,500

$1,154,020

3,339,180

3,099,261

319,986

3,049,287

1,782,860

$11,590,574

281,736

242,806

290,232

95,040

338,580

$1,248,394

2,098,000 19,990,000 11,688,000

$75,983,000

21,890,000 20,317,000 1,847,000

1,592,000

1,903,000

623,000

2,220,000

$8,185,000

$23,737,000 $21,909,000 $4,001,000 $20,613,000 $13,908,000

$84,168,000

GVPL FACILITIES PLAN DISTRICT MODEL -‐ COST ANALYSIS Advicas Group DISTRICT SERVICE MODEL

BRANCH LIBRARY

COST

PRIORITY 1

M/G

1st yr

2nd yr

3-5

6-10

11-15

Sub Totals

Assumptions All costs as at 4Q 2009 base $300 New average construction unit rate

$100 Minor renovations construction unit rate

$50 Fixed Library Fixtures and Equipment unit rate for 5,000 s.f.

$45 for 10,000 s.f. for 10,000 s.f.

$35 for 35,000 s.f.

$25 Loose Library Furniture, Decorations and Specialist Equipment unit rate for 5,000 s.f. $22 for 10,000 s.f. for 10,000 s.f.

$15 for 35,000 s.f.

$50 New book collection allowance Lease notes (lease costs excluded below, tenant improvement costs included)

3% avg rental escalation rate

$125 Tenant Improvement Allowance (over typical base building in leased space)

7.50% avg cap rate

$27 /sf/yr lease rate large area

$53 smaller area

CORE DISTRICT CORE DISTRICT LIBRARY - formerly CENTRAL (Victoria / View Royal)

Proposed Area: 45,000 s.f.

Existing Area: 34,355

Construct new Victoria / View Royal branch "replacement" Library in purpose built facility: area 45,000 s.f. (Land costs and soft costs excluded)

MUN.

Relocate Administration area, IT services into share office building - leased or new, in a GVPL'S central area. (Land costs and soft costs excluded)

MUN.

In Admin Service

Supply and Install Fixed Library Fixtures and Equipment for the new 45,000 s.f. Branch Library (racking and shelving systems, mobile units, window blinds, artworks, AV equipment, computers, etc)

MUN.

$1,575,000

Supply and Install Loose Furniture, Decorations, and Specialist Equipment for the new 45,000 s.f. Branch Library (Owner supplied)

MUN.

$675,000

VICTORIA DISTRICT BRANCH :

$15,750,000

$13,500,000

NEIGHBOURHOOD BRANCH 1 (Victoria)

$0 $15,750,000

Proposed Area: 5,000 s.f.

Lease space for new Neighbourhood Branch library: 5,000 s.f.

MUN.

Supply and Install tenant fit-up (interior finishes, partitions, walls, ceilings M & E modifications, etc...) for Neighbourhood Branch of 5,000 s.f.

MUN.

$625,000

Supply and Install new book collection for both Neighbourhood Plus Branch of 5,000s.f.

MUN.

$250,000

Supply and Install Fixed Specialist Fixtures and Equipment for Neighbourhood Branch of 5,000 s.f. (racking and shelving systems, mobile units, window blinds, artworks, AV equipment, computers, etc)

MUN.

$250,000

Supply and Install Loose Furniture, Decorations, and Specialist Equipment for Neighbourhood Branch of 5,000 s.f. (Owner supplied)

MUN.

$125,000

NEIGHBOURHOOD BRANCH 1 :

Lease cost excluded

NEIGHBOURHOOD BRANCH 2 (Victoria)

$1,250,000

Proposed Area: 3,000 s.f.

Lease space for new Neighbourhood Branch library: 3,000 s.f.

MUN.

Lease cost excluded

Supply and Install tenant fit-up (interior finishes, partitions, walls, ceilings M & E modifications, etc...) for Neighbourhood Branch of 3,000 s.f.

MUN.

$375,000

Supply and Install new book collection for Neighbourhood Branch of 3,000 s.f.

MUN.

$150,000

Supply and Install Fixed Specialist Fixtures and Equipment for Neighbourhood Branch of 3,000 s.f. (racking and shelving systems, mobile units, window blinds, artworks, AV equipment, computers, etc)

MUN.

$150,000

Supply and Install Loose Furniture, Decorations, and Specialist Equipment for both Neighbourhood Branches of 3,000 s.f. (Owner supplied)

MUN.

$75,000

NEIGHBOURHOOD BRANCH 2:

05 October 2009 / Page 3

$1,250,000

$750,000

GVPL FACILITIES PLAN DISTRICT MODEL -‐ COST ANALYSIS OAK BAY BRANCH

Existing Area: 11,358

Proposed Area: 12,000 s.f.

Construct minor renovation to improve functionality and service as a short term measure: 1,500 s.f. of the total 11,358 s.f.

MUN.

$150,000

Construct minor renovation to improve functionality and service as a short term measure: 4,500 s.f. of the total 11,358 s.f.

GVPL

$450,000

Construct new Branch Library: 12,000 s.f. in 8-10 yrs. There is potential to redevelop library with a future Municipal Hall redevelopment. (Land costs and soft costs excluded)

MUN.

$3,600,000

Supply and Install Fixed Specialist Fixtures and Equipment for the new 12,000 s.f. Branch Library (racking and shelving systems, mobile units, window blinds, artworks, AV equipment, computers, etc)

MUN.

$540,000

Supply and Install Loose Furniture, Decorations, and Specialist Equipment for the new 12,000 s.f. Branch Library (Owner supplied)

MUN.

$264,000

OAK BAY BRANCH :

ESQUIMALT BRANCH

$600,000

Existing Area: 8,600 s.f.

$4,404,000

Minor renovations to update public areas - primarily children's & teen areas and some interior finishes: 1,500 s.f.

GVPL

New Library branch could be considered in future if Municipal Hall expands into current library space: 10,000 s.f.

MUN.

$3,000,000

Supply and Install Fixed Specialist Fixtures and Equipment for the new 10,000 s.f. Branch Library (racking and shelving systems, mobile units, window blinds, artworks, AV equipment, computers, etc)

MUN.

$450,000

Supply and Install Loose Furniture, Decorations, and Specialist Equipment for the new 10,000 s.f. Branch Library (Owner supplied)

MUN.

$220,000

SUBTOTALS - CORE DISTRICT

$5,004,000

Proposed Area: 10,000 s.f.

ESQUIMALT BRANCH :

$150,000

$3,670,000

$16,350,000

$150,000

$9,324,000

$3,820,000

$750,000 $26,574,000

SAANICH and PENINSULA DISTRICT SAANICH and PENINSULA DISTRICT LIBRARY (Nellie McClung)

Existing Area: 13,700

Proposed Area: 35,000 s.f.

Construct new 35,000 s.f. primary library for Saanich District as replacement/expansion for Nellie McClung. Possible rebuild on current site or co-location with a new adjacent Cedar Hill High School. (Land costs and soft costs excluded)

MUN.

$10,500,000

Supply and Install new book collection for increased size of branch to 35,000 s.f. area (difference of 31,300 s.f.)

MUN.

$250,000

Supply and Install Fixed Specialist Fixtures and Equipment for the new 35,000 s.f. Branch Library (racking and shelving systems, mobile units, window blinds, artworks, AV equipment, computers, etc)

MUN.

$1,225,000

Supply and Install Loose Furniture, Decorations, and Specialist Equipment for the new 35,000 s.f. Branch Library (Owner supplied)

MUN.

$525,000

NELLIE McCLUNG DISTRICT BRANCH :

EMILY CARR NEIGHBOURHOOD BRANCH

$12,500,000

Existing Area: 8,604 s.f.

Lease space for new 5,000 s.f. Neighbourhood Branch Library in walkable area with good transit connections within 1-2 km of decommissioned branch - such as Uptown

MUN.

Supply and Install tenant fit-up (interior finishes, partitions, walls, ceilings M & E modifications, etc...) for neighbourhood Branch of 5,000 s.f.

MUN.

05 October 2009 / Page 4

Proposed Area: 5,000 s.f.

Lease costs excluded

$625,000

$12,500,000

GVPL FACILITIES PLAN DISTRICT MODEL -‐ COST ANALYSIS 3

Close current location and relocate Visiting Library services and Shuttle service equally into the three District Libraries: 1,000 s.f. of area each for a total 3,000 s.f.

MUN.

Supply and Install Fixed Specialist Fixtures and Equipment for the new 5,000 s.f. Branch Library (racking and shelving systems, mobile units, window blinds, artworks, AV equipment, computers, etc)

MUN.

$250,000

Supply and Install Loose Furniture, Decorations, and Specialist Equipment for the new 5,000 s.f. Branch Library (Owner supplied)

MUN.

$125,000

EMILY CARR NEIGHBOURHOOD BRANCH :

$1,000,000

BRUCE HUTCHISON BRANCH

In System Service

Existing Area: 9,196 s.f.

Construct major renovation to improve building conditions, functional space, finishes and building systems: 9,500 s.f. including program room. Within 3 5 yrs.

MUN.

$2,390,200

Supply and Install Fixed Specialist Fixtures and Equipment for the new 9,500 s.f. Branch Library (racking and shelving systems, mobile units, window blinds, artworks, AV equipment, computers, etc)

MUN.

$427,500

Supply and Install Loose Furniture, Decorations, and Specialist Equipment for the new 9,500 s.f. Branch Library (Owner supplied)

MUN.

$209,000

BRUCE HUTCHISON BRANCH :

SAANICH CENTENNIAL BRANCH

$3,026,700

CENTRAL SAANICH BRANCH

Construct minor renovation to improve aesthetic quality of existing library for new Teen & Children's area, new finishes: 1,500 s.f.

GVPL

Rebuild Branch Library in current location as an addition to Seniors Centre: Increase size to 10,000 s.f.

MUN.

$1,589,700

Supply and Install Fixed Specialist Fixtures and Equipment for the new 10,000 s.f. Branch Library (racking and shelving systems, mobile units, window blinds, artworks, AV equipment, computers, etc)

MUN.

$450,000

Supply and Install Loose Furniture, Decorations, and Specialist Equipment for the new 10,000 s.f. Branch Library (Owner supplied)

MUN.

$220,000

$937,500

$150,000

$2,259,700

$1,000,000

$15,676,700

$2,259,700

Existing Area: 15,375

Relocate Technical Services into consolidated administration facility in centralized area of GVPL: 5,000 s.f.

Construct interior minor renovation to modify and update Teen and Children's areas and back room work flows: 5,000 s.f. of the total 15,375 s.f.

GVPL

$500,000

Renovate and reconfigure vacated Technical Services area to include into Library space: 3,900 s.f.

MUN.

$390,000

In Admin Service

$2,409,700

$937,500 $19,873,900

Proposed Area: 35,000 s.f.

05 October 2009 / Page 5

$937,500

$150,000

WEST SHORE DISTRICT WEST SHORE DISTRICT LIBRARY (Juan de Fuca)

$3,026,700

Proposed Area: 10,000 s.f.

SUBTOTALS - SAANICH and PENINSULA DISTRICT

$937,500

Existing Area: 4,701 s.f.

CENTRAL SAANICH BRANCH :

$1,000,000

Proposed Area: 12,500 s.f.

GVPL

SAANICH CENTENNIAL BRANCH :

Proposed Area: 9,500 s.f.

Existing Area: 12,500 s.f.

Minor upgrades over time to meet the needs of customers and changing technology

GVPL FACILITIES PLAN DISTRICT MODEL -‐ COST ANALYSIS 4

Supply and Install Fixed Specialist Fixtures and Equipment for the new 3,900 s.f. Branch renovation (racking and shelving systems, mobile units, window blinds, artworks, AV equipment, computers, etc)

MUN.

$195,000

Supply and Install Loose Furniture, Decorations, and Specialist Equipment for the new 3,900 s.f. Branch renovation (Owner supplied)

MUN.

$97,500

Construct new addition of 15,000 s.f. to bring total District library area to 35,000 s.f.

MUN.

$4,500,000

Supply and Install Fixed Specialist Fixtures and Equipment for the total 18,900 s.f. space (racking and shelving systems, mobile units, window blinds, artworks, AV equipment, computers, etc)

MUN.

$850,500

Supply and Install Loose Furniture, Decorations, and Specialist Equipment for the total 18,900 s.f. space (Owner supplied)

MUN.

$415,800

JUAN de FUCA DISTRICT BRANCH :

GOUDY NEIGHBOURHOOD BRANCH (Langford)

Existing Area: 2,000 s.f.

$1,182,500

Expansion of Goudy Neighbourhood branch is difficult in current location.

Lease space for an Neighbourhood Branch Library with program room: 5,000 s.f. in 3 - 5 yrs to meet demand of growing population & younger families.

MUN.

Supply and Install tenant fit-up (interior finishes, partitions, walls, ceilings M & E modifications, etc...) for neighbourhood Branch of 5,000 s.f.

MUN.

$625,000

Supply and Install Fixed Specialist Fixtures and Equipment for additional 3,000 s.f. Branch Library (racking and shelving systems, mobile units, window blinds, artworks, AV equipment, computers, etc)

MUN.

$150,000

Supply and Install Loose Furniture, Decorations, and Specialist Equipment for additional 3,000 s.f. Branch Library (Owner supplied)

MUN.

$75,000

$6,948,800

Lease costs excluded

NEIGHBOURHOOD BRANCH 1 (West Shore)

$850,000

Proposed Area: 5,000 s.f.

Lease space for an Neighbourhood Plus Branch Library in West Hills area or Bear Mountain area: 5,000 s.f. in 6 - 8 yrs.

MUN.

Supply and Install tenant fit-up (interior finishes, partitions, walls, ceilings M & E modifications, etc...) for neighbourhood Branch of 5,000 s.f.

MUN.

$625,000

Supply and Install new book collection for neighbourhood Branch of 5,000 s.f.

MUN.

$250,000

Supply and Install Fixed Specialist Fixtures and Equipment for the new 5,000 s.f. Branch Library (racking and shelving systems, mobile units, window blinds, artworks, AV equipment, computers, etc)

MUN.

$250,000

Supply and Install Loose Furniture, Decorations, and Specialist Equipment for the new 5,000 s.f. Branch Library (Owner supplied)

MUN.

$125,000

WEST SHORE Neighbourhood BRANCH :

SUBTOTALS - WEST SHORE DISTRICT

SUBTOTALS - BRANCH UPGRADES - DISTRICT MODEL

05 October 2009 / Page 6

$5,766,300

Proposed Area: 5,000 s.f.

GOUDY Neighbourhood BRANCH :

Lease costs excluded

$1,250,000

$2,032,500

$1,250,000

$5,766,300

$9,048,800

$17,350,000 $15,676,700

$2,182,500 $12,833,700

$7,453,800 $55,496,700

GVPL FACILITIES PLAN -‐ System Services Costs

COST

PRIORITY

Sub Totals

RECOMMENDATIONS 1

1st yr

2nd yr

3-5

6 - 10

11 - 15

SYSTEM SERVICES ASSISTED SERVICES ( Visiting Library & Talking Books)

Relocate Visiting Library Services from Emily Carr branch equally distributed within the three expanded District Libraries: Victoria, Nellie McClung and Juan de Fuca. Approximate square feet: This program will be absorbed into the district library with no additional area.

Cost to phase in Visiting Library services to a district model. Approximate area: 1,000 s.f. @ $20/s.f.

Redevelop Talking Books Services from Central branch into the new Core "Victoria" District Library. Approximate square feet: 3,000 s.f.

N/A

$20,000

Included in Victoria District

Assisted Services Subtotals:

$20,000

$50,000

$200,000

SHUTTLE SERVICES / HOLDS

Relocate Shuttle Services from Emily Carr branch into new "leased" space, collocated with other Internal System Services, that is centrally located in the GVPL service area for efficiencies. Secure loading area and parking of two vehicles necessary. Approximate area: 1000s.f.

Supply and Install minor tenant fit-up (interior finishes, partitions, walls) for Shuttle Services/ Holds area of 1,000 s.f.

Lease costs excluded

$50,000

Shuttle Services Subtotals:

$50,000

SIGNAGE

Design, construct and install new building signage for each branch - matching a GVPL brand standard (10 in total), include for secondary signage for directional wayfinding purposes.

$50,000

Design, construct and install new standardized interior signage for each branch (9 in total) to include all customer service points, facilities, collections, washrooms etc.

$20,000

$40,000

$70,000

$90,000

$40,000

Signage Subtotals:

TELEPHONE SYSTEM / CARDS & ACCOUNTS

Implement a new system wide telephone system to streamline queries and connect each branch within one internal system. (allowance)

05 October / Page 7

$100,000

GVPL FACILITIES PLAN -‐ System Services Costs 2

Implement a new system wide integrated cash handling system, including online payment capability, in order to eliminate separate cash registers. (allowance)

$40,000

Telephone System / Cards & Accounts Subtotals:

$140,000

$100,000

$240,000

$600,000

$400,000

$300,000

$600,000

$400,000

$300,000 $2,500,000

RFID SYSTEM

Implement a new Radio Frequency Identification System (RFID) throughout the GVPL system to assist with circulation, identification, tracking, sorting and distribution of all collection materials.

RFID Subtotals:

DISPLAY RACKS and FURNITURE

Install new display shelving systems for A/V collections, paper backs and "face-out" displays within each branch facility to create a the highly popular mini "neighbourhood" branches within each library.

Display Racks & Furniture Subtotals:

$50,000

$100,000

$50,000

$100,000

$250,000

MAINTENANCE BUDGET

Allocate costs for ongoing GVPL maintenance of each facility for furniture replacement, finishes, displays, painting, damage repairs etc. $2 / s.f. - approx. 200,000 s.f. Maintenance Subtotals:

SYSTEM SERVICES - ANNUAL CONSTRUCTION COST:

SYSTEM SERVICES - TOTAL CONSTRUCTION COST:

05 October / Page 8

Maintenance costs excluded

$930,000

$890,000

$740,000

$400,000

$300,000

$3,260,000

GVPL FACILITIES PLAN – Administrative Services Costs

BRANCHES No.

GVPL / Municip

COST

PRIORITY

RECOMMENDATIONS 1

Year 1

Year 2

3-5

6 - 10

11 - 15

Sub Totals

ADMINISTRATION and FINANCE

Relocate administration and finance services from Victoria "Main" branch into one larger "leased" space, co-located with other Internal System Services that is centrally located in the GVPL service area for efficiencies. Approximate square feet: 6,000 s.f. Supply and Install tenant fit-up (interior finishes, partitions, walls, ceilings M & E modifications, etc...) 6,000 s.f.

Lease costs excluded

$750,000

Admin & Finance Subtotals:

$750,000

$0 $750,000

$0 $312,500

INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY

Relocate IT staff and systems from Victoria "Main" branch into one larger "leased" space, co-located with other Internal System Services that is centrally located in the GVPL service area for efficiencies. Approximate square feet: 2,500s.f.

Supply and Install tenant fit-up (interior finishes, partitions, walls, ceilings M & E modifications, etc...) 2,500 s.f.

Lease costs excluded

$312,500

Information Technology Subtotals:

$312,500

TECHNICAL SERVICES

Relocate Technical Services from Juan de Fuca branch into one larger "lease" space, co-located with other Internal System Services that is centrally located in the GVPL service area for efficiencies. Approximate square feet: 5,000 s.f.

Supply and Install tenant fit-up (interior finishes, partitions, walls, ceilings M & E modifications, etc...) 5,000 s.f.

Technical Services Subtotals:

ADMINISTRATIVE SERVICES -ANNUAL CONSTRUCTION COST:

ADMINISTRATIVE SERVICES - TOTAL CONSTRUCTION COST:

05 October / Page 9

Lease costs excluded

$625,000

$0 $625,000

$1,062,500 $625,000

$1,687,500

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Greater Victoria Public Library

8 , 5 +, 3 9, 7% : ; ; <%

= > 6? % $6? % @' 3 3 6. 1 % 2 7( >)+, ( +- % A% = )+B8 5 ' ( , - % = 6. - C*+). D% A% EC1 B% F 667, G% $)97' 7)' .

GVPL Facilities Plan: Needs Assessment Report

September 2009

Chow Low Hammond Architects | CitySpaces Consulting | Judy Moore, Librarian

Needs Assessment Report Greater Victoria Public Library Table of Contents Format of this Report

Chapter 1 — Summary of Findings Customer Services — Nine Branches, One Resource Library Customer Services — System-‐wide Internal System-‐Wide Services

Chapter 2 — Spring 2009 Consultations Key Findings from Consultations with Library Users System-‐wide Challenges

3 3 5 6

9 9 9

The Role of a Resource (Main) Library

Future Considerations Key Findings from Library Staﬀ and Management Consultations Future Considerations Results of A Questionnaire — GVPL’s Branches and Resource (Main) Library Key Findings from Meetings with Potential Strategic Partners Key Findings from Outreach Sessions with Community Organizations

10 11 11 12 13 14

Key Findings from Meetings with Municipal Staﬀ and Elected Oﬃcials

Chapter 3 — 2009 Facilities Assessments System-‐Wide Conditions Visiting Library Service Administration and Finance Information Technology Solutions Technical Services Shuttle Service Talking Book Service Bruce Hutchison Branch, Royal Oak, District of Saanich Central Library, Downtown Victoria, City of Victoria Central Saanich Branch, Brentwood Bay, District of Central Saanich Emily Carr Branch, Saanich Town Centre, District of Saanich Esquimalt Branch, Township of Esquimalt Goudy Branch, Downtown Langford, City of Langford Juan de Fuca Branch, City of Colwood Nellie McClung Branch, Gordon Head, District of Saanich Oak Bay Branch, Downtown Oak Bay, District of Oak Bay Saanich Centennial Branch, Tillicum, District of Saanich

September 2009

17 17 18 18 19 19 20 20 21 25 29 33 37 41 43 47 51 55

Chow Low Hammond Architects | CitySpaces Consulting | Judy Moore, Librarian

GVPL Facilities Plan: Needs Assessment Report

Page 1

Needs Assessment Report Greater Victoria Public Libraries The average age of GVPL’s 10 existing facilities is over 19 years. They range in age from the Goudy Branch, opened in 2008 to the Oak Bay Branch, opened in 1971. While small additions and improvements have been made to the facilities over their lifespan, there has never been a complete assessment of these facilities, nor a comprehensive projection of future needs. This Needs Assessment Report serves as a benchmark for GVPL’s Board and its municipal owners, In doing this, it brings together several perspectives:

‣

The views of hundreds of library users, staﬀ, management, Board, local government oﬃcials, and potential strategic partners about existing and potential future facilities;

‣

A thorough assessment of existing facilities by an architectural team that examined building conditions, locational issues, space conﬁgurations, and interior qualities; and

‣

A “future ﬁlter”, which looks at today’s facilities through the lens of likely changes — in technology, regional demographics, energy use, and community life.

Format of this Report There are three chapters to this report.

‣

Chapter 1 is a high-‐level commentary of conditions at each of GVPL’s 10 facilities. It provides the reader with an overview of key issues, along with a concluding comment regarding the consulting team’s overall ﬁndings.

‣

Chapter 2 is a summary of 40 consultations undertaken during Spring 2009.

‣

Chapter 3 describes the current conditions for system-‐wide customer and internal services, as well as each of the nine branches and the Central Library, on the basis of primary, secondary and minor deﬁciencies. System-‐wide customer services refer to Talking Books, Visiting Library Services and E-‐ Branch Services. System-‐wide internal services refer to technical, administrative, communications and shuttle functions that support GVPL’s overall mission.

September 2009

Chow Low Hammond Architects | CitySpaces Consulting | Judy Moore, Librarian

GVPL Facilities Plan: Needs Assessment Report

Page 2

September 2009 Chow Low Hammond Architects / CitySpaces Consulting / Judy Moore, Librarian

GVPL Facilities Plan: Needs Assessment Report

Page 3

Chapter 1 — Summary of Findings The majority of GVPL’s facilities are geographically well-‐located, with most having good accessibility by transit, vehicle, cycling or walking. In the coming 10-‐15 years, the facilities of three branches need only minor improvements and modernization – Saanich Centennial, Esquimalt, and Juan de Fuca. Two other branches require substantive improvements and modernization — Bruce Hutchison and Central Saanich. The express Goudy Branch will need a modest increase in ﬂoorspace. The remaining facilities — Central, Oak Bay, Emily Carr and Nellie McClung — are not adequate, in their present form, to meet future needs. Turning to services that are system-‐wide, either serving customers or supporting the functioning of the overall system, all require substantial improvements. Rather than try to renovate to remain in their existing facilities, consideration should be given to co-‐location of these services in a building that is geographically central and accessible to GVPL’s services area.

Customer Services — Nine Branches, One Resource Library

•

Bruce Hutchison Branch, Royal Oak: This 15-‐year old, well-‐located branch library requires a major renovation and modernization within the next three to five years. Additionally, there are deficiencies related to ventilation and air conditioning that warrant examination by the District of Saanich. At 9,196 sf, floorspace is very constrained, especially for storage, programming and functional workflow. If Saanich were to consider a major renovation / expansion of Commonwealth Place, GVPL should identify its interest in gaining additional floorspace.

‣

Conclusion: Retain this branch facility; secure program room for library-‐only purposes; substantial modernization within three to ﬁve years.

•

Central Library, Downtown Victoria: This facility serves as the Resource (Main) Library for GVPL, as well as being the branch library for Victoria and View Royal (34,355 sf). The building is co-‐owned as a two-‐level strata lot by five municipalities — Victoria, Oak Bay, Esquimalt Saanich and View Royal. There are significant deficiencies in building systems, space configurations, programming, accessibility, and shipping / receiving. The 29-‐year old facility suffers from lack of visibility and identity. As a GVPL Resource (Main) Library, it is seriously compromised by lack of space for special collections, and is virtually unrecognizable as the region’s main library facility.

‣

Conclusion: These premises are ill-‐suited to meet users needs, now and in the future. A major renovation would not solve many of the disadvantages of the building and its location. Relocate the Victoria and View Royal branches to purpose-‐designed premises as soon as possible. Examine two options: Build a Resource (Main) Library, including administrative services; and build a new Victoria / View Royal branch, and relocate all system functions to more centrally-‐located premises within GVPL’s service area.

September 2009

Chow Low Hammond Architects | CitySpaces Consulting | Judy Moore, Librarian

GVPL Facilities Plan: Needs Assessment Report

•

Page 4

Central Saanich Branch, Brentwood Bay: This 20-‐year old facility is small (4,700 sf), dated, poorly conﬁgured and under-‐sized relative to the population of Central Saanich. Accessibility and lack of dedicated programming space are problematic.

‣ •

Conclusion: Retain, expand (or rebuild) and improve at this location.

Emily Carr Branch, Saanich Town Centre: This 37-‐year old facility is challenged to meet the needs of today’s users due to its inaccessibility, poor conﬁguration, poor lighting, and outdated building systems. Locked between two major arterial roads, the location is poorly suited to its current use, with no prospect for expansion. The branch ﬂoorspace, on two levels, is 8,604 sf. An additional 1,728 sf in this facility is used by Visiting Library Services and the Shuttle.

‣

Conclusion: Relocate this branch to a more suitable location, perhaps down-‐sizing or co-‐ locating as an “express branch” with other users (e.g., Uptown Shopping Centre, or alternative site acquired through private development).

•

Esquimalt Branch, Downtown Esquimalt: This popular, well-‐located six-‐year old facility is space challenged, with floorspace of only 8,600 sf. Some updating is warranted to deal with building systems, workflow, and workroom. The facility, co-‐located with the Municipal Hall is not able to expand at this location. If Esquimalt were to proceed with a planned redevelopment of an adjacent site that is owned by the municipality, GVPL should actively pursue securing expanded floorspace through this redevelopment, along with increased visibility to Esquimalt Avenue.

‣

Conclusion: Make staged improvements at this location. Take advantage of potential opportunity to expand through a Township-‐initiative.

•

Goudy Branch, Downtown Langford: This newest facility in the GVPL system was designed on an “express branch” model. With 2,000 sf in this retail-‐like space, the branch is too small to meet future needs, particularly for programming. Unless there is room to expand up to 5,000 sf at this location when the current lease expires, GVPL should work with the City of Langford to secure an alternative location in Downtown Langford.

‣

Conclusion: Continue to operate as an “express branch”, moving to larger premises in the same general location with a ﬁve to eight year time horizon.

•

Juan de Fuca Branch, City of Colwood: This large, purpose-‐designed facility is jointly owned by Colwood, Langford, Highlands and Metchosin. With roughly 19,000 sf (including Technical Services, a system-‐wide operation), this 12-‐year old building is well-‐located and has sufficient space to meet the growing needs of the West Shore municipalities, as well as flexible space to take advantage of changing technologies. A significant renovation is needed to improve back-‐room “workflow”, particularly the Shipping / Receiving area.

September 2009

Chow Low Hammond Architects | CitySpaces Consulting | Judy Moore, Librarian

GVPL Facilities Plan: Needs Assessment Report

‣

Page 5

Conclusion: Retain and continue to modernize this branch to meet future users needs and take advantage of changing technologies. Give serious consideration to relocating Technical Services in a more central location within GVPL’s service area.

•

Nellie McClung Branch, Gordon Head, District of Saanich: This extremely busy branch is well-‐located but space-‐challenged to meet current needs and will be too small to serve this gradually intensifying area of Saanich. Building conditions and systems are among the poorest within the system and there are many interior challenges to customer service and staﬀ workﬂows. A major renovation / modest expansion is warranted of this existing 13,700 sf branch; however, it is questionable whether this can be accommodated on this site.

‣

Conclusion: This facility needs to be redeveloped or relocated in order to meet future needs. Two options are suggested for further exploration with the District of Saanich: redevelopment at the current site; and a potential relocation to the School District site, along with a School District # 61 replacement of Cedar Hill School.

•

Oak Bay Branch, District of Oak Bay: This 11,358 sf branch is the second busiest in GVPL’s system, after Central. It offers a comprehensive collection and a full host of programs and is very well located, just off “The Avenue”. Despite a character renovation/addition in 2000, this 38-‐year old branch has fundamental problems, related to the building’s systems and conditions, significant space limitations to meet user needs, shipping / receiving, and other matters. As the branch shares the facility with the Monterey Recreation Centre, a major renovation / expansion may not be practical should the Monterey Centre also want to expand. If so, a relocation and expansion of the size of the branch would be warranted to meet the needs of the population it serves.

‣

Conclusion: This facility requires either a major renovation / expansion, or relocation to another building within 10 years, ideally in its existing neighbourhood. Discussions with the District of Oak Bay may identify potential options for further consideration.

•

Saanich Centennial Branch, Tillicum, District of Saanich: This purpose-‐designed, 12,500 sf branch is GVPL’s second newest. An esthetically pleasing, energy efficient design with quality furnishings, this branch offers an excellent “third space” for the community. Only minor renovations are required at this branch for the foreseeable future. No significant building conditions were noted.

‣

Conclusion: Retain this location, modernizing gradually to serve the needs of customers and take advantage of changing technologies.

Customer Services — System-‐wide In addition to its nine branches and the Central library, GVPL oﬀers services to customers that are system-‐ wide. These are located in two facilities, Emily Carr and Central, although the ﬂoorspace used by these services is separate from the branch functions.

September 2009

Chow Low Hammond Architects | CitySpaces Consulting | Judy Moore, Librarian

GVPL Facilities Plan: Needs Assessment Report

•

Page 6

Visiting Library Services at Emily Carr, Lower Floor: VLS currently provides service to 330 borrowers who are conﬁned to their homes. Twenty-‐ﬁve plus volunteers pick up materials to deliver to borrowers. Although this is an overall good location for VLS, the facility is poorly designed for this purpose. It is dark and dated, and lacks good accessibility for volunteers.

‣

Conclusion: The continued use of this space is contingent on a decision related to the branch service at this location. VLS could be moved and co-‐located with other system-‐ wide services, provided the premises had easy road access.

•

Talking Books at Central: The Talking Book section serves the system-‐wide needs of persons with print disabilities through the provision of unabridged audio recordings as well as assistive technologies. Located near the library entrance and adjacent to the corridor to the Program Room, this area is served by power doors although is cramped and lacks barrier free access throughout.

‣

Conclusion: The continued use of this space is contingent on a decision related to the Central Library at this location. Talking Books could be moved and co-‐located with other system-‐wide services, including Visiting Library Services, provided it had excellent transit access and a safe transportation drop-‐oﬀ zone for persons with disabilities.

Internal System-‐Wide Services Internal system-‐wide services (referred to as “hub” services by GVPL) are currently housed in two facilities: Administration, Finance and Information Technology at Central; Technical Services/Collection Services at Juan de Fuca, which include acquisitions, cataloguing, and processing of all materials entering and leaving GVPL’s system.

•

Administration, Finance, Communications and Information Technology Solutions, Central Library. There is a lack of space for the positive functioning of GVPL’s administration and Board. Importantly, there is a critical lack of electrical and telecom to support Information Technology Solutions (ITS) to deliver this key service across the system.

‣

Conclusion: Space conditions cannot be remedied at Central without having an impact on space for users, and the Information Technical Solutions service cannot meet future needs at this location. Relocation for these services is recommended.

•

Technical Services / Collections Services: With GVPL having expanded from six to 10 locations since the facility was built in 1997, space is now insuﬃcient for staﬀ, storage and processing. The Collection Services unit is also located within Technical Services. Space needs have resulted in an encroachment of Technical Services into what was formerly used as a program room. The location of this service, in the West Shore, is not ideal — a more central location would reduce vehicle expenses for materials handling.

‣

Conclusion: Relocate this service more centrally within GVPL’s service area. Consider co-‐ location with other internal system services.

September 2009

Chow Low Hammond Architects | CitySpaces Consulting | Judy Moore, Librarian

GVPL Facilities Plan: Needs Assessment Report

•

Page 7

Shuttle Service at Emily Carr, Lower Floor: GVPL system has grown dramatically with user access to the “e-‐branch”. In 2008, there were more than 906,000 “holds”, the vast majority being moved between branches by the shuttle service. There is no secure parking for the shuttle and it interferes with users of the branch. Space is inadequate for the loading bays and workroom for the current shuttle service. Later in 2009, when the shuttle service expands to two vehicles, space limitations will become more challenging.

‣

Conclusion: The continued use of this space is contingent on a decision related to the branch service at this location. The shuttle could be moved and co-‐located with other system-‐wide services, provided the premises were centrally located within GVPL’s service area.

September 2009

Chow Low Hammond Architects | CitySpaces Consulting | Judy Moore, Librarian

GVPL Facilities Plan: Needs Assessment Report

Page 8

September 2009 Chow Low Hammond Architects / CitySpaces Consulting / Judy Moore, Librarian

GVPL Facilities Plan: Needs Assessment Report

Page 9

Chapter 2 — Spring 2009 Consultations GVPL placed considerable emphasis on the importance of face-‐to-‐face consultation as part of the needs assessment. The consultation process, undertaken between March and May, 2009, involved more than 200 library users and GVPL staﬀ in 14 sessions, meetings with representatives of 10 municipalities, and conversations with a number of groups with unique perspectives and challenges. The process also reached out to potential partners in future facilities, including school districts, post-‐secondary institutions, the YM-‐YWCA, and the Greater Victoria Art Gallery. As part of the consultation process, individuals who were unable to attend a facilitated session were encouraged to provide their thoughts via e-‐mail or letter. In all, the consultants had contact with almost 300 people. Hundreds of thoughtful ideas, suggestions and criticisms emerged through this process, all of which were taken into account by the consulting team as it developed an assessment of needs.

Key Findings from Consultations with Library Users Library users are passionate about GVPL’s libraries. One participant noted, “Libraries are a democratic public institution — a great equalizer among people of diﬀerent ages, interests, backgrounds and education.” People are appreciative of the services and convenience. Some of the things that people like most about the library facilities are:

•

Several libraries are physically co-‐located with other services (e.g., recreation centres) or very close to services regularly used (e.g., shopping, theatres, restaurants);

•

Libraries are, for the most part, easy to reach by transit;

•

The on-‐line reservation system allows a user to pick up reserved materials at any branch; and

•

Most of the library buildings are friendly, inviting spaces; particularly the newer branches— Saanich Centennial and Goudy.

System-‐wide Challenges While users are enthusiastic about the library services, they noted a number of deﬁciencies about the facilities. These are common to the library system as-‐a-‐whole:

•

Inconsistent and inadequate signage, both inside and outside the library buildings;

•

Lack of a central telephone system; one branch cannot transfer your call to another branch;

•

General lack of space in most libraries, including display and program space for users;

•

Most libraries need larger, more inviting areas for teens;

•

The children’s areas of many libraries are cramped;

September 2009

Chow Low Hammond Architects | CitySpaces Consulting | Judy Moore, Librarian

GVPL Facilities Plan: Needs Assessment Report

Page 10

•

Most branches don’t have enough quiet study space; and

•

Some densely-‐populated neighbourhoods such as Fairﬁeld, James Bay and the Hillside corridor are under-‐ served.

The Role of a Resource (Main) Library There is a range of views about the role and need for a “resource (main) library”:

•

Many library users support a larger, modern, main library as a destination, located in downtown Victoria, that contains a broader and deeper collection than branch libraries. One frequent user noted that,“A central library should be an architecturally stunning building and be state-‐of-‐the-‐art inside; tourists and people in general should want to go there.”

•

Some see a central library as part of a cultural commons. Another participant in a group discussion noted that, “A central library needs to be part of a stand-‐alone cultural building that includes archives, the art gallery and a museum. It should be purpose-‐built.”

•

Others see a central library as primarily a place for reference materials, while the branches would contain materials for circulation. A member of the public noted that, “The central library is a reference and technology library, not a lending library.”

•

Still others support the concept of a central library with reference materials, unique and deep collections, but think it should be more centrally located within the region served by GVPL. This idea surfaced in several discussions; one participant framed this as, “Move the central library to the Town and Country area, making it more regionally central.”

•

Some library users do not support a large central library and feel that the collections currently housed in downtown Victoria could be absorbed into the branches. This view was presented by one user as “A strong central library reduces the quality of branch services and collections.”

•

When the topic of administrative and system-‐wide services was raised, many felt that it was not critical that they be housed in a “central library”. It was noted that some of these services are already dispersed within the region.

Future Considerations Thinking about the future of libraries, participants in the group discussions agreed that print and audio-‐visual materials will continue to be the primary resource that a library will oﬀer. A range of ideas was provided for consideration in planning for the future:

•

Create ﬂexible spaces that can adapt to changing technology;

•

Continue to be a community destination for everyone; aim to integrate with other community facilities (e.g., daycare, schools, recreation complexes);

•

Provide resources to access virtual books;

•

Use technology for self check-‐in, as well as check-‐out;

September 2009

Chow Low Hammond Architects | CitySpaces Consulting | Judy Moore, Librarian

GVPL Facilities Plan: Needs Assessment Report

•

Page 11

Plan for small neighbourhood-‐centred libraries, as people work towards reducing their “carbon footprint” through walking, transit and cycling; and

•

Retroﬁt and build new facilities to high environmental and energy standards (e.g., LEED™).

Key Findings from Library Staﬀ and Management Consultations Four consultations were held with staﬀ of the GVPL, plus one with members of the Management Team. Participants provided many useful insights into the workings of GVPL’s buildings, both the public and behind-‐ the-‐scenes work spaces. Overall they noted that:

•

Development of a Facilities Plan is a good opportunity for municipal partners to demonstrate a cooperative approach;

•

Generally, staﬀ support a new Central library in the downtown core that would be a destination and would allow special collections to be kept together;

•

Branches need to reﬂect their neighbourhoods, while maintaining a common thread throughout the system;

•

There is strong support for co-‐location of libraries with other services;

•

There is a shortage of program and community meeting space in most branches;

•

There is a shortage of storage space at all branches;

•

Work space is constrained at all sites and inadequate at many of the branches. This has impacts on staﬀ performance and morale;

•

A lengthy list of deﬁciencies with both work and program space and security concerns at the Central library was noted;

•

There was a range of views on whether it is essential / desirable to maintain administrative services at the Central library;

•

Some eﬃciencies could be achieved in moving the system-‐wide services to a single location;

•

Air quality and temperature was raised as an issue in several branches including Bruce Hutchison, Nellie McClung and Central;

•

Washrooms in many branches need to be upgraded for both staﬀ and users; particularly for those using scooters or wheelchairs; and

•

There are accessibility issues for those with physical disabilities at many of the branches. Particularly noted were Emily Carr, where there is no elevator and Central where, for example, the computer for use by those with disabilities, blocks the hallway to the meeting room.

Future Considerations There was considerable discussion about the libraries of the future.

•

There will be an increasing need for community meeting spaces in libraries;

September 2009

Chow Low Hammond Architects | CitySpaces Consulting | Judy Moore, Librarian

GVPL Facilities Plan: Needs Assessment Report

•

Page 12

Libraries are perceived to be safe buildings so care must be taken in designing new buildings and in renovations to maximize safety and security while still having a “welcoming feel”;

•

Partnerships with other cultural facilities will become increasingly important; co-‐location with services people use regularly

•

Popular materials will increasingly be in bookstore categories, positioned face-‐forward and in easily accessed locations;

•

An “express model” (similar to the Goudy Branch in Langford) may work in other communities.

•

Innovative service delivery models should be explored — for example, single service desk, roving reference librarian, integrated children / adult non-‐ﬁction for material not on popular materials display.

•

Libraries will need to focus on being “senior friendly”; and

•

Spaces need to be ﬂexible to accommodate changing, innovative technologies. RFID has the potential to radically change the way staﬀ work and the equipment / space to support this change.

Results of A Questionnaire — GVPL’s Branches and Resource (Main) Library As part of the 14 discussion sessions with library users and staff, the consultants invited participants to fill out a questionnaire related to the individual branches with which they were familiar. The survey covered a full range of topics, and questions were presented as both “closed” and “open ended”. The complete results of the survey, including a separate break-‐out by users and staff and the verbatim comments to the open-‐ended questions are found in a separate companion volume to this Needs Assessment. The consultants draw the following “highlights” from a comparative analysis of the survey results, combining both users and staff.

•

Transit service. Respondents feel that Central Saanich and Juan de Fuca are least well served by transit. Conversely, Central, Esquimalt and Oak Bay are well-‐served by transit.

•

Bicycle parking. Goudy and Emily Carr stand out as the two branches lacking adequate bicycle parking by respondents1. Esquimalt stood out as the facility with the best parking for cyclists.

•

Vehicle parking. Respondents noted that parking is “almost always” available at Bruce Hutchison, Central Saanich, Emily Carr, Esquimalt, Juan de Fuca and Saanich Centennial. By way of contrast, parking was noted more challenging at Central, Nellie McClung and Oak Bay.

•

Attractive and welcoming exterior. Esquimalt and Juan de Fuca scored the highest on this factor. Emily Carr, Central, and Nellie McClung scored lowest.

•

Exterior lighting at night. Respondents felt that Bruce Hutchison, Esquimalt and Goudy were well-‐lit. Emily Carr and Oak Bay were noted by respondents as needing improvements.

•

Identiﬁable library entrance. Esquimalt was notably higher than other facilities. The Central library scored least well on this factor.

1 Note: Bicycle parking was installed at the Goudy Branch after the survey was undertaken.

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Sheltered, well-‐lit entrances. Goudy and Bruce Hutchison scored highest on this factor. Central Saanich and Emily Carr are noted as scoring poorly on this factor.

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Outside book return. Respondents scored Esquimalt highest on having a well-‐lit, weather-‐protected, secure book return. Conversely, Emily Carr stood out as the branch as having the poorest book return, followed by Central Saanich.

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Circulation area. Respondents found all branches to have visible circulation areas.

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Reference area. Central Saanich was the only facility where respondents indicated the reference areas was not visible.

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Space for children. Saanich Centennial scored highest for having suﬃcient space for children. Oak Bay was noted for its lack of space for children.

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Space for teens. Generally, respondents noted that space for teens is lacking across the system. Bruce Hutchison and Goudy scored more favourably in this regard than others. Conversely, respondents scored Central Saanich lowest.

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Computer stations. The availability of computer stations was viewed as “almost” or “usually” available at most branches. Central Saanich stood out as the branch where computer access is poor.

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Interior signage. Esquimalt scored highest among respondents for adequacy of signage; Central Saanich scored the lowest.

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Ease of locating materials. Respondents found locating materials to be easy in all branches.

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Areas for quiet reading. Respondents scored Juan de Fuca as being the highest for adequate space for quiet reading. Central Saanich was seen to be particularly deﬁcient in this regard.

• 3.

Interior lighting. Lighting was viewed as an issue at Nellie McClung.

Key Findings from Meetings with Potential Strategic Partners

Discussions with strategic partners included the school districts, University of Victoria, Camosun College, YM/ YWCA, Art Gallery of Greater Victoria, Children’s Museum and Greater Victoria Chamber of Commerce. There was a high level of support for collaboration and a willingness to explore further potential opportunities with the GVPL. All expressed positive views of the GVPL.

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The YM/YWCA expressed interest in potential to share space for administration/IT and expansion opportunities;

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Camosun College is interested in more coordination between public and educational library systems, including potential for an express branch at the Lansdowne campus;

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University of Victoria will have excess space at its Ian Stewart complex once a new athletics building is completed;

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School districts expressed interest in collaboration with GVPL as part of planning for new school facilities, as well as potential expansions of their buildings as they are seismically upgraded; and

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The Children’s Museum and the Art Gallery of Greater Victoria continue to be open to opportunities for collaboration.

Key Findings from Outreach Sessions with Community Organizations

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Several consultation sessions were hosted by community organizations whose clients may have special needs. These included low literacy individuals, recent immigrants, seniors, people with physical disabilities and homeless individuals. Some key points from these sessions are noted below:

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Most people ﬁnd libraries to be welcoming places;

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Adult, easy-‐to-‐read materials need to be easily accessible in the adult area of the library. Many low literacy or English as a second language readers are required to use materials in the children’s section;

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Outreach services to homeless shelters and others is appreciated, but the materials need to be broader and more varied. Lack of identiﬁcation is a barrier to obtaining a library card;

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The width of aisles and height of book stacks is an issue for seniors and others with mobility impairments;

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Both interior and exterior signage improvements are needed; and

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The Central library needs a larger foreign language section.

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Library buildings and their interior spaces are seen by some as “cold”, government-‐like, and diﬃcult to use when literacy is an issue (Note: This was particularly a concern raised by the Victoria Native Friendship Centre.)

Key Findings from Meetings with Municipal Staff and Elected Officials Overall, municipal councils and staff are supportive of the GVPL system. They are not receiving delegations, comments, concerns or complaints about the library facilities in their communities. They view this relative lack of public feedback as a positive indication of general satisfaction with existing library facilities and services. Some of the more commonly expressed remarks include:

•

New or expanded library facilities should be considered after it is determined that existing facilities are fully utilized as eﬃciently as possible;

•

Library facilities are not generally considered under-‐resourced relative to other cultural services in the region;

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The holds and inter-‐library loan system works well and recognized as a eﬀective means to share resources and reduce individual facility space needs that might otherwise be required to house larger individual collections;

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Co-‐location of library facilities with other municipal facilities is viewed very positively. There are varied opinions concerning co-‐location with commercial developments. Library locations within municipal town centres are are seen as longer term objectives;

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Small scale library outlets in convenient locations designed to appeal to young people — similar to the Goudy branch — are supported for new facilities;

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Libraries should reach out to engage First Nations people;

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Potential library partnerships with the BC Government, universities and colleges should be further explored for the potential of resource sharing;

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The Library Operating Agreement (LOA) between GVPL and its municipal shareholders is widely viewed as a cumbersome document. Smaller municipalities feel that Victoria and Saanich have an advantage when budget decisions are made. References were made to the CREST system2 as a potentially better model; and

•

With respect to a “central library”, there appears to be a commonly held view that system-‐wide services and GVPL administration do not need to be housed in a “high rent” library facility and that the alternative of housing these services in a geographically-‐central, oﬃce park location should be considered. The existing library “branch” model as set out in the current LOA is generally considered the most ﬁscally responsible approach.

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In relation to speciﬁc branches:

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Bruce Hutchison. This facility is busy and very well-‐located in association with other community activities. This facility is owned by Saanich. Saanich elected officials and staff recognize that the library floorspace may need to be expanded to meet future user needs.

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Central. This facility (a strata unit within a BC Government building) is jointly owned by Victoria, Esquimalt, Oak Bay, Saanich and View Royal. It is the only facility located in the City of Victoria. It is widely understood that the acquisition of this space (in 1980) was intended to be temporary. The facility was not purpose-‐designed and has many deﬁciencies, both for users and staﬀ. The City of Victoria notes that replacement of the library is one of this Council’s top strategic priorities.

‣

Central Saanich. This branch is co-‐located with the seniors centre in Brentwood Bay. The building is owned by Central Saanich. Elected oﬃcials and staﬀ feel that the space is adequate for its purpose, although it is recognized that a second branch in Saanichton might be considered in the future, if there is a redevelopment of the existing municipal hall complex.

‣

Emily Carr. This facility, owned by Saanich, faces challenges owing to its inaccessible location and dated, accessibility-‐challenged design. The District recognizes that the land is likely suited to “higher

2 Capital Region Emergency Service Telecommunications (CREST) oversees the ownership and administration of the Capital Region’s public safety radio system. CREST provides emergency communications for 36 emergency response agencies. CREST is a non-‐proﬁt emergency communications corporation owned by the region’s local governments together with BC Ambulance, BC Transit, the RCMP, and the Province of BC. The funding model will be examined as part of the consultants’ work on the capital planning process.

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and better uses”. In light of current economic circumstances, the municipality has not identiﬁed Emily Carr as a strategic priority for updating or relocation. However, the District is open to innovative ideas and potential partnerships.

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Esquimalt. This purpose-‐designed branch is centrally located within the commercial core of Esquimalt, and co-‐located with the municipal hall. The municipality is actively looking at future possibilities to redevelop other lands it owns nearby. One option would be to relocate and expand the library in a new, mixed-‐use development. This possibility could be considered within a 5-‐10 year time horizon.

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Goudy. This small facility is leased by the City of Langford for GVPL. The City feels that this experiment – a storefront, express branch, connected to a coﬀee shop – is a successful model, one that could be repeated in other locations.

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Juan de Fuca. This purpose-‐designed facility co-‐owned by the communities of the West Shore – Langford, Colwood, Highlands, and Metchosin. Among the shareholders, no major changes are anticipated within the planning horizon. This facility is well-‐located and of suﬃcient size to accommodate changing user needs and new technologies.

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Nellie McClung. This branch is busy and very well-‐located in Saanich’s Gordon Head neighbourhood. The facility is owned by the District of Saanich. It is understood that existing conditions are not ideal and that future demand may necessitate larger, updated premises. This is not a strategic priority for Saanich in the near future.

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Oak Bay. This very busy branch shares space with the Monterey Community Centre and is a central part of daily activities in Oak Bay Village. Oak Bay oﬃcials recognize the space challenges of the library, especially for children and teens. In the long term (10+ years), there may be a possibility to redevelop the municipal hall to include an expanded library.

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Saanich Centennial. This recently built branch is well-‐located and increasingly popular. No major changes are foreseen by Saanich within the 15-‐year planning horizon.

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Chapter 3 — 2009 Facilities Assessments The consultants used a common template to assess GVPL’s facilities. This material, compiled using two spreadsheets – one for building conditions, one for interior spaces – is provided in a companion document. The information from these spreadsheets was reworked in narrative format for this report, taking into account the ﬁndings of the consultations. The type, level and urgency of need is presented are depicted on a colour-‐coded basis:

★Primary conditions – requires immediate attention ★Secondary conditions – requires upgrade to meet standards / codes ★Minor conditions – requires upgrade to improve or extend life 15 years The ﬁndings of the Needs Assessment inform the draft Facilities Plan, to be completed by the end of August. The draft Facilities Plan will include “order of magnitude” costed recommendations for each facility (local branches and system-‐wide service areas), along with a proposed schedule for implementation of improvements over a 15-‐year horizon. The draft Plan will be used as the basis for further consultation with each of the 10 member municipalities, and with the public. Thereafter, a ﬁnal Facilities Plan will be submitted to GVPL, with the target of November, 2009.

System-‐Wide Conditions During the facilities assessment, it was apparent that some deﬁciencies are common to most facilities. These include:

★

Primary Conditions

1. Visual Identity – Exterior: There is considerable variation of exterior signage throughout the system. A new visual identity scheme needs to be developed and implemented system-‐wide. 2. Signage — Interior: There is a great deal of variation among the branches. In some branches, signage is handwritten or a computer print-‐out, lacking a professional touch or sense of permanence. Ideally, standardized materials, terminology, fonts and colours are required, including terminology used within the space. Collection orientation would be enhanced with better stack-‐end signage as well. 3. Display Racks and Furniture: Modernized display racks are required for AV collections and paperbacks in order to improve accessibility and presentation to users. The use of the highest and lowest levels on shelves makes accessibility any issue for some users. Large comfortable chairs, that are easy to use, are preferred by the users. 4. Cards/Accounts and Information Desk: The cards/accounts desk at each branch should have a system-‐ wide, integrated cash handling system, instead of a separate cash register.

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Visiting Library Service GVPL offers library services to borrowers who are confined to their homes, continuing care centres and seniors` residences because of age, frailty or caregiver responsibilities. Visiting Library Service (VLS) staff select from a whole host of formats that meet borrowers’ needs and have the material delivered to their door every month by a committed volunteer. Several Book Deposits are managed through VLS including the James Bay Book Deposit which receives some 800 books every 8 months. VLS is located in the lower level of the Emily Carr Branch. VLS is open four days per week and serves some 330 users. Currently 32 routes are covered by 25-‐30 volunteers. Key Building deficiencies are noted as follows:

★Primary Conditions: 1. Accessibility: Barrier free access is required through the installation of power doors into VLS. This would support volunteers as they often are carrying heavy bags of library materials either en route to delivering materials or returning to VLS. 2. Workroom , Circulation Desk and Reception: VLS requires an analysis of workflows to potentially minimize the amount of materials handling. The addition of height adjustable workstations would provide good ergonomic support. Additional considerations would include a new reception desk and new seating. While shelving has been braced, it requires replacement. Currently a dark and very dated space, filled with cast off furniture of all sorts, VLS as a primary outreach activity, should offer a welcoming and professional space to both volunteers and staff alike. 3. Location of Service: As a key provider that supports the information needs of this growing senior demographic, consideration must be given to whether or not this location is most central and best supports volunteers as they deliver this important service into the community. Alternatively, a community based approach/de-‐centralized model of service delivery could be considered whereby each branch location dedicates staff to support volunteers in their key role.

Administration and Finance Located on the main floor of the Central Library, these offices support the system-‐wide administrative, human resources, finance, purchasing and public relations /communications functions of GVPL. A boardroom adjacent to this area serves as administration’s meeting space and is host to all public programming at Central. While the offices and the boardroom have floor to ceiling windows along Broughton Street, there is nothing to denote or promote the library to passing pedestrians and motorists.

★Primary Conditions 1. Staff Workspace, Offices and Reception: There is a lack of space for the positive functioning of the library’s administration. This includes insufficient space for group meetings, confidential discussions and inflexibility for changing staff requirements/function in this area. As well, the Reception space that serves this area is too small to accommodate vendors, volunteers and candidates waiting for interviews.

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2. Meeting/Program Room: Both the administrative and public service areas are under-‐served by the one boardroom at Central. Poor access through one corridor past the Talking Book area is insuﬃcient and results in bottlenecks to this room in an area that needs to be barrier-‐free. Core library programming and community outreach is severely hampered as a result of the lack of meeting/program space.

★Secondary Conditions 1. Administration Location: The Administration area, while currently located in what potentially could serve as public space, would be more appropriately located in a non-‐public service area.

Information Technology Solutions Information Technology Solutions (ITS) shares space with the library administration oﬃces. Recently renovated, this small space is host to the library’s server, supports system-‐wide networking, houses back-‐up computers, and provides space for some ITS staﬀ.

★Primary Conditions 1. Electrical and Telecom: Concerns have been expressed regarding the critical lack of electrical and telecom to support ITS in delivering this key service system-‐wide.

★Secondary Conditions 2. Staff Workspace: As well, it has been identified that owing to space constraints in this area, ITS staff are working out of different offices in various parts of the library. Locating staff in one centralized area would increase efficiency.

Technical Services Juan de Fuca Branch houses Technical Services and the Collections Services unit. This area provides centralized acquisitions, cataloguing, materials processing and distribution of all materials to all GVPL’s public service locations. Light-‐filled, offering beautiful views to the outdoors, it is a favourite work area for the many staff that provides this core support. Increasing demand for library materials, coupled with the addition of new branch locations, has resulted in this area being tight for space for both staff and necessary storage. Key building deficiencies are noted as follows:

★Primary Conditions 1. Shipping/Receiving: The Shipping/Receiving area was not designed to accommodate the larger pallets used in the shipping of library materials. Consequently, staff regularly offloads materials from the pallets in order to bring materials inside. This results in additional materials’ handling and congestion on the loading dock. 2. Staff Workroom and Branch Locations: Space is insufficient for current Technical Services staff, storage and processes. This includes barrier-‐free access throughout the area. The lack of space is negatively

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impacting public service operations, as a public meeting room is now being used for storage / DVD cleaning equipment. It has been further identiﬁed that in most branch locations, there is a lack of space to accommodate Shuttle boxes of new library materials. Technical Services would beneﬁt from a full review of processes in this operations area, including branch handling of new materials.

Shuttle Service GVPL’s Shuttle Service, located on the lower level of Emily Carr supports the inter-‐branch delivery of library materials, holds, communications and sundry other items as often as twice daily to all 10 branches. As the number of requests placed by customers both through the library`s website and in-‐person has climbed dramatically, so too has the volume of in-‐transit materials. GVPL will soon be adding a second Shuttle Service to better manage the volume. Key building deﬁciencies are noted as follows:

★Primary Conditions 1. Lack of Secure Parking for Shuttles: Neither appropriate nor secure place exists to park the Shuttle. Additionally, the Shuttle blocks parking spaces, making it diﬃcult to get in and out of the parking lot. 2. Lack of Loading Zone and Workroom Space: Additional space is required for both the loading bays and the workroom, as existing space is inadequate.

Talking Book Service GVPL’s Talking Books area serves the system-‐wide needs of persons with print disabilities owing to visual impairment, physical disability or learning disability. Registered users have access to over 15,000 items in this service collection that includes: DAISY CDs, regular CDs, MP3s, audio cassettes and Described Videos (DVS). In addition to library resources, this area provides access to assistive equipment designed to meet the informational needs of persons with disabilities. Through the library’s Shuttle Service, users are able to request these specialized materials be sent to branches nearest them, or sent through mail delivery, free-‐of-‐charge. Located on the Main Floor, Central Library, this service is directly in the ﬂow of traﬃc to the library’s only program room, thus creating bottlenecks. Earlier renovations to this area have included the installation of power doors and a ramp to the library’s public washrooms. Although improved, accessibility still remains a key issue.

★Primary Conditions 1. Poor Accessibility: Users accessing this area face a number of challenges mainly owing to the severe lack of space. Additional space is required to provide users with barrier-‐free access to collections, equipment and staﬀ. 2. Lack of Space: Additional space is required for staﬀ to prepare requests for Talking Book Service delivery, for persons with disabilities using this service and wanting to visit the library, and for GVPL to provide programming for this often-‐times isolated group of library users.

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Bruce Hutchison Branch, Royal Oak, District of Saanich Situated on one level as part of the multi-‐use Saanich Commonwealth Place, this library opened its doors in 1994. It has 9,196 square feet plus shared access to a meeting room for 40 people. The library is well-‐located within the community, well-‐served by transit and oﬀers a full range of collections and services. An intuitive layout with good sightlines provides users with a welcoming space. Perimeter windows oﬀer opportunities for natural light. An established community art program underscores Bruce Hutchison as a community space. From a locational stand-‐point, the branch is centrally located within the GVPL’s service area, and very well served by major roads and regional transit. The combined population of the two nearby neighbourhoods of Royal Oak and Broadmead is approximately 20,000.

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★Primary Conditions 1. Workroom, Circulation and Information: The entire workroom, circulation desk and reference desk areas require a complete overhaul to improve function and workflows related to book returns, book cart movements, shipping & receiving, improve check-‐out services, expand self-‐check service, improve the ergonomics, consolidate information desk and generally modernize the technology and materials in this area. An extensive renovation is planned by GVPL. 2. Program Room: The current program room is shared with other Commonwealth Place users and is therefore not under library control. Community activities, such as music lessons & aerobics are not compatible with library programming and often disturb library users when in use. This room should be dedicated to library control to improve program services to the community and to augment the children’s programs. New storage facilities dedicated for this room are required, along with visibility into the space from the library to visually connect activities with the library. 3. Ventilation, Cooling and Lighting: There are significant deficiencies related to the ventilation and air conditioning of the library, creating inadequate conditions. Strong chlorine odors emanate from the Commonwealth Pool, often resulting in complaints from staff and users. Lighting levels are poor, particularly in the main entrance. A detailed M & E study should be conducted prior to any renovations to correct building system deficiencies. 4. Building Image and Quality of Space: Bruce Hutchison Library is dated in its interior finishes, washroom facilities, and entrance appeal. It lacks a distinctive image to identify it separately from other uses in Commonwealth Place. Users often complain that they missed the library due to lack of formal signage and the compressed entry. The interior finishes lack visual interest, and the teen and children’s areas lack their own distinctive character – apart from an archway that could be better utilized.

★Secondary Conditions: 5. Computer Area: The branch computer areas have outdated tables that are too large, spread out and lack consistency. There is no space for group instruction using computers and many of the seating tables lack convenient lap-‐top power. Consolidation into compact, modern furniture will allow for increased capacity. Additional gaming computers for teens and children’s would alleviate pressures on computers for instruction. 6. Teen Area & Children’s Area: The Teen area could benefit from more teen oriented furnishings, computers and finishes to create a more dynamic space. Some modifications could be made to locate the Teen area farther away from the children’s area to promote use, including expansion for group study, displays and bulletin boards. 7. Children’s Area: The children’s area would benefit from a more playful renovation with suitable furniture for parents and children. Maintaining a highly visible and secure area is important. Presentation of books

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could benefit from ‘face-‐out’ displays. Dedicated storage for children’s programs is lacking or at times inaccessible. 8. Book Drop: The book drop lacks proper rain shelter/canopy and is poorly lit within a landscaped area. The sorting of books is difficult given the location of B.D. room relative to the work room. 9. Offices: Staff offices need to be updated with standardized furniture and shelving that accommodates the requirements of the branch. 10. Main Entrance: Existing doors to main entrance are outdated, heavy and unwelcoming. New sliding glass doors are needed to improve visibility, function and safety. Existing security system is also in need of updating. The area taken up for ‘Holds’ could be better served to display new books and spark interest as users enter the library.

★Minor Conditions 11. Window Blinds: Existing window blinds are broken and falling apart. Modern roller shades are preferred for consistent look and ambient light. 12. Quiet Study Areas: Some users have complained about noise levels and requested quieter study nooks or rooms to move to during certain peak hours. 13. Building Conditions: Library lacks perimeter building security measures. Some exterior stucco damage requires repairs. A building envelope review could be undertaken to evaluate window and rooﬁng conditions. Some signs of water inﬁltration. Washroom facilities require improved lighting, millwork and dedicated janitor facilities.

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Central Library, Downtown Victoria, City of Victoria The Central Library is the main resource centre for the Library system and has many specialized collections and services, as well as an excellent general collection. The facility has occupied 48,222 square feet of the Waddington Building complex since 1980. It also houses the majority of system-‐wide services for the GVPL. The Central Library space was not purpose built and service has been compromised not only by inadequate square footage, but also by poor design and layout, and the extreme costs to renovate. In addition to this, GVPL’s Central Library houses over 150,000 unique items that no other location carries (GVPL’s Guidelines for Service/Facility Standards, 2006, p22).

★Primary Conditions: 1. Space / Area: The fact that the Central Library is located in a building that was not purpose-‐built is the root cause of many of the deﬁciencies with this branch. There is not enough space to adequately provide for the size of the collection and safe, visible, unobstructed circulation through the library. There are many other contributing factors but primarily the layout is disorienting, hard to navigate, the collection

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is disjointed, sightlines are obstructed, aisles are narrow and lack adequate circulation where seating areas converge. 2. Exterior Signage & Lighting: Part of the problem with orientation is the lack of signage throughout the branch, including the exterior. The building is virtually unrecognizable as a central library and lacks street presence along all sides. Once within the courtyard the multiple entries are confusing and create security problems with unmonitored entry. The exterior book return room is far from the staff workroom where check in equipment is located; its location is not intuitive, it is under lit at night, and has poor signage. Many users and staff complain about lack of exterior lighting, unpleasant experiences finding the entrance and feel unsafe at night when using the book return. 3. Building systems: Several building infrastructure problems with this branch, combined with the planning and space problems, quickly place this branch in priority for recommended replacement. The central HVAC (heating/ventilation/air-‐conditioning/controls) system is for the whole building, without individual controls for the library, combined with prolonged ventilation, heating and cooling issues throughout the year this building system is inadequate. The power supply to the building is limited, having reached its maximum, is almost incapable of expanding to meet the growing power and circuit needs of the branch technologies and IT requirements; the water lines are too small; building envelope requires detailed study for upgrades; structural grid not suitable for library use; some areas exist on a subfloor which is incapable of supporting additional book stacks; existing building (strata) lighting is obsolete and not energy efficient, requiring ballast replacement as a minimum; building key access system is antiquated and requires frequent battery replacements and cannot be upgraded; elevator for people with disabilities is substandard requiring refurbishment; base building windows are single pane which allows for energy loss and uncomfortable environments; glass entry doors have deteriorated and need replacement 4. Cards/Accounts & Check-‐out & Workroom: The check-‐out area was recently renovated to improve functionality and public service, however, the whole area including workroom still suffers from a chronic lack of space to handle the volume of material and intended functions. There are currently three self-‐ checkout stations but more are needed. There is a general lack of signage in this area to direct users, causing confusion and line-‐ups. The workroom is overcrowded with book trucks & shuttle boxes, which back up in aisles and is constricted at internal book-‐drop area. Staff workstations are overrun with materials with lack of storage and sorting space, which interrupts workflows. The office spaces for managers and senior staff are inadequate to support their job functions. 5. Teen Area: Located in behind the adult fiction section and adjacent to the men’s washroom, the teen area is often used as a pathway by adults, disrupting the atmosphere of the teen space and raising safety concerns with the staff. This space was not designed for teens and there is a general lack of interesting teen oriented character or displays. While the furnishings are suitable there is a need for more space for group tables and seating. The teen gaming computers are located too far from the teen space and are often overused by adult males, leaving them unusable for teens.

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6. Meeting / Program Room: The library is served by only one meeting room that is heavily booked and provides minimum public access. The location is not conducive to after hours use by the public, requiring a commissionaire for security; located at the far end of the library is good for administration but poor for users and staff. The room is poorly equipped for audio/visual & information technology, cannot be adequately divided for multi-‐functions and lacks adequate storage for all needs – chairs are currently stored in glass hallway open to public view. The staff expressed a desire for seminar rooms for smaller meetings and group study, a dedicated children’s room, as well as a larger auditorium for 200 + people. 7. Shelving & Displays: The library does not have enough space in the right areas to adequately present the book stacks in sequence, leading to disjointed and split collections, such as the non-‐fiction on two floors. Shelving orientation and height causes site-‐line issues throughout the branch. The magazine collection is poorly located on the upper level. Some areas of the stacks are narrow, creating circulation problems and congestion, such as in the A/V. The book shelves are inadequate for modern use. There is good display shelving in the main lobby but the current configuration hinders overall appeal of the entrance. (Note: This is the Friends of the Library area. Boutique-‐style configurations, such as in Seattle and Vancouver, could improve this area). 8. Accessibility / Safety / Hazards: There are only public washrooms on the first floor and those pose accessibility difficulties to the physically challenged. The main entry doors, while power assisted, are difficult to operate from a scooter/wheelchair and the doors themselves do not operate properly. The elevators needs full upgrade and the exterior ramp from Broughton side walk is missing handrails. There is a hazardous condition in the children’s area related to EMF issues that requires remediation, based on a previous building audit.

★Secondary Conditions: 9. Information Desk: While the information desk is in a good location, opposite the main entrance, the desk is too large for the intended use and does not support roving reference service. While there is a recess in the desk front to support seated customer consultations, the seating is not available and with the staff seated, it is awkward for users to communicate. The second floor information desk could use directional signage on the ground floor. The reference collection is large, with much of the materials on-‐ line. 10. Children’s Area: The most critical issue is the lack of program room for the children’s area. Currently the boardroom is used which is not designed for children’s activities and is too far from this area. The area is outdated and lacks a children’s ‘atmosphere’. While some of the furniture and shelving is sized appropriately, more comfortable seating is needed for parent/children reading along with imaginative and playful furniture. The computer stations in this area are very little and not suitable for older children, with only one games computer that is heavily used. The location of the children’s area is secluded and lacks any natural light. The proximity to the public corridor and public washrooms raises some safety concerns due to the high traffic and there is a lack of family washrooms in this area.

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11. Public Computers: The computing facilities are heavily used at this branch, causing long wait times and complaints from users. PC reservation system has increased computer use and created need for more express computers for quick searches. In order to meet the needs and increase power supply for additional laptop use, the building requires a significant infrastructure upgrade. The assistive technology computers and accessible stations are poorly located in the hallway leading to the boardroom, making the hall impassable when computers are being used and uncomfortable for the users. Some staff complained about a lack of enclosed room for instructional computing. 12. Staff Areas: There is a general opinion among staff that their facilities need improvement to resolve ergonomic issues, accessibility, distance/proximity issues, security & keying of offices, crowded facilities, access to washrooms and storage space. 13. Courtyard: While there has been a recent updating of security and landscaping of the planters, there remain concerns regarding security. A number of projecting fin walls that create hiding places raise some safety concerns when the dim lighting conditions are considered. 14. Shipping / Receiving: The loading dock facilities are shared with the rest of the building causing constrictions and congestion, leading to security issues regarding library deliveries. There is no delivery area for the main branch, all major deliveries go through Central Administration. This condition is not readily resolved due to the existing building conditions. 15. Washrooms & Custodial rooms: The washroom facilities are dated, with deteriorating finishes and damaged fixtures in some areas. The ground floor men’s washroom has poor ventilation and almost no sound separation, negatively impacting on the adjacent office area. There are no washrooms on the second floor.

★Minor Conditions: 16. Miscellaneous: There is a general call for more bicycle racks in the courtyard and for reduced costs for library parking. Large coloured directory maps at key locations would assist users with way-‐ﬁnding issues. There is general need to improve the conditions around the microﬁlm area regarding seating capacity, lighting and more workspace. The lower literacy book collection is segregated from the rest of the library making access less welcoming. Window blinds are dated and inadequate in some areas and ground level windows could be better utilized for displays. Separate quiet reading areas and study carrels were asked for by some users along with more comfortable seating areas throughout the library.

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Central Saanich Branch, Brentwood Bay, District of Central Saanich The Central Saanich Branch Library, located in the Central Saanich Cultural Centre, was built in 1988-‐89 as part of an Expo 86 Legacy Project. The library is on one level and shares an entry foyer with the Cultural Centre. Beautiful windows in the central lounge area are the library’s principal features. Lovely parkland surrounds this facility. Lacking street presence and adequate space, this branch is challenged by its increase of use without adequate area to accommodate this increase. A program / meeting room is part of the facility but is not controlled by the library. While the branch is close to schools, Brentwood Bay town centre and transit routes, the transit schedule make the trip cumbersome for visitors and staff. This branch does not have a designated full-‐time librarian, sharing a librarian with the Bruce Hutchison branch. Central Saanich has the lowest floorspace to population ratio of the municipalities served by GVPL. Users and staff were forthright in identifying their concerns about the challenges of this small facility. Although the current facility is well-‐located for Brentwood Bay users, it is not well-‐located for residents of Saanichton and locations further east in Central Saanich. The municipality is actively studying future civic facility needs. One longer-‐term option being considered is the redevelopment of the civic complex in Saanichton. GVPL should be pro-‐actively involved in this planning process

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★Primary Conditions 1. Building Finishes: The library is over 20 years old and in need of replacement of interior and exterior finishes to extend its life. The exterior wood cladding is in critical need of repainting to avoid further damage; most of the surfaces are peeling and fading, subject to moisture infiltration and rot. There is also a need to replace the interior finishes including worn carpet, paint colours to be uplifting and vibrant, and new lighting with modern lighting fixtures. 2. Building Area: Many of the areas of this branch are undersized for the demand in Central Saanich. In particular the teen area, children’s area, computer area, workroom and staff areas need increased space to properly serve the intended use. The lack of dedicated program room also limits the service at this branch. Possible expansion/renovation into the building foyer and meeting rooms, making them dedicated to library use, could provide the needed space without constructing new space. 3. Shipping/Receiving & Workroom: There is no dedicated loading/delivery entrance for the building. All supplies and shipments are through the main front doors, through the lobby and library security gates and around the accounts and information counter to the work room. The workroom is undersized to accommodate staff functions, shipping/receiving, storage, supervisor’s office, staff lunch room and lockers; although the space has been recently renovated to work with the limited space. There is a lack of private supervisory space, as the one office utilizes systems furniture, and the branch head does not have a permanent location at this branch. Significant reconstruction of this area is required to provide adequate space and to resolve shipping/receiving access issues. 4. Teen / Children’s Area: The teen area is too close to the public computers and adult areas, the space lacks distinctive character and could benefit from more furniture suitable for this age group; the space allocated is cramped with little space for group activities and there are no gaming computers associated with this space. While the footprint space for children’s area appears adequate relative to the library size, the addition of more suitable furniture and computers would quickly crowd the space. The lack of dedicated program room compromises the available activities in this area. The existing program room is outside the library and controlled by others. The only available storage for the children’s programs is located in the cramped workroom. Replanning of both the teen and children’s area should include additional space, new furniture & fixtures, new finishes and lighting. 5. Furniture, Book shelving & Computers: The shelving and majority of furniture have not had a significant upgrade in 20 years. The space would benefit from an upgrade to consistent new furniture, including comfortable chairs, suitable furniture in children’s area for parents/children, more teen oriented furniture and consistent computer station furniture and equipment. Additional computer stations are required to meet the demand and satisfy users’ requests, along with meeting accessibility needs with height adjustable tables. The wood book stacks are dated with a “primary school” feel and are not flexible to accommodate changing needs, such as deeper shelves, and sloped bottom shelves. The wood shelves should be upgraded to newer adjustable shelves that can accommodate the variety of media and face-‐out displays to match a GVPL standard.

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6. Signage: The library identity is seriously compromised due to lack of suitable signage throughout the building, from identification from the street and parking lot, to the main lobby, and individual service points within the library, such as children’s, teens and computers. The exterior building sign was removed due to damage and requires replacement with new standardized signs of appropriate scale for location including proper way-‐finding from street to entrance and lighting. The interior signage is inconsistent and requires replacement with system-‐wide standard signage. 7. Accessibility: The main entrance is serviced by a sloping sidewalk from the parking lot and passes by the community room which is lower than the library, thus requiring physically challenged users to exit the library facility in order to gain access to the program room from the lower point of the sidewalk. There is insufficient access to the sidewalk from the parking lot due to lack of curb let-‐down and the sidewalk does not serve as an accessible ramp – which requires handrails, proper slope and landings. Reconstruction of the concrete sidewalks and entrance sequence is required.

★Secondary Conditions 8. Washrooms: The washrooms are located outside of the library security, which prevents potential theft problems, however, the facilities are not wheelchair accessible and there is a lack of family washrooms. The location makes it difficult for families with small children. 9. Heating / Cooling / Lighting / Power: There were not any significant complaints regarding heating and cooling; the HVAC system was recently replaced and a lighting retrofit was conducted in Feb 2009. There is a need for more electrical power for laptop use in seating areas and in computer areas as current computing area is plugged into a single outlet with power bars. A single phone line is provided in the branch. The building should have a detailed building audit performed to confirm the condition of the building envelope, lighting, power, roofing and windows to evaluate energy consumption. 10. Book Drop Accessibility/Safety: The original exterior book-‐drop was located at the rear of the building, accessible only by sidewalks around the building from the parking lot. Overgrown landscaping and inadequate lighting created a safety concern for library uses, so a free-‐standing return unit was installed inside the main lobby, with access from outside, improving convenience for library users. The return unit should be located adjacent to the workroom to avoid staff needing to truck the books through the library.

★Minor Conditions 11. Cards/Accounts and Information Desk: The library implements a single service desk for both cards/ accounts and information, utilizing a roving reference service when the librarian is at the branch. The workﬂow at the service desk is cumbersome as the existing millwork is high and lacks barrier-‐free access, and deliveries are made to the workroom behind the counter. An additional self-‐check station would alleviate some traﬃc in this area.

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12. Main Entrance: The main entrance is sheltered by only a small overhang — a large overhang should be provided to ensure more protection from wind driven rain. The facility would beneﬁt from automatic sliding glass doors, especially considering the additional capacity at this “shared” entrance. 13. Window Blinds: There are no window blinds on the interior or exterior, although there is very little glazing into the library.

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Emily Carr Branch, Saanich Town Centre, District of Saanich Emily Carr Branch was a BC Centennial project. It opened in October 1976 and is one of the oldest of GVPL’s libraries. It has a total area of 10,332 square feet on two floors and lacks an elevator. In addition to offering the full range of collections and services, this facility includes two system-‐wide services: Visiting Library Services, and the Shuttle Delivery Service, which picks up and delivers library materials for the entire library system. The upper floor houses all of the circulating collections and staff workspace. With an intuitive layout and good sightlines, the library, despite its age, shows pride of ownership through well conceived displays, some face out merchandising of library materials, and a suitably sized collection. The lower floor includes the computer classroom for instruction, the meeting room, public washrooms, staff room, and space for the Visiting Library and Shuttle Delivery Services. Built at a time when there was much less vehicular traffic and more available land around the site, the Emily Carr Branch has exceeded its capacity considering the costs associated with this aging building, inadequate accessibility and safe access, lack of parking, difficult site access, and limited expansion options.

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★Primary Conditions 1. Building Entrances, Book Return & Lighting: In addition to the accessibility issues identified in this assessment, the entrances are encumbered by a lack of suitable lighting levels making for dangerous conditions at night. The book return is located on the west side of the building, accessible only by sidewalk around the building from the parking lot. This condition is very dangerous due to the lack of visibility and hidden spaces along the path of travel. The internal location of the book drop still requires staff to move the books into the work room from the entrance area. The glass entrance doors are old and not functioning properly, requiring replacement. 2. Washrooms: The washroom facilities are completely inadequate for this library size and occupant load. Located on the mid-‐lower level, the only access for people who are unable to use the stars is by exiting the building and travelling down a long path and through a parking lot. This makes the practical use of washrooms by families with strollers or physically-‐challenged users very difficult. The washrooms themselves are undersized, inaccessible and out of date. There are no family washrooms or even a single accessible washroom. Other space within the library would have to be taken over to construct new suitable washroom facilities, taking away from an already cramped facility. 3. Building Systems – Heating/Cooling/Lighting: There have been many complaints by staff and users regarding the heating and cooling of the building, citing that the main upper level is too cold in winter and the basement is too hot. The furnace system is old and takes up considerable amount of space. Ventilation seems to be inadequate due to complaints of a musty odor. Mold has previously been identified as an issue under the stairs. 4. Building Condition: The building exterior is in need of repair and refurbishment. Wood cladding is peeling and rotting, and areas of stucco cladding are damaged with holes. The interior finishes and lighting are in need of some upgrading. The main floor carpet tile was upgraded in 2003 and should be reassessed in one to two years. The lower floor should be assessed for asbestos in the tile. 5. Cards/Accounts & Information Desk: The main cards/accounts desk is old and unsuitable for physically challenged users or small children. The information desk is old and too large for the function. The same service could be handled through a modular kiosk station that has a smaller footprint. The cards/ accounts and information desk should be replaced with new modular units and an additional self-‐check station should be added to compliment the one existing unit. 6. Workroom: The workroom is undersized to serve the staffing and functional needs. There are not enough permanent work stations for the individual staff and there is no space to store personal effects to make effective use of shared work stations. The internal book return trucks crowd the space and make circulation difficult. While the workroom was remodeled in 2003, there is still a lack of adequate storage and the check in facilities are not ergonomic. The workroom should be larger to accommodate these needs, with more storage and modular work surfaces.

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7. Shipping/Receiving – System-‐wide Services: There is insufficient space in the parking lot to park and secure the existing Shuttle delivery truck. When the second Shuttle is incorporated into the routing this problem will be even worse. Insufficient loading bays for the Shuttle service compound the functional problems with both system-‐wide services. 8. Teen / Children’s Area: Both the teen area and children’s area are in need of a renovation to improve the furniture, fixtures and general décor, to make each space uniquely suited to the users being served. The teen area is close to the children’s and could benefit from more separation. The program room is on the lower level which raised other concerns regarding staffing and utilization of the space. 9. Furniture, Book Shelving: The furniture throughout the library is dated and there is a general lack of comfortable lounge seating and the children’s area needs adult/child furniture. The main shelving stacks are suitable but could use updating of the end panels and signage. The A/V and magazine racks need updating. 10. Signage: The lack of adequate building signage relative to the direction of vehicular traffic makes the library hard to see, with no signage directing one to the appropriate turn-‐off. Once on the property, additional clear signage is required to direct users to the appropriate entrances and parking stalls. Once inside, consistent GVPL signage is required to identify the various service points and collections that utilize the current GVPL terminology. A comprehensive signage upgrade is warranted. 11. Accessibility: The fundamental problem with this branch is accessibility. The facility has three points of access from three different grade elevations around the building with no internal elevator to connect the three levels. As a result, physically challenged users and staff are required to exit the building and travel around one entire side to change levels, over sidewalks that are not only in need of repair, but that do not meet building code for accessibility. The exterior ramp on the west side does not meet grade requirements, lacks handrails or proper landings and could dangerously expose pedestrians to oncoming highway traffic. The north entry is at the lower level off the parking lot and is the only access for disabled users to the inadequate washrooms that do not meet code. An internal ramp constructed of wood overtop of existing stairs providing access to the lower level learning centre and program room does not meet code. However, a proper ramp that met code would not fit within the available space. The main entrance that faces the east parking area consists only of stairs. The sidewalks leading to these stairs are cracked and uneven, with unacceptable slopes that are hazardous to even the able body users. An elevator would be required to rectify this problem and to comply with the building code. Also, extensive sidewalk repairs and parking modifications are needed. 12. Safety: Apart from the issues related to accessibility, there are also other safety areas around the building that are caused by design. The second level exit stair on the west side has solid railings creating hiding places sheltered from view. There are other nook corners of the building that are enhanced hiding places due to large landscaping areas. While many of these features make for an attractive building,

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consistent with the modern design, some modiﬁcations are necessary to limit the safety issues. A separate CEPTED 3 review should be considered.

★Secondary Conditions 13. Computer & Program Rooms: For several years there was an independent public computing room located on the lower level that provided good instructional space as a learning centre. However, it was difficult to supervise in this location, and staff were unable to offer quick service. When the computer room is moved to the upper level, this will mean a reduction in floorspace for branch services. The number of computer will also be reduced. 14. Parking: There is a lack of dedicated parking for the library, as the lots are shared by the other businesses in the complex. There are no designated wheelchair accessible stalls for the library. Bicycle racks are located at the Vernon Street entrance, but they are not sheltered, well-‐lit, or visible from the street and the interior of the library.

3 CPTED. Crime Prevention Through Environmental Design.

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Esquimalt Branch, Township of Esquimalt Built in 2003, the Esquimalt Branch is located in the lower level of the Esquimalt Municipal Hall. It is 8,600 square feet on one level and oﬀers a full range of collections and services. A popular library, Esquimalt Branch receives lots of natural light through large windows and provides good access, including vehicle and bicycle parking. An open computer instruction area makes excellent use of public space. Additionally, the library has made ﬁne use of walls for public art and face-‐out collections displays. The public generally considers this

branch to be in an excellent location, close to transit, parks and shopping.

★Primary Conditions: 1. Building systems —Heating, Cooling, Lighting: There has been a variety of complaints regarding the mechanical system, whether too hot or cool or not enough fresh air in certain areas. In particular, the air to the program room appears inadequate when the glass doors are closed. There does not appear to be major problems with the system, however, it is controlled by the municipality as part of the larger municipal hall. This disconnect between the library staﬀ and the control of the system could be part of the problem.

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2. Check Out / Cards & Accounts: The cards/accounts desk has a few challenges in meeting the staff needs – the area behind the counter is small, with much of the work room traffic sharing the same passage way. The millwork is lower than normal and has good visibility for users in wheelchairs, however, the lower counter exposed the whole surface to all working materials and equipment, making for a cluttered look. Some modifications could be to use a two-‐tier counter, one lower for users with needs and the other higher to conceal equipment and supplies. Some minor damage to the counter edges could be corrected with an upgrade. There is one self check unit that is child friendly but is not wheelchair accessible. One additional self-‐check unit should be installed that meets both criteria. 3. Workroom: The workroom in this branch is too small to handle the volume of shuttle deliveries and the number of book trucks. This issue is compounded by the lack of storage space. As a result, there is inadequate space in this area for a circulation supervisor’s office. Lack of adjustable furniture reduces flexibility of the work room and makes for inadequate work stations for staff. The work room should be revised with new, flexible-‐height, adjustable furniture/shelving to suit the required functions, including one additional office with access to the main floor. 4. Children’s & Teen Areas: The children’s area is in a good location beside the program room. However, the book stack orientation makes this area open to the public computer areas, creating problems with noise transfer. The area needs additional comfortable seating for adults to join their children in activities, and additional space for strollers would be appreciated by parents. The décor of the children’s area could use some bright colours to add distinction from the rest of the branch. The proximity to the program room provides adequate storage for children’s activities and there are two computer stations in this area. The teen area lacks visual distinction and an area for group work. There is extensive use of slat wall in this area that could be utilized for interesting displays. The Teen area could be enhanced with colour and lighting, along with a larger table for group work and more teen-‐oriented ‘fun furniture’. 5. Furniture, Book Shelving: The library has good modular A/V display shelves that were purchased at the time the branch, but lounge seating was needed. The shelving in the adult and children’s area are tall, making access to top & bottom shelves difficult for some users. The library cannot afford additional space to spread out the collection, but if the collection was culled to accommodate some lower shelving, this could be a viable solution. 6. Signage: With the library sharing the main building with the Municipal Hall, it is even more important to have adequate signage to distinguish the library. From the main road there is one sign identifying the library but it is hard to discern that the library is actually in the back. While the interior does have some signage that meets the GVPL standard, other signs have been made to suit. A comprehensive signage upgrade is needed to add uniformity and clarity to the building and collections. 7. Accessibility: The building is well serviced for accessibility with the exception of some tight corners around some stacks. There is an exterior ramp leading from Esquimalt Avenue to the back of the building for library users, or for access to the parking lot. 8. Safety: Exterior lighting is dim, particularly around the parking lot.

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★Secondary Conditions: 9. Reference / Information Desk: The information desk is well located with site lines from the main entrance. The desk also buffers the public computing area creating a backdrop for instructional purposes on the computing side. The information desk is an oversized, double desk which should be replaced with a single modular desk/kiosk to suit needs and increase available floor space. The reference collection itself should be reduced to the essentials to free up much needed floor space. 10. Program Room: While this branch certainly benefits from having an enclosed program room, the shape of the room reduces the effective useable area and at times can be undersized for certain programs. Being located at the back of the library, this room is not accessible to the public after hours and is closely associated with the children’s area, especially with the vibrant mural of a dragon.The existence of this room is a definite asset to the library.

★Minor Conditions: 11. Public Computers: The public computing area is a model for other branches in its ability to function for instructional computing as well as open computing. While some users complain about wait times, the library size is well served by computers. Some additional computers could be installed in other areas to allow access by users when instructional sessions are being conducted. Currently the teen and children computers are used at these times. 12. Main Entrance: The main entrance, located at the back of the Municipal Building, is sheltered by a large, high overhang that serves as rain shelter for both the book drop and entrance. However, many users complain the entrance is unprotected from rain, due to the height of the canopy. A smaller, lower canopy could be installed directly above the doors and book drop. 13. Window Blinds: Window blinds are horizontal, louver type and often get unbalanced and damaged. To improve the appearance inside and out, and to adequately control the sun without blocking light, new fabric roller shades be installed. 14. Building Condition: The building is in very good condition generally inside and out. Some minor staining of ceiling tiles should be examined for possible issues with ceiling plumbing. The carpet ﬂooring is beginning to show signs of wear and should be replaced within the next two to three years with a quality product.

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September 2009 Chow Low Hammond Architects / CitySpaces Consulting / Judy Moore, Librarian

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Goudy Branch, Downtown Langford, City of Langford Fun, friendly, and fast. GVPL’s newest branch with an Express concept teams-‐up with a coﬀee shop. Goudy Branch provides outdoor patio seating, retail promotion of popular collections, computers for gaming and access to Internet resources. With a youthful aesthetic this small library is ideally located on a busy thoroughfare and allows for a quick drop-‐in space to pick-‐up / drop-‐oﬀ books, review current selections, access computers and children’s material, and enjoy the lively and bright atmosphere. Located adjacent to and connected with a café, this express branch is a well used, and an appreciated addition to the community.

★Primary Conditions: 1. Size: From a community point of view, the express branch is not a full library and therefore is lacking in program space, limited study space and no quiet reading spaces. This is the nature of an “express” model. Some users evaluate the branch on this basis and feel the branch is too small for the neighbourhood. 2. Location / Site: The branch is located on Langford’s main street, in a mixed residential-‐retail complex. The exterior signage (neon) is unlike other GVPL signage and may make visual identity (branding) more diﬃcult for regular users of other branches. Staﬀ note that many people comment that the branch is

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hard to ﬁnd because they can’t see the signage.Parking is challenging at peak periods, being shared with the rest of the commercial and residential development. 3. Check-‐out: There is one check-‐out / cards & accounts / information counter which is very compact and sometimes tight for adequate working space for staﬀ.

★Secondary Conditions: 1. Noise: While the proximity to the café is good for business, the open nature of the two spaces allows for café noise to travel through the library causing disruptions occasionally. The children’s activities can have the same effect on the café. Staff have complained about the noise of the mechanical unit; however, staff note that the ability to control the temperature almost makes up for the noisy unit. 2. Washrooms: The washroom facilities are shared with the café and accessed outside the library security. While this is a benefit for security, families have to take everything and everyone with them when using the facilities.

★Minor Conditions: 1. Children’s & Teens: The children’s area is small and the collection is limited, but this is an express branch. Staff have had a lot of requests for story time, which can not be accommodated in this space and with the number of staff. The teen area is also small but the space and furniture certainly appeals to the age group. Staff note that, due to the popular nature of the print collection it isn’t useful as a support to students doing homework. 2. Workroom: The staff area has good access to the back parking lot for shipping/receiving but there is limited space for the supervisor leaving no privacy or enclosed office, small area for workflows and a general lack of storage space for overstock items. The location of the workroom to the check-‐out desk is on opposite sides of the room. 3. Computers: There are good, individual computer stations along one side, but there is an ergonomic issue related to the wall-‐mounted monitor arms for the ‘look-‐up’ computers that interferes with the book shelving, creating an uncomfortable viewing distance.

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Juan de Fuca Branch, City of Colwood Opened in 1997, The Juan de Fuca Branch is 15,375 square feet and is adjacent to the Juan de Fuca Recreation Centre. An expansive public area provides good space for collections, services and programs. A large staff workroom accommodates increased circulation and movement of materials. A variety of face-‐out displays promote seasonal/attractive library materials. Building design offers community meeting room access outside of hours of library operation. Big picture windows provide views to a wonderful natural backdrop for this facility. The Technical Services Department, A GVPL system-‐wide service, provides system-‐wide acquisitions, cataloguing and processing. It occupies approximately 4,000 square feet of the building. The public shows appreciation for the buildings main features with the expansive feel, natural light and open site lines and interesting design. The building is generally in very good condition and benefits from proximity to the community centre.

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★Primary Conditions: 1. Building systems – heating/cooling/lighting: There have been many complaints regarding the heating and cooling system for the building. There are drastic temperature fluctuations throughout the building that would warrant an independent study of the mechanical system to determine the problem. Simple balancing may be the problem or something more significant. 2. Workroom / Check-‐in: The workroom is in need of renovation to improve the workflows and incorporate height adjustable workstations for check-‐in. The idea of moving the Shuttle bins over to the book drop/ check-‐in area has long been considered but not implemented. This would improve efficiencies along with updating counter spaces to accommodate specific tasks. The book drop room is very cramped and often overflows the space on long weekends. Reworking of this area to increase capacity and diversify book slots for self sorting would alleviate some of the congestion. The addition of RFID (radio frequency identification tagging) would also greatly reduce book handling. Note: RFID is needed for all locations to greatly reduce handling of library returns. 3. Shipping/Receiving – System-‐wide Services: Seen as one of the most significant issues with this branch, the shipping and receiving area of the library is shared by the Technical Services and has become completely inadequate to handle the volume of traffic from the expanded GVPL system. The loading dock is too small to handle skids and therefore they must be unloaded outside before moving into the space. This area also serves the workroom for the library and requires clear path of travel, which often gets congested with book trucks, boxes etc… due to lack of storage area/space. Technical Services also shares with the Collections Services Unit and the overall area is not enough to house all the books, carts, work stations and required storage. This space shortage is beginning to compromise the services of the branch library, as valuable space is taken up by storage and work flows are compromised. Extensive reworking of the shipping / receiving area is necessary to correct the functional problem. Either an addition is necessary, or the system-‐wide services should be moved from this location to allow the branch library some expansion room. 4. Program Room & Seminar Room: The branch has a large public meeting room that is designed to provide after-‐hours access to the public. This room is in high demand and often exceeds its capacity – very much needed and well used. The seminar room has been removed from the public realm and taken over by Technical Services for additional storage / DVD cleaning equipment. This situation significantly compromises the otherwise well equipped public spaces for users and should be returned to a functioning seminar room. Additional storage would be required in order to do so. 5. Teen / Children’s area: Both the teen area and children’s area could benefit from comfortable age appropriate furniture and distinctive, colourful renovation to identify both spaces as being unique and age oriented. The teen area is too close to the children’s area and lacks definition. More book shelves to hold the collection and more table seating for teens to study are required. The open nature makes for some disturbances of neighbouring users. The children’s area décor is dated and should have new furniture to accommodate both parents and children, as well as modernized low shelving. Accentuating

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the nice reading nook/bay window for a storytelling area for parents and their children would start to transform the space. New lighting is required to improve the dim conditions. 6. Signage: Particular concern was raised regarding the signage for the building. By sharing the parking lot with the adjacent community centre the library suffers from a bit of identity crisis. Users find it difficult to distinguish between the two buildings. The large digital sign at the street obstructs the library signage. The building signage needs to be larger and distinctive as a GVPL facility, matching a system wide standard. 7. Accessibility: Adjacent to the main entrance is a concrete ramp to negotiate the three or four steps up to the entrance doors and book drop. This ramp is missing hand rails and should be checked for proper slope and landings to meet accessibility code. 8. Safety: There was a general concern expressed by both users and staff of the library that the lighting levels around the entrance, book drop and shipping/receiving dock were unacceptably low, thus creating a safety concern. The bicycle racks are located around the corner out of site, posing another potential safety concern and perhaps could be relocated to a more visible area.

★Secondary Conditions: 9. Cards/Accounts & Information Desk: The check-‐out counter has two self check stations that should be increased to three, with one that is accessible to physically challenged users. The cards/accounts part of desk is adequate but has problems with sunlight during part of the day. The sunlight issues at service desks should be addressed with roller shades, and desks should be reduced in size, repositioned and co-‐ located.

★Minor Conditions: 10. Main Entrance: The main entrance is served by sliding glass doors leading into a large vestibule with direct access into the program room and washroom facilities. Security gates are located inside the inner doors and sometime cause interference with the A/V displays and products. Minor reorganizing of this area could eliminate the problem and improve the congestion issues at this bottleneck. 11. Building Condition: The building appears to be in very good condition. A detailed building conditions report should be performed in the next 3 years to identify any problem areas not visible through visual inspection – such as rooﬁng, windows & cladding – in order to prolong the life of the building. Some graﬃti stains are showing through paint over and require repainting. 12. Furniture, Book shelving: The furniture is generally in good condition. The teen and children’s area are in need of age appropriate furniture and comfortable soft seating in the children’s area for both adult and children. Computer stations should be replaced with standard, modular furniture with reduced footprint to suit smaller sized computers. Shelving is in good condition but the lower shelves and upper shelves are hard to reach by most users. More face-‐out display shelving should be utilized to promote GVPL standards.

September 2009

Chow Low Hammond Architects | CitySpaces Consulting | Judy Moore, Librarian

GVPL Facilities Plan: Needs Assessment Report

Page 46

13. Window Blinds: Some blinds are required to control sunlight inﬁltration at the check-‐out and information desks, and in some perimeter oﬃces with high glare. 14. Building Security: While the building has a security alarm system in place, it needs to be upgraded to suit newer technologies.

September 2009

Chow Low Hammond Architects | CitySpaces Consulting | Judy Moore, Librarian

GVPL Facilities Plan: Needs Assessment Report

Page 47

Nellie McClung Branch, Gordon Head, District of Saanich An extremely busy branch, Nellie McClung was rebuilt following a fire in 1991. It is ideally located within its community, near the busy intersection of Mackenzie and Shelbourne, with excellent public access. It boasts an intuitive layout and good sightlines. The chief excellent features of this building are the transom windows, high ceilings and windows to the outdoors, showcasing its (somewhat overgrown) landscaping. While the site is well situated in the community, the corner lot is restrictive and the parking area congested. The main floor is home to all of the library’s circulating collections, a computer classroom for instruction, service desks, and staff work areas, including offices. The lower level offers a meeting room, public washrooms, storage (including system-‐wide book-‐sale materials) and staff room. An elevator services the two floors.

★Primary Conditions: 1. Building Entrances, Book Return & Lighting: While the main entry doors have recently been repaired, many users and staﬀ complained about the lack of lighting around the building entrances and that they felt the need for better signage and lighting from the parking areas to the entrances and bicycle racks. The book return located at the upper level is undersized to handle the volume of materials being returned to this branch, which receives almost 20% more than is lent out. The ability to provide book

September 2009

Chow Low Hammond Architects | CitySpaces Consulting | Judy Moore, Librarian

GVPL Facilities Plan: Needs Assessment Report

Page 48

drop separation on the exterior side is compromised by internal limitations that require relocation of gas line and expansion of workroom. 2. Building Systems – Heating/Cooling/Lighting: The building suffers from lack of natural ventilation and overheating in the summer — a particular challenge during the July 2009 heat wave. High windows that could be used to vent the hot air are not conveniently operable, although all that can be open remain open from late spring to fall. There are not enough windows that open and the opening windows are not located in a position to permit cross-‐ventilation. The interior lighting needs to be replaced with updated, energy efficient fixtures. The lighting levels in many areas around stacks and in the teen and children’s area needs improvement. 3. Building Condition: The building has reached an age where larger scale maintenance projects need to be implemented – to verify roof condition, repair and refinish entire wood exterior with refreshing paint colours (as some users have noted), verify window conditions. Exposed concrete steps need to be refinished. 4. Cards/Accounts & Information Desk: The existing circulation desk was modified to insert two self check-‐out stations, but three stations are needed. The space needs reconfiguration in order to reduce congestion. The millwork needs to be more adjustable to suit staff needs and flexibility requirements. Some replanning in this area is required to solve congestion issues and to streamline service points and ergonomics. There are significant functional problems with check-‐in and sorting workflows due to the high volume of materials. The information desk is oversized for its functional use and should be redesigned to be smaller, modular and moved forward to create additional space behind for computers. There is a need to examine a relocation of the information desk and the circulation counter to better utilize floor space. 5. Workroom: The workroom has significant challenges meeting the needs of this branch. Lack of space for book trucks, and a small & congested book drop/check-‐in space, cause materials to spill into public spaces. There is also a need for height adjustable tables to suit work tasks. Overall expansion and a significant renovation is required to improve functionality. 6. Teen / Children’s area: The teen area is well used at this branch due to the proximity to the public school. The décor in this area needs to be refurbished with a distinctive teen appeal and identity, including new soft furniture, face-‐out displays and updated finishes. The area is too small to handle the number of teens at peak times. The proximity to the children’s area could be improved with a bit more sound and site separation through the use of displays or partial walls, or relocation. The children’s area could also use colourful and vibrant updating to distinguish the area from the rest of the library. 7. Furniture, Book Shelving: Upholstered chairs were replaced within the past five years. Additional soft seating would enhance the comfort level of the library (there are no lounge chairs in this branch). The children’s area could benefit from comfortable seating for adults and children to read together, and the teen area would benefit from teen-‐oriented furniture. Many of the book stacks look outdated and could use refreshing end panels to enhance the overall feel of the library. New face out display for A/V and

September 2009

Chow Low Hammond Architects | CitySpaces Consulting | Judy Moore, Librarian

GVPL Facilities Plan: Needs Assessment Report

Page 49

other materials is needed to replace existing unsuitable and non-‐functional shelving. Additional storage is needed to replace an oversized bin in this area. In general, the book collection is too big for the amount of shelving, particularly in the 700s, and the stack arrangement is not intuitive. More face-‐out display shelving should be used to improve the appeal of the collection. 8. Accessibility: The two-‐storey building is served by an elevator which makes most of the ﬂoor space accessible, especially with direct level access from the lower parking area. The book drop however is located at the upper entrance. There is an accessible ramp from the city sidewalk that is in need of repair due to uneven concrete conditions. Handrails and intermediate landings are required to comply with code. The main entry stair could use additional railing and interior circulation around stacks is tight in some areas. 9. Safety: The exterior landscape is mature and appealing but is also overgrown. The main entrance is obstructed from view from the street and poses some safety concerns at night. Staﬀ report that overgrown landscaping has encouraged overnight sleeping on the premises.

★Secondary Conditions: 10. Computer & Program Rooms: This branch has a dedicated computer room on the main floor that serves as instructional space and quiet public computing. Additional computers in the main space allow for alternative uses, however, the millwork is oversized for the new types of computers and should be replaced with smaller, modular furniture to free up much needed floor space. There is a large program room on the lower level that is used for children’s programs and is also booked by the public. The room is well equipped, including storage, but is overcrowded with book sale materials being stored there. This was designed as garage space. Although the floor has a drain, the area is subject to potential water seepage during the rainy season and excess moisture penetration due to the nature of the exterior doors. 11. Shipping/Receiving: The loading area off the parking lot is not sheltered and is often occupied by drop-‐ off users. Delivery of materials is through the elevator and into the already crowded workroom. 12. Window Blinds: Most exterior windows are sheltered with roof overhangs. The high clerestory windows have curtains which should be replaced with new roller shades that are motorized to control sun at various times of the day. 13. Washrooms: Washrooms are dated, unsightly, and in need of an upgrade. Ventilation is very inadequate. Some modifications are required to meet accessibility requirements. 14. Parking: The parking area located at the lower level is quite small for the high traffic this branch receives and can easily become congested. The through lane helps with circulation and nearby transit certainly cuts down on the need for cars. The parking lot should be better lit and requires refinishing. Two spaces for people with disabilities appears to be inadequate, based on user complaints. One of the two spaces is on a slant, making it difficult for some users.

September 2009

Chow Low Hammond Architects | CitySpaces Consulting | Judy Moore, Librarian

GVPL Facilities Plan: Needs Assessment Report

September 2009

Page 50

Chow Low Hammond Architects | CitySpaces Consulting | Judy Moore, Librarian

GVPL Facilities Plan: Needs Assessment Report

Page 51

Oak Bay Branch, Downtown Oak Bay, District of Oak Bay This is a light, bright and very busy branch. Oak Bay Library offers a comprehensive collection and a full host of programs from early childhood to seniors in 11,358 square feet on one-‐level. This library is well situated within the community, pedestrian-‐friendly promoting walk-‐in traffic, and is adjacent to the Monterey Centre, sharing its main entry lobby. The addition of the Tonkin heritage home on Hampshire Road into the library’s space offers a unique eclectic design. Facility highlights include: beautiful glasswork; fireplaces; a special conservatory reading room; large skylights and the library’s friendly lion, Libris. This library is well loved by the community. Key building deficiencies are:

•

Cramped public space. Insuﬃcient lounge or study seating;

•

Computer classroom space is not available, and computer Internet area is inadequate to meet current demand;

•

Additional self-‐check station(s) are required;

•

Computer Internet access space is inadequate; and

•

Huge volume of holds and material returns provides space challenges for materials sorting and reshelving / book trucks.

September 2009

Chow Low Hammond Architects | CitySpaces Consulting | Judy Moore, Librarian

GVPL Facilities Plan: Needs Assessment Report

Page 52

★Primary Conditions: 1. Building Space: The most significant issue with this branch is space. It is a highly used branch and seems to be tight in most areas – collection shelving quantity, minimum study tables, A/V displays, teen area, quiet study, shipping/receiving, washrooms and general circulation. Many of these issues cannot be resolved without a substantial renovation/addition or relocation. The additional ramp and renovation to connect with the heritage building makes for very inefficient use of space – while appealing for its unique character the space is primarily needed for circulation. There is a basement to this building. Some library functions exist on this level, such as offices, staff room and some limited storage area. However, the stair to the basement is very narrow and awkward to be used for transporting stored material. This space is in poor condition and could benefit from a renovation. Only the installation of an elevator could make this area viable for proper library functions but would be cost prohibitive considering the other branch deficiencies. 2. Building Entrances, Book return & lighting: The main entrance is shared with the community centre and has colourful stained glass art work but the access to the library is separated with steel fire doors when closed at night, leaving no windows or visible sign that the library exists beyond the wall. This is a major shortcoming of the current building location and does not contribute to the celebration of a welcoming community library to passersby. The book return is accessed beyond these steel doors when the library is open and from the side of the building at night. The exterior book drop is dark and needs improved lighting, signage and a weather-‐protecting canopy that covers the main entry doors and extends to the side book drop. 3. Washrooms: The washroom facilities are completely inadequate for the branch, with poor site lines and only a single men’s water closet. There is one additional accessible washroom located near the checkout area, but it is inappropriate for users accessing it from such a public location. 4. Building Condition: The exterior wood cladding is peeling and showing signs of rot. Exterior stair to basement is in need of repair due to cracking and rot. Overall, the building is dated and lacks proper identity. Given the significant deficiencies with this branch consideration should be given to a rebuild. If such a project is not feasible, then a building envelope study should be performed to quantify extent of required repair & upgrade. The interior finishes would also need upgrading – paint, carpet , lighting. 5. Cards/Accounts & Information Desk: The current checkout/accounts desk is large and oversized considering the trend to self-‐check machines. Combined with the need for more space behind for shipping/receiving consideration should be given to rebuild the millwork to be ergonomically correct for the physically challenged, and the size to be reduced. In addition, two new self-‐check stations should be installed with at least one to accommodate wheelchair / child use. The information desk is large, accommodating two full work stations. This millwork should be replaced with one smaller modular work station to free up much needed floor space. The reference collection should also be culled to reflect the migration to on-‐line materials.

September 2009

Chow Low Hammond Architects | CitySpaces Consulting | Judy Moore, Librarian

GVPL Facilities Plan: Needs Assessment Report

Page 53

6. Workroom: The workroom is undersized and equipped with older furniture that is not ergonomic. The branch head’s office is disconnected and located in the basement. There is a bottle neck leading from the book drop room, through check-‐in, cross-‐over with shipping/receiving to get to workroom. 7. Shipping/Receiving: The shipping and receiving area is virtually non-‐existent. All deliveries are made through the main entrance and into the work room from around the check-‐out area. This space is also where the check-‐in activities take place with serious cross-‐over that interrupts work flows. Excess materials, boxes and book trucks end up being parked behind the circulation desk in public view due to the lack of storage and receiving floor space. 8. Children’s / Teen area: The children’s area is well used and has some interesting features but it is located too close and central to other adult areas and computers creating noise disturbances to other users. Renovations to this area are required to define the space with playful imagery, colours and furniture, with intent to provide sound buffering between adjacent spaces.

★Secondary Conditions: 9. Furniture, Book shelving: New soft seating has been recently installed and works well. Additional fun soft seating should be installed in the children’s area and teen area that is age appropriate. In particular, adult/child seating in the children’s area would be useful. The teen area would benefit from additional group tables and more attractive face-‐out displays. Height adjustable tables should be installed in the check-‐in area and updated workstations in the workroom. 10. Computer & Program Rooms: There is a program / meeting room located at the back of the library in the heritage addition which has charming character but is limited functionally. It is not available to the public after hours for community groups and is under equipped for telecommunications, does not have adequate storage for program use / tables / chairs and the room is not flexible. Located adjacent to the quiet reading space, there are noise issues when the room is in use. The computers stations are centrally located with a variety of types, from stand up quick reference to sit-‐down work stations. Computer desks could be rearranged to provide greater quantity in one area to double for instructional activities. 11. Heating / Cooling / Lighting / Power: There have been complaints regarding ventilation stating that the air is stuffy. System should be reviewed in detail to determine extent of deficiencies. Lighting is outdated and should be replaced with energy efficient fixtures with any extensive renovation. Tables no longer align with floor receptacles.

★Minor Conditions: 12. Parking: Users complain that the parking is inadequate for the occupancy and competes with visitors of the community centre. However, the location is easily accessed and the library is centrally located for pedestrian travel.

September 2009

Chow Low Hammond Architects | CitySpaces Consulting | Judy Moore, Librarian

GVPL Facilities Plan: Needs Assessment Report

September 2009

Page 54

Chow Low Hammond Architects | CitySpaces Consulting | Judy Moore, Librarian

GVPL Facilities Plan: Needs Assessment Report

Page 55

Saanich Centennial Branch, Tillicum, District of Saanich One of the newest Branches at GVPL, The Saanich Centennial Branch is adjacent to, and connected with, the Pearkes Recreation Centre. The Saanich Archives is co-‐located with the library and is staffed separately. This Centennial library project showcases and includes many new services including: a computer training area; the Learning Centre; designated Internet stations in the Information Commons area; Digital reference and homework help stations; a program area for children and families; a group study room and an adult reading/ program area in the "Living Room". An esthetically pleasing, energy efficient design with high quality furnishings, this branch offers an excellent “third space” to the community and is well received by the users with very positive feedback.

★Primary Conditions: 1. Children’s Area / Program Room: Many users are pleased with the size and location of the children’s area, being near the back and tucked in the corner with good visibility and control. The program room is in the corner and the shape can at times be challenging for some programs, but the most concerning

September 2009

Chow Low Hammond Architects | CitySpaces Consulting | Judy Moore, Librarian

GVPL Facilities Plan: Needs Assessment Report

Page 56

issues is the utilization of the space. When programs are not in session the space is closed off, leaving valuable area unused. Sound dampening is sometimes an issue. 2. Teen Zone: The Teen area is designated in the middle of the library, between the A/V display and the information desk. The area is well equipped with technology and a variety of seating types but the location promotes circulation through the space by users seeking other areas of the library, thus interrupting Teen activities. There is a general lack of displays in this area and minimal shelf space for books, with little room for growth. Despite some of these shortcomings, the Teen area in this branch is successful. 3. Noise: This branch is designed with an open plan and is a very busy library with active users. The large open children’s area poses some challenges with noise travel through the library, especially near the adjacent magazine reading area. The open washroom design poses significant noise issues that far outweigh the accessible & sanitary benefits to this layout – virtually all noise from the washrooms are heard within the library. 4. Computer Info Commons / Learning Centre: This branch has two dedicated computer areas, one open info commons with 16 computers and one enclosed learning centre with 12 computers. There is a general sense from the public that the library is underserved by computers, when in fact there are plenty of computers if they were all available to the public. The enclosed learning centre is reserved for staff training or special programs and is closed to the public otherwise, representing another area that is underutilized. Both areas are served by accessible, height adjusted workstations.

★Secondary Conditions: 1. Cards/Accounts & Information Desk: The use of a combined functioning desk, located in the centre of the plan, opposite the main entrance, has proven to be somewhat of a challenge for some users and staff. The combined functions sometimes lead to confusion among users not knowing who to approach for help or where to stand in line. The circular design is enclosing and the design does not allow for book trucks, processing of materials, or storage at the desk. Some complaints were made regarding the position of the seated workstation, which is oriented away from the main entrance and that there was a lack of useable working space for any prolonged work requirements. Better cord management could improve the integration of technology into the desk and the ergonomic modifications to the counter could better serve users that require assistance as well as staff needs. 2. Book Drop / Building Signage: While the book drop is very accessible and well positioned in relation to the workroom, the location is past the main entrance, which itself is recessed from the sidewalk. Consequently, many new users tend to enter the building without seeing the exterior book drop due to inadequate signage in this area. There is a small overhang at the book drops which users have complained about, seeking better rain protection. Furthermore, with the Library entrance adjacent to the recreation centre’s entrance, there is a need for more distinctive Library signage, as well as main

September 2009

Chow Low Hammond Architects | CitySpaces Consulting | Judy Moore, Librarian

GVPL Facilities Plan: Needs Assessment Report

Page 57

library signage out beyond the parking lot at the main Tillicum Road to direct users to the back of the mall parking lot. 3. Workroom / Staff area: The workroom was designed to minimize handling of materials and to streamline processes, utilizing adjustable workstations equipment. The branch is ready for the implementation of smart sorting technologies. However, in the meantime, the staff complained about the lack of space for shelving, sorting, bin storage etc. Until more efficient sorting technologies are installed, there may remain the requirement/desire for more shelving in the workroom. Offices are shared between three staff/librarians which causes some privacy / confidentiality issues. The location is completely lacking in natural light or views, due to the nature of this addition to the community centre.

★Minor Conditions: 1. Displays / Bookshelves: The branch utilizes new book shelves, slat wall and some face-‐out display shelving throughout the branch and could use some purpose built display for library materials merchandise rather than tables. The main entrance suﬀers from some congestion due to location of certain displays, such as DVD / Fast views products.

September 2009

Chow Low Hammond Architects | CitySpaces Consulting | Judy Moore, Librarian

Greater Victoria Public Library

Context Report Greater Victoria Public Library Table of Contents The Communities We Serve

Population Projections

Population by Selected Age Group

Selected Demographic Variables

The Capital Region’s Growth Strategy

Our Governance and Funding

Roles and Responsibilities

Facility Planning

Funding

Our Services

Total Holdings

Visits to Libraries

Circulation

Circulation by Category

Circulation by Location of Facility

Users by Home Library

Users by Postal Code, February 2009

Transit Service near Facilities

Our Facilities

Branches by Floorspace and Circulation Per Capita

System-‐wide Services

Bruce Hutchison Branch, Royal Oak, District of Saanich

Central Saanich Branch, Brentwood Bay, District of Central Saanich

Emily Carr Branch, Saanich Town Centre, District of Saanich

Esquimalt Branch, Township of Esquimalt

Goudy Branch, Downtown Langford, City of Langford

Juan de Fuca Branch, City of Colwood

Nellie McClung Branch, Gordon Head, District of Saanich

Oak Bay Branch, Downtown Oak Bay, District of Oak Bay

Saanich Centennial Branch, Tillicum, District of Saanich

Central Library, Downtown Victoria, City of Victoria

Trends in Public Libraries

Four Key Trends

Trends — Demographic Change

Trends — Technology’s Impact

Trends — The Role of the Library

Trends — The Library Building

Trend — Beyond the Building

List of Figures Figure 1

Map of Area served by GVPL

Figure 2

Population by Municipality, 2007 and 2026, Projected

Figure 3

Population by Age Group, 2007 and 2026, Projected, by Sub-‐Area

Figure 4

Selected Demographic Variables, Greater Victoria, Census Years 2001 and 2006

Figure 5

Operating Revenue by Source, 2008 Budget

Figure 6

Revenue by Municipality, 2008 Budget

Figure 7

Number of Holdings

Figure 8

Visits by Facility

Figure 9

Circulation, 2003-‐2008

Figure 10 Number of Holds, 2005-‐2008 Figure 11 # of Times Each Item Circulated, by Category, 2008 Figure 12 Circulation by User Group and Facility, 2008 Figure 13 Average Monthly Circulation, By Facility, 2008 Figure 14 Users by Home Library Figure 15 Users by Postal Code Figure 16 Checkouts by Users by Postal Code, by Branch: February 18, 2009 Figure 17 Map of Postal Code Areas Figure 18 Total Transit Activity, Average Per Weekday Figure 19 Overview of Facilities

Context Report Greater Victoria Public Library Victoria’s metropolitan area continues to grow and change. And, so do its libraries. This year, ﬂowing from its Strategic Plan Update, the Greater Victoria Public Library (GVPL) is examining its library buildings — the places we go to browse, borrow, and learn. To be ready for the future, GVPL is planning its facilities to take into account changing demographics, trends in library use and space planning, as well as innovative technologies. Some of the questions we are exploring are:

•

How is technology changing the way libraries will be set up in the future?

•

How should existing facilities be improved to meet future needs?

•

Are new or expanded branch libraries needed?

•

How will improvements and new facilities be funded?

Libraries are a significant capital investment — each library facility must be planned to current and future needs. Effective library facility planning begins with a projection of the future population of our service areas, particularly the total population and its age make-‐up. Facilities built more than 15 years ago were not planned to accommodate many of the services being offered today. Some GVPL facilities were performing at capacity within a year of opening, and now struggle to handle increased use, expanding collections, newer formats, a variety of technology, particularly the increased need for computers access. GVPL aims to have an actionable “Facilities Plan” that sets the course for the coming 15 years by the end of 2009. The process for the plan’s development begins in the Spring through consultations with stakeholders that have an interest in the library system. This includes all municipal partners, library users and staff, groups with special interests, and community partners.

Figure 1—Map of Area served by GVPL

GVPL Context Report – March 2009

Page 3

The Communities We Serve GVPL provides service to more than 305,000 residents living in 10 municipalities on the South Island. The public library system also serves approximately 4,000 residents from four First Nations — Songhees, Esquimalt, Tsawout and Tsartlip.

Population Projections Population projections to 2026, show an increase within the library’s service area to more than 350,000. Growth will vary considerably by location — Langford and Colwood are expected to grow at a fast pace, with moderate growth in Saanich and Victoria. Figure 2 illustrates 2007 and projected future population for 2026 by each municipality in GVPL’s service area. (Note: population projections are not available for the First Nations band areas.) Figure 2 — Population by Municipality, 2007 and 2026, Projected Highlands Metchosin

View Royal

Colwood

Central Esquimalt Oak Bay Langford Victoria Saanich

Saanich

2007

2,009

5,033

9,213

15,527

16,759

17,619

18,655

24,892

81,954

113,529

2026

2,200

5,300

10,700

30,200

17,700

21,100

19,100

42,100

84,700

119,300

Source: Capital Regional District and BC Statistics PEOPLE projections

Population by Municipality, 2007 and 2026, Projected 125,000

2007 2026 100,000

75,000

50,000

25,000

ia or Vi ct

ay ak B O

ni ch l S aa nt ra Ce

Vi ew R oy al

Hi gh la nd s

Page 4

March 2009 – GVPL Context Report

Population by Selected Age Group The accompanying table and chart depict the age proﬁle for 2007, and projected to the year 2026. These projections are undertaken by BC Stats, using a complex forecasting model. “Local Health Areas (LHAs)” are smallest area of geography for which projections are made. There are three within the area served by GVPL — West Shore, Greater Victoria (Core), and the Saanich Peninsula. As evident from the accompanying table and chart, the future age-‐proﬁle indicates that, proportionally, there will be a greater number of residents age 60+, particularly in Greater Victoria and the Saanich Peninsula. The West Shore population will also have an increasing proportion of seniors, but will also see an increase in the birth to 14, and 25-‐39 age groups. Figure 3 — Population by Age Group, 2007 and 2006, Projected, by Sub-‐Area Ages 0-‐14

Ages 15-‐24

Ages 25-‐39

Ages 40-‐59

Ages 60-‐74

Age 75+

Total

West Shore 2007

11,307

8,366

13,120

20,961

6,997

2,913

63,664

West Shore 2026

15,985

8,634

17,341

28,253

18,703

6,892

95,808

Greater Victoria 2007

27,479

31,344

48,366

65,471

27,611

21,935

222,206

Greater Victoria 2026

25,972

26,727

41,465

68,631

50,715

30,263

243,773

Saanich Peninsula 2007

8,401

8,058

8,038

20,468

11,615

8,283

64,863

Saanich Peninsula 2026

8,683

5,077

11,040

16,644

16,239

12,937

70,620

250000 Age 75+ Ages 60-‐74 Ages 40-‐59 Ages 25-‐39 Ages 15-‐24 Ages 0-‐14

187500

125000

62500

ict te r V ea

r V te ea Gr

or Sa ia an 20 ich 26 P en in Sa su an la 20 ich 07 P en in su la 20 26

7 20 0 or ia ict

ho re t S

W es

t S

20 26

GVPL Context Report – March 2009

Page 5

Selected Demographic Variables The government of Canada conducts a cross-‐country census every ﬁve years. Figure 4 provides a look at some key demographic variables that will be taken into account during the facilities planing process. The data applies to the Victoria Census Metropolitan Area (CMA) — a geographic area considerably smaller than the Capital Region, but slightly larger than the GVPL service area. Note: The data is not available, without a custom tabulation from Stats Canada, for the speciﬁc service area of GVPL. Figure 4 — Selected Demographic Variables, Greater Victoria, Census Years 2001 and 2006 Demographic Variable

Change between 2001-‐06

2001

2006

41.0

43.1

Number of lone-‐parent families

13,795

14,640

106%

Median income lone-‐parent families

$32,763

$39,681

121%

n/a

$77,414

Median Age

Median Income, married couples Mother tongue, other than English or French

43,830

Neither knowledge of English or French

2,270

Language spoken most often at home, neither English or French

16,680

Aboriginal population

8,700

University certiﬁcate, diploma or degree

23.6%

Number of people age 15+

10,905

125%

278,590

People in the labour force, age 15+

n/a

182,895

Participation rate

64%

66%

Visible minority

27,185

n/a

Chinese

11,240

12,330

110%

South Asian

5,775

7,210

125%

Filipino

1,815

2,760

152%

Black

2,175

2,360

109%

Japanese

1,740

2,275

131%

Latin American

1,165

1,845

158%

Southeast Asian

n/a

1,585

Source: Statistics Canada

102%

Page 6

March 2009 – GVPL Context Report

The Capital Region’s Growth Strategy The Capital Regional District (CRD) encompasses an area of 236,735 hectares, stretching from Port Renfrew in the west to Oak Bay in the south-‐east, and Salt Spring Island on the north. Geographically, GVPL serves an area that is less than 20 % of the land area of the CRD, but with more than 90% of its population. The Regional Growth Strategy (RGS) is an agreement, developed and approved by the Capital Region Board and the member municipalities in partnership, on region-‐wide goals and priority actions. Its purpose, established through the provincial legislation, is to promote human settlement that is socially, economically and environmentally healthy, and makes eﬃcient use of public facilities and services, land and other resources. The most recent RGS was adopted by the CRD Board in 2003. It includes eight strategic initiatives that together express a 25-‐year vision, and program, for this joint partnership:

• • • • • • • •

Keep urban settlement compact; Protect the integrity of rural communities; Protect regional green and blue space; Manage natural resources and the environment sustainability; Build complete communities; Improve housing aﬀordability; Increase transportation choice; and Strengthen the regional economy.

Achieving the regional vision requires a concerted effort to shift to policies that encourage investment and development within an “urban containment boundary” and more specifically, within designated urban centres. These policies will have the long–term effect of increasing the proportion of apartments, townhouses and other attached housing types. The area within the “urban containment area” is 16,420 ha., representing less than seven percent of the total area of the Capital Region. In addition to containing urban growth, the RGS proposes five measures that aim to increase the capacity of urban areas, particularly in the Core municipalities and the West Shore:

•

Establish a strong mixed–use Metropolitan Core in downtown Victoria;

•

Accommodate a minimum of 15% of the region’s cumulative new dwelling units to 2026 within the City of Victoria, to reinforce the Metropolitan Core;

•

Focus new growth primarily in eight Major Centres revitalized as walkable, transit–focused complete communities with a dense mix of businesses, housing, services and public open space;

•

Increase the amount of detached and ground access housing within the urban containment and servicing area in the core municipalities of Victoria, Esquimalt, Saanich and Oak Bay by 5% over designated capacities in their oﬃcial community plans (OCPs), at the date of the adoption of the Regional Growth Strategy bylaw, by 2011; and

•

Locate a minimum of 90% of the region’s cumulative new dwelling units to 2026 within the Regional Urban Containment and Servicing area

GVPL Context Report – March 2009

Page 7

Our Governance and Funding GVPL operates under the Municipal Libraries provisions of Part 2 of the British Columbia Library Act.

Roles and Responsibilities GVPL operates through a Library Operating Agreement among 10 municipalities and the GVPL Board. The library system includes a central library and nine branch libraries. Emily Carr and Juan de Fuca branches provide system-‐wide services — costs for those services are shared across the 10 municipalities that participate in the GVPL system. The municipalities own the library buildings and contract with the GVPL Board to operate the system and provide library services to area residents. In this regard, the roles are similar to a commercial landlord and tenant arrangement where the municipality, as landlord is responsible for the building structure, building systems and grounds. The GVPL Board, as tenant is responsible for the tenant improvements such as interior ﬁnishes, furniture and the library collections.

•

The exception to this the landlord-‐tenant analogy is that new libraries at “start-‐up” are provided by the municipality fully appointed with all interior improvements including the initial library collection. After “start-‐up” the GVPL Board assumes responsibility for all tenant improvements and the management of the collections.

Facility Planning The GVPL Library Operating Agreement assigns to the GVPL Board the responsibility to maintain and report on the strategic plan and submit a copy to the Council of each municipality by March 1st of each year. A component of the current strategic plan is the preparation of an actionable facilities plan document for the GVPL Board and municipal partners. This facilities planning model requires overall “facilities” evaluation and planning to be undertaken by the “GVPL Board”, whereas the facilities are separately capitalized, constructed and owned either individually or jointly by the municipalities.

Page 8

March 2009 – GVPL Context Report

Funding Each municipality makes a ﬁnancial contribution to the annual operations of the system. In 2008, 83% of the annual cost of operating was paid by these municipalities. Figure 5 shows the sources of revenue that support the library’s operations. Figure 6 breaks out the municipal revenue by each of the 10 municipalities that participate in the GVPL system. Figure 5 — Operating Revenue by Source, 2008 Budget Amount Provincial

$865,743

Municipal

$11,239,758

Service Fees

$747,176

Other

$750,345

Provincial Municipal Service Other

Revenue Sources, 2008 Budget

83%

Source: GVPL

5% 6% 6%

Revenue by Muncipality, 2008 Budget Figure 6 — Revenue by Municipality, 2008 Budget 2008 Budget Central Saanich Highlands Victoria

$621,559 $74,182 $3,256,158

Oak Bay

$798,023

Langford

$889,065

Colwood

$531,641

Saanich

$3,954,147

Esquimalt

$612,567

Metchosin

$188,828

View Royal

$313,589

Source: GVPL

Note: Figures corrected @ April 2009

Central Saanich Highlands Victoria Oak Bay Langford Colwood Saanich Esquimalt Metchosin View Royal

GVPL Context Report – March 2009

Page 9

Our Services GVPL serves residents in 10 of the 13 municipalities in the Capital Region. Three other municipalities in the Capital Region — North Saanich, Sidney and Sooke — are members of the Vancouver Island Regional Library System.

Total Holdings There are approximately 970,000 materials in GVPL’s collection. Figure 7 shows holdings by facility. Figure 7 — Number of Holdings by Facility or Collection 280,000

259,010

210,000 140,000 72,766

70,485

70,000

112,494 98,952 103,624

84,014 89,241

9,013

Vi sit in g

40,009 14,358

l ra nt

lu ng

Ne llie M cC

de Fu ca

Ju an

ak B

ia l

en n

iso

Ce nt

ch ut

uc Br

Visits to Libraries

e H

qu im al t

rr C a

ily

ni Em

aa l S nt

In a “representative week” in November 2008, there were over 48,000 visits to nine libraries, as shown in Figure 8 for nine branches. Note: Data for Goudy was not available. Figure 8 — Visits by Facility

11,200 8,400 5,600 2,800

ily C ar r Es qu im al t Ju an d e F Br uc uc a e H ut ch Ne iso llie n M cC l Ce ung nt en ni al O ak B ay Ce nt ra l

aa ni

2,168 3,003 3,312 4,721 5,053 5,123 5,125 6,391 13,134

nt ra l S

Central Saanich Emily Carr Esquimalt Juan de Fuca Bruce Hutchison Nellie McClung Saanich Centennial Oak Bay Central

14,000

Representative Week, November 2008

Visits, Representative Week, November 2008

Page 10

March 2009 – GVPL Context Report

Circulation

•

On an annualized basis, (accounting for the system closure during February) in 2008, the total circulation of materials was 5.1 million items (See Figure 9), an average of 16.4 per resident, up from 12.2 items in 1993.

•

The “holds” system is used by many card holders. In 2003, there were 511,000 holds placed; in 2008, the annualized ﬁgure was over 906,000. More than 90% of all holds are placed online; the remainder are placed within the branches. This trend is depicted in Figure 10.

Figure 9 — Circulation, 2003-‐2008

Total Circulation, 2003-‐2008 6,000,000

Total Circulation 2003

4,374,000

2004

4,689,399

2005

4,872,496

2006

4,812,606

2007

4,814,988

2008

5,110,700

5,000,000

4,000,000

3,000,000

Source: GVPL Circulation Statistics. Note: 2008 ﬁgure is approximate, normalized to account for system closure in February 2008.

Figure 10 — Number of Holds, 2005-‐2008 Total System

All Other E-‐Branch Branches (incl. Central)

2005

752,547

555,127

197,420

2006

892,165

800,322

91,843

2007

876,424

801,201

75,223

2008

906,200

827,400

78,800

2003 2004 2005 2006 2007 2008

Number of Holds, 2005-‐2008 1,000,000

750,000

500,000

250,000

2005

2006

2007

2008

GVPL Context Report – March 2009

Page 11

Circulation by Category

•

On average, each item in the collection circulates 4.8 times per year. Circulation varies widely by type of collection (see Figure 11), and by user groups among the branches (see Figure 12). Of note, almost 48% of the Goudy Branch’s circulation is from the teen and children’s collections; whereas, at Central, the equivalent ﬁgure is 20%.

Figure 11 — # of Times Each Item Circulated By Category, 2008 Category

# of Times Each Item Circulated, By Category, 2008

15.00

Number

Adult Print

Adult A/V

Children Print

Children A/V

Teen Print

Teen A/V

Source: GVPL: Material Holdings

11.25

7.50

Adult Print Adult A/V Children Print Children A/V Teen Print Teen A/V

3.75

0 Figure 12 — Circulation by User Group and Facility, 2008, Percentage

100%

Teen Children Adult

75%

50%

25%

qu im al t Em ily C ar Ce r nt ra l S aa n O ich ak B ay Ne llie M cC Sa lu an ng ich C en Br te uc n e H nia l ut ch i Ju an son d e F uc a Go ud y

nt ra

Page 12

March 2009 – GVPL Context Report

Circulation by Location of Facility

•

The Central Library (located in Victoria) has the largest circulation. In 2008, this was 740,000 items, representing 16% of the total circulation within the system. The Oak Bay and Nellie McClung branches average over 600,000 items circulated annually.

•

On an average monthly basis, in 2008, circulation varied among library facilities (see Figure 13). Note 1: This excludes the month of March 2008 when GVPL was not open. Note 2: The Goudy Branch opened in October 2008 and only two months ﬁgures were available.

•

Two of GVPL’s unique collections — Talking Books and Visiting Library Services — account for a circulation of about 18,000 annually.

Figure 13 — Average Monthly Circulation, By Facility, 2008 Central

Oak Bay

Nellie McClung

67,272

55,707

55,264

Juan de Saanich Fuca Centennial 45,214

43,361

Bruce Hutchison

Esquimalt

Emily Carr

Central Saanich

Goudy

37,361

25,271

22,722

16,604

3,410

Source: GVPL Circulation Statistics

Average Monthly Circulation, by Facility, 2008 Central Oak Bay Nellie McClung Juan de Fuca Saanich Centennial Bruce Hutchison Esquimalt Emily Carr Central Saanich Goudy 0

17,500

35,000

52,500

70,000

GVPL Context Report – March 2009

Page 13

Users by Home Library A ﬁrst-‐time user to the library is assigned a “home library” , although they have borrowing privileges at any branch throughout the GVPL system. The “home library” is where they ﬁrst receive their library card. Figure 14 provides details of users’ “home library”. Figure 14 — Users by Home Library Number Goudy

871

Saanich Centennial

3,930

Central Saanich

7,166

Emily Carr

11,008

Esquimalt

11,757

Oak Bay

17,489

Bruce Hutchison

17,954

Nellie McClung

23,535

Juan de Fuca

23,553

Central

44,830

Source: GVPL

Users by Home Library

45,000 36,000 27,000 18,000 9,000

ch iso Ne n llie M cC lu ng Ju an d e F uc a Ce nt ra l

ay ak B Br u

qu im al t

ily

C a

ich an S a ra l

nt Ce

ia l en n Ce nt

Page 14

March 2009 – GVPL Context Report

Users by Postal Code, February 2009 Figure 15 — Users by Postal Code Users 2,204

V8W

2,932

V8Y

5,055

V8LM

8,008

V9C

8,561

V8P

9,183

V8T

9,512

V8S

10,689

V8X

11,867

V8R

13,071

V8Z

13,804

V8N

14,382

V8V

15,011

V9B

15,110

V9A

18,917

20,000

15,000

10,000

5,000

0 V9 E V8 W V8 Y V8 LM V9 C V8 P V8 T V8 S V8 X V8 R V8 Z V8 N V8 V V9 B V9 A

V9E

Users by Postal Code, February 2009

postal code.

frequently used by users living in a speciﬁc

Note: Shaded cells identify the branch(es) most

Figure 16 — Checkouts by Users Postal Code, by Branch, February 18, 2009 Postal Code

Number

V8L/M V8N V8P V8R V8S V8T V8V V8W V8Y V8X V8Z V9A V9B V9C V9E V0N/S TOTALS

364 629 377 669 561 371 755 107 178 537 485 715 566 389 99 70 6,872

68 45 31 32

1 17 63 121 124 140 469 56 3 43 21 93 22 27 2 2 1,204

147 3

55 25 23 3 3 38 17 2 6 147 52 2 3 4 3

211

383

4 10 3 128 120 153 22 9 6 49 2 682

2 11

1 35

3 1 6 3 19 4

14 1 9 1 8 7 7 24

60 419 180 49 18 60 20 5 1 124 12 5 8

1 61 17 349 346 54 61 2

8 7 35 32

3 4 252 5 3 1 304

13 22 41 356 276 5 51 835

3 2 966

20 2 8 1

2 924

32 10 22 48 158 249 60 14 18 4 697

4 5

2 3 4 91 25 1 136

GVPL Context Report – March 2009

Page 15

Map — Greater Victoria Postal Codes Figure 17

7572.maplayout

12/18/00 8:46 AM

Page 127

Victoria

Urban FSAs RTA urbaines LEGEND / LÉGENDE

BRENTWOOD BAY

V8R

RE AC

KEATING CROSS RD

CENTRAL SAANICH

TODD INLET

SAANICH LIMITS

V8Y

DURRANCE ROAD

V9E

V8T

INTERURBAN RD

ARM FI

LE ZZ FI

AY SO N

FIZZLE LAKE

HWY

PANDORA AVE SHELBOURNE ST NORTH DAIRY RD HILLSIDE AVE CNR TRACKS FERNWOOD RD

V8Z

OLD W SAANICH RD

IA BAY PATRIC

RY CO

2. FORT ST 3. PANDORA AVE

OLDFIELD RD

V8S

W SAANICH RD

K EE

1. PANDORA AVE 2. FORT ST 3. BELLVILLE ST

V9B

HIGHLAND RD

OLD ISL HW AND Y M PB RD AC K

E OK SO RD

(1 S 7 OO M IL KE E H RD O U SE )

UPPER HARBOUR

ESQUIMALT LAGOON

VICTORIA HARBOUR

V8R 6.

V8W 1.

DALLAS RD

CADBORO CADBORO BAY RD

BAY

V8T

V8V

5. 1.

3. 2. 4.

ST YSON FINLA

V9C

SI NC L RD AIR

V8P

CO O ST K

BURNSIDE RD W BURNSIDE RD E

V9A

MCKENZIE AVE MCKENZIE AVE

ALT UIM ESQ R BOU HAR

2. OLD ISLAND HWY 3. HIGHLAND/ESQUIMALT DISTRICT BOUNDARY (C)

PORTAGE INLET

HWY 1 DA ANS CANA

R AD QU ST

EN R

V9B

V8N

MALTON AVE

ST GLAS

BURNSIDE RD W

MOUNT DOUGLAS PARK

V8X

DOU

1. COLQUITZ CREEK 2. OLD ISLAND HWY 5. CNR TRACKS

ER OW FL AIG REEK C

GOLDSTREAM PARK

PATRICIA BAY HWY

PROSPECT LAKE RD

V9A

GLENDENNING RD

CHARLETON RD

PIKE LAKE

CORDOVA BAY

AK LO YA RO DR

V8V

RN RD SID W E

3. 2.

OAK BAY AVE

V8S ROSE BAY

JUAN DE FUCA STRAIT

CONNIE RD PARRY BAY

R UPPE OUR HARB

MATHESON LAKE PROVINCIAL PARK MATHESON LAKE RD PEDDER BAY DR

V8W BELLEVILLE ST

PARKER BAY

BLANCHARD ST

DND MARYHILL

PEDDER BAY

SCALE / ÉCHELLE 1:150 000 Metres

1000

1000 2000 3000

HERALD ST NORTH PARK ST

QUAD RA ST

1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6.

ISLAND VIEW RD CENTRAL SAANICH RD

LANSDOWNE RD PANDORA AVE HILLSIDE AVE HIBBENS CLOSE FERNWOOD RD

SQUA LL

1. 3. 4. 5. 6.

V8L/M

SCHOOL DISTRICT 62/63 BOUNDARY (c)

LANSDOWNE RD SHELBOURNE ST NORTH DAIRY RD HIBBENS CLOSE

1. 2. 3. 5.

MOSS

V8P

Metres

RUPPERT TERR

OAK BAY BEACH DR

Page 16

March 2009 – GVPL Context Report

Transit Service near Facilities

•

Some libraries are exceptionally well serviced by transit, including the Central Library in Downtown Victoria and Nellie McClung Branch in Saanich, close to UVic and the University Heights Shopping/Entertainment Centre. BC Transit maintains a wealth of data on passenger use of its services. One statistic tracks the average “on and oﬀ” passengers at each bus stop within its service area. Figure 18 shows activity for all stops close to the nine branches. The equivalent ﬁgure for total activity near the Central Library is 32,549. Figure 18— Total Activity Average Per Weekday Total Activity Average Per Weekday

ON’s Avg. per Weekday

OFFs Avg. per Weekday

Nellie McClung

5,054

2,689

2,365

Emily Carr

3,929

1,950

1,979

Saanich Centennial

2,394

1,203

1,191

Bruce Hutchison

1,829

997

832

Juan de Fuca

1,589

885

704

Esquimalt

1,324

644

680

Goudy

978

562

416

Oak Bay

697

347

350

Central Saanich

262

139

123

Source: BC Transit, Custom Tabulation

GVPL Context Report – March 2009

Page 17

Our Facilities Municipalities, either individually or jointly, provide premises for each branch(es) in their municipality. The Central library acts as Victoria’s and View Royal’s branches, but a portion of its ﬂoorspace is for system-‐wide services. The costs of system-‐wide services at Central, Visiting Library Service / Shuttle and Technical Services are shared among the 10 municipalities based on a funding formula derived from property assessed value and population of each municipality. Additionally, each municipality’s contribution is subject to a rental adjustment for those branches housing a system-‐wide function based on fair rental value and square footage, and payable to the municipalities that funded the original costs of those facilities. Figure 19 provides key information about each facility, including the total ﬂoorspace for branch operations and system-‐wide services, where necessary. Figure 19 — Overview of Facilities Facility

Location

Year of GVPL Locating in Building

Size (sf) Branch Services

Size (sf) System-‐wide Services

Co-‐located Premises

Bruce Hutchison Branch

Royal Oak Saanich

1994

9,196

recreation centre

Central Saanich Branch

Brentwood Bay Central Saanich

1989

4,701

seniors centre

Emily Carr Branch

Saanich Centre Saanich

1972

8,604

Esquimalt Branch

Downtown Esquimalt

1985, relocated in 2003

8,600

Municipal Hall

Goudy Branch

Downtown Langford

2008

2,000

Retail and residential

Juan de Fuca Branch

Colwood Corners Colwood

1997

15,375

Nellie McClung Branch

Gordon Head Saanich

1976

13,700

Oak Bay Branch

Downtown Oak Bay

1971, expanded in 2000

11,358

recreation centre

2007

12,500

Saanich Archives, recreation centre

1980, renovated in 2000

34,355

13,867 Talking Books Admin’n

Totals

120,389

19,488

Saanich Centennial Burnside-‐Gorge Branch Saanich Central Library

Downtown Victoria

1,728 Visiting Library/ Shuttle

3,893 Technical Services

Government oﬃce building

Page 18

March 2009 – GVPL Context Report

Branches by Floorspace and Circulation Per Capita Figure 9 is derived from analyzing the relationship between population and ﬂoorspace used for branch services. Across the system, the ﬂoorspace (sf) per capital is 0.40. Figure 10 shows the relationship between population and circulation. Figure 9 — Branches by Ownership and Floorspace Per Capita Municipal 2007 Total Floorspace Floorspace Per Population Branch (es) psf Capita (psf)

Branches

Owned by

Hutchison, Carr, McClung, Centennial

Saanich

113,529

44,000

0.39

Victoria

81,954

32,025

0.39

View Royal

9,213

2,330

0.25

Esquimalt

17,619

8,600

0.49

Oak Bay

18,655

11,358

0.61

Central Saanich

16,759

4,701

0.28

Goudy

Langford

24,892

2,000

0.08

Juan de Fuca

Colwood, Langford, Metchosin, Highlands

47,461

15,375

0.32

305,190

120,389

0.39

Central

All

Figure 10 — Branches by Ownership and Circulation Per Capita 2008 Branches

Owned by

Hutchison, Carr, McClung, Centennial

Saanich

Central

Victoria View Royal

Municipal 2007 Annual Circulation Per Population Circulation 2007 Capita 2008 113,529

1,904,487

16.78

91,167

807,260

8.85

Esquimalt

17,619

303,247

17.21

Oak Bay

18,655

668,480

35.83

Central Saanich

16,759

199,251

11.89

Goudy

Langford

24,892

52,674

2.12

Juan de Fuca

Colwood, Langford, Metchosin, Highlands

47,461

542,572

11.43

305,190

4,477,971

14.67

All

GVPL Context Report – March 2009

Page 19

System-‐wide Services System-‐wide services include both the administrative requirements of the GVPL Board and the specialized services and resources that are not available in the branches. These specialized services and resources include:

•

Assistive Services -‐ talking books and visiting library services

•

Circulation Services

•

eBranch Services -‐ website content

•

Information Services

•

Interlibrary Loan -‐ shuttle services

•

Local History and Genealogy

•

Multicultural and Literacy Services

•

Outreach Services -‐ community and schools

•

Special Projects or Services

•

Technical Services -‐ acquisition of library materials and cataloguing of library materials

Bruce Hutchison Branch, Royal Oak, District of Saanich Situated on one level as part of the Saanich Commonwealth Place, this library opened its doors in 1994. It has 9,196 square feet plus shared access to a meeting room for 40 people. The library is well located within the community, and offers a full range of collections and services. An intuitive layout with good sightlines provides users with a welcoming space. Perimeter picture windows offer opportunities for natural light. An established community art program underscores Bruce Hutchison as a community space. Key building deficiencies are noted as follows:

•

Services desks, public computer area and ﬁxed millwork for computer catalogue stations need to be reconsidered. This might include the creation of an instructional computer area, consolidation of circulation and reference functions into one service desk.

•

Material handling of incoming and outgoing deliveries requires upgrading to accommodate a growing system, and to improve ergonomics. There may also be a need to re-‐design of the workroom for staﬀ.

•

A meeting room that is shared with other services at Saanich Commonwealth Place is not consistently available for library purposes and impedes access to library storage. Noise from the meeting room during use is also problematic; and

•

Main entrance doors should have sliders and rain protection should be installed over the library materials return drop.

Page 20

March 2009 – GVPL Context Report

•

Inadequate space for collections, general library use (studying/reading); displays and materials handling;

•

Combined Reference/Circulation desk is not barrier-‐free and with the existing millwork, cannot provide for additional self check station(s)

•

Sightlines in this small library are problematic. This includes computer stations not within plain view of the staﬀ and A/V shelving blocking views at the front entrance;

•

Return drop box is poorly located and housed in the lobby, outside the library’s premises;

•

Exterior signage is missing; and

•

Dated millwork, shelving, furnishings and décor. Inadequate lighting levels.

Emily Carr Branch, Saanich Town Centre, District of Saanich Emily Carr Branch was a BC Centennial project. It opened in October 1976 and is the oldest of GVPL’s libraries. It has a total area of 10,332 square feet on two ﬂoors. In addition to oﬀering the full range of collections and services, this branch operates two “hub” services from this location. They are:

•

Visiting Library Services which provides materials for homebound individuals and for persons with disabilities through volunteer delivery; and

•

Shuttle Delivery Service which sorts and distributes books for the entire library system.

The Main floor houses all of the circulating collections and staff workspace. An intuitive layout and good sightlines, the library, despite its age shows pride of ownership through well conceived displays, some face out merchandising of library materials and a suitable sized collection. The Lower floor includes the computer classroom for instruction, the meeting room, public washrooms, staff room, and space for the Visiting Library and Shuttle Delivery Services. Key building deficiencies are noted as follows:

•

Accessibility: no elevator to service the two ﬂoors of the building; a very long ramp from sidewalk level to the front doors; lack of washrooms on the main level; lack of dedicated library parking;

•

Security: lack of supervision at the lower entrance;

•

Staff work areas: require re-‐organization of workflows, adequate storage and proper furnishings/ millwork to support staff activities; and

GVPL Context Report – March 2009

•

Page 21

Single male and female washrooms are inadequate for current use — they are located on the lower level and require a key to access.

Esquimalt Branch, Township of Esquimalt Built in 2003, the Esquimalt Branch is located in the lower level of the new Esquimalt Municipal Hall. It is 8,600 square feet on one level and offers a full range of collections and services. A popular library, Esquimalt Branch receives lots of natural light through large windows and provides good access, including parking. An open computer instruction area makes excellent use of public space. Additionally, the library has made fine use of walls for public art and face-‐out collections displays. Key building deficiencies are noted as follows:

•

Inadequate space for popular collections (paperbacks and audio visual) and seating;

•

High shelving impedes sightlines;

•

Inadequate number of self check stations;

•

Two library materials return areas reduces eﬃciency of the check in process;

•

Workroom ergonomics and access from workroom to circulation desk;

•

Carpet tile of poorer quality and is showing signs of wear after ﬁve years use;

•

Lack of storage space including janitorial closet

•

As an express branch – no space for programs, and limited study / reading space.

Juan de Fuca Branch, City of Colwood Opened in 1997, The Juan de Fuca Branch is 15,375 square feet and is adjacent to the Juan de Fuca Recreation Centre. An expansive public area provides good space for collections, services and programs. A large staﬀ workroom accommodates increased circulation and movement of materials. A variety of face-‐out displays promote seasonal/attractive library materials. Building design oﬀers community meeting room access outside of hours of library operation. Big picture windows provide views to a wonderful natural backdrop for this facility. The Technical Services Department, A GVPL “Hub” service provides system-‐wide acquisitions, cataloguing and processing. It occupies approximately 4,000 square feet of the building.

Page 22

March 2009 – GVPL Context Report

As a branch, the building deﬁciencies are noted as follows:

•

Ergonomic changes are needed to improve workroom ﬂow and require extensive renovation;

•

A rearrangement of furnishings/ teen shelving and a addition of a games station to make the area more welcoming to teens;

•

The use of the seminar/group study room by Technical Services eliminates its use by the public and reduces revenue generation possibilities; and

•

A computer classroom for instruction is needed.

As Technical Services, the building deﬁciencies are noted as follows:

•

Inadequate amount of space designated for Technical Services functions as the system has grown; and

•

Space to receive and process library materials and store supplies is insuﬃcient (resulting from adding the “Collection Services” unit in 2007.)

Nellie McClung Branch, Gordon Head, District of Saanich An extremely busy branch, Nellie McClung was rebuilt following a fire in 1991. It is ideally located within its community, near the busy intersection of Mackenzie and Shelbourne, with excellent public access. An intuitive layout and good sightlines. The chief excellent features of this building are the transom windows, high ceilings and windows to the outdoors, showcasing its (somewhat overgrown) landscaping. The main floor is home to all of the library’s circulating collections, a computer classroom for instruction, service desks, and staff work areas, including offices. The lower level offers a meeting room, public washrooms, storage (including system-‐wide book-‐sale materials) and staff room. An elevator services the two floors. Key building deficiencies are noted as follows:

•

Inadequate air conditioning during warmer months;

•

Inadequate number of self check stations;

•

Poor lighting, lack of comfortable seating and insuﬃcient access to power for laptop use;

•

The materials return drop room is inadequate to accommodate the volume of returns – interim solutions are unsustainable;

•

High demand for parking spaces at peak times, impacting on the shuttle loading area and drop oﬀ area; generally, insuﬃcient user parking;

•

Staﬀ work area requires a reorganization of workﬂows and adequate storage; and

•

Washrooms are aging and in need of refurbishment.

GVPL Context Report – March 2009

Page 23

Oak Bay Branch, Downtown Oak Bay, District of Oak Bay This is a light, bright and very busy branch. Oak Bay Library offers a comprehensive collection and a full host of programs from early childhood to seniors in 11,358 square feet on one level. This library is well situated within the community adjacent to the Monterey Recreation Centre and shares its entry. The addition of the Tonkin heritage home on Hampshire Road into the library’s space offers a unique design. Facility highlights include: beautiful glasswork; fireplaces; a special conservatory reading room; and the Library’s friendly lion, Libris. Key building deficiencies are noted as follows:

•

Cramped public space. Insuﬃcient lounge or study seating;

•

Computer classroom space is not available, and computer Internet area is inadequate to meet current demand;

•

Additional self-‐check station(s) are required;

•

Computer Internet access space is inadequate; and

•

Huge volume of holds and material returns provides space challenges for materials sorting and reshelving/booktrucks.

Saanich Centennial Branch, Tillicum, District of Saanich One of the newest Branches at GVPL, The Saanich Centennial Branch is adjacent to and connected to the Pearkes Recreation Centre. The Saanich Archives is co-‐located with the library and is staffed separately. This Centennial library project showcases and includes many new services including: a computer training area; the Learning Centre; designated Internet stations in the Information Commons area; Digital reference and homework help stations; a program area for children and families; a group study room and an adult reading/ program area in the "Living Room". An esthetically pleasing, energy efficient design with high quality furnishings, this branch offers an excellent “third space” to the community. Key building deficiencies are noted as follows:

•

Teen area is located in the middle of the space – people use space as corridor to get to DVDs;

•

Some issues with noise, particularly between the children’s area and the magazine reading area;

•

Fireplace has been fenced oﬀ from space for safety – shows poorly;

•

Combined service desk may need reconﬁguration / redesign to improve functionality;

•

Open children’s program space is not used for general library purposes;

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March 2009 – GVPL Context Report

Central Library, Downtown Victoria, City of Victoria The Central Library is the main resource centre for the Library system and has many specialized collections and services, as well as an excellent general collection. This facility has occupied 48,222 square feet of the Waddington Building complex since 1980. It also houses the majority of system-‐wide services for the GVPL. The Central Library space was not purpose built and service has been compromised not only by inadequate square footage, but also by poor design and layout, and the extreme costs to renovate. In addition to this, GVPL’s Central Library houses over 150,000 unique items that no other location carries (GVPL’s Guidelines for Service/Facility Standards, 2006, p22). Key building deﬁciencies of a Central Library are noted as follows:

•

Lack of space for busy, high circulation materials handling area;

•

Lack of collections space, as books are tightly packed on library shelving in virtually all areas;

•

Poor security and sightlines;

•

Lack of programming space. Internal business meetings competing with children’s programming schedules in addition to community use;

•

Lack of an auditorium;

•

Lack of seminar or study space;

•

Lack of space to enclose genealogical and special collections area;

•

Inadequate number of Internet stations to meet demand for service;

•

Critical overﬂow of stored furniture;

•

Shuttle delivery service problematic;

•

No storage areas for supplies delivery, staging areas, equipment storage;

•

Teen space is not welcoming, and inadequate for seating, discussion, collections, gaming;

•

Inadequate space with circulation to washrooms through Teen space – not appropriate;

•

Seating areas not attractive;

•

Public ‘gaming’ computers often occupied by adults and located near Teen area;

•

Reference Desk, cluttered and oversized;

•

Barrier-‐free access in many parts of the library is an issue;

•

Lack of store-‐front opportunities for marketing library services;

•

Insuﬃcient space for in-‐house displays;

•

Inconsistency in furnishings/décor;

•

Inadequate staff workspace/office space and space for special project staff, i.e. Writer in Residence; and

•

Lack of washrooms on the second ﬂoor.

GVPL Context Report – March 2009

Page 25

Trends in Public Libraries Libraries continue to change in response to users’ needs and innovations in technology. Today’s trends aﬀect tomorrow’s facilities.

Four Key Trends Trend 1 — During periods of economic downturn, people use libraries more frequently. The current global recession is forcing people to make lifestyle adjustments. In period of economic downturn, the demand for all things free, low cost and DIY will increase. Book and magazine purchases will be negatively aﬀected. Public libraries across Canada have felt the economic impact, with signiﬁcant increases in library materials borrowed, as well as increased use of public internet stations.

Trend 2 — Online holds systems are increasingly popular. Public libraries across Canada are getting busier. Most noticeable has been an increased use of online holds systems nationwide. Over a three year period, GVPL’s requests for materials placed via the web increased 29%. This growth has contributed to an increased in the amount of material being handled and shuttled by the library and on the amount of ﬂoor space required for “back of house” activities.

Trend 3 — Users demand services that are quick and convenient. People today sleep, on average, two hours less per night than 80 years ago (8.9 hours to 6.9 hours). A third of lunches are eaten on the run. Two-‐thirds of young people surf the web and watch TV at the same time. Consumers are seeking ways to heighten their life experience, either by accomplishing tedious tasks with more ease, or by enhancing enjoyment in their free time. In response, today’s library services include quick turnaround time for requests and holds, easy to access materials, wireless connectivity, and up-‐to-‐the minute online services.

Trend 4 — English is the “second language” for an increasing number of users. An increasing rate of migration will see a 60% increase in the number of visible minorities expected in the Capital Region by 2017 (GVPL Strategic Plan, 2005, p.2). Signiﬁcant growth of literacy and multi language collections, combined with space required for studying, tutoring and conversation groups will meet the demands placed for these services. The Canadian Council on Learning predicts nearly half the Canadian population aged 16 and over will have low literacy skills by 2031. Based on demographic conditions, population growth and immigration patterns, Canada is expected to have more than 15 million people aged 16 and over -‐ representing about 46% of the population -‐ with skills below the internationally accepted standard of literacy required to cope in a modern society. Currently, about 48%of the adult population is considered to have below-‐standard skills.

Trends — Demographic Change Trend 5 — Seniors are the fastest growing demographic. Public libraries are paying close attention to our fastest growing demographic – seniors. Universally accessible buildings and space, proper seating, assistive technology, suitable height shelving, prominently

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March 2009 – GVPL Context Report

located Large Print collections, home delivery and expanded alternate format collections foster older adult learning and community connection.

Trend 6 — There is increasing use of libraries by children and their caregivers. From baby laptime to preschool storytime, children’s services in public libraries continue to expand, as parents and caregivers increasingly see libraries as “must go to” places for early education opportunities and recreation. Brightly themed areas with soft furnishings and low moveable shelving teamed with play-‐ style furniture, interactive games and child-‐friendly computer stations entice youngsters and oﬀer maximum ﬂexibility for library programming.

Trend 7 — Teens are future “customers”. Public libraries have turned their attention to better serving young adult users, not only through programming & collections, but also through dedicated and distinctive spaces. By including teen representation in library space planning, the most image-‐conscious (and hungry) users will have cool spaces reﬂecting their requirements. This may include such things as study rooms, cutting edge technology & gaming, room for socializing and vending machines. Recognizing teens as important “customers” today will ensure their adult patronage tomorrow.

Trends — Technology’s Impact Trend 8 — Information is increasingly available in electronic format. The terms "quick" and "ready reference" are becoming obsolete. With answers to straightforward questions just a click away, library reference collections ﬁlled with encyclopedias, dictionaries and almanacs are being replaced by high quality information sources provided through databases and other licensed products. Print information previously used by librarians to refer users to community resources is now publicly available through websites. Historic information is rapidly becoming available in digital format (e.g. The Times Colonist, in celebration of its 150th Anniversary, digitized its entire production from 1858 to 1910). The availability of electronic information has implications particularly for the future size and amount of ﬂoor space required to house Reference Collections, both adult and juvenile.

Trend 9 — There is a widespread shift to digital tagging. Out with the old, in with RFID — Radio Frequency Identification. In an effort to respond to increased materials circulation, libraries are moving towards implementing Radio Frequency Identification systems. Benefits of this digital tagging system include: simplified checkout/check-‐in processes, multiple items processing, improved security and enhanced workplace efficiency and ergonomics.

Trend 10 — All technologies commonly used today will be replaced by something new. Media formats are continually appearing, then disappearing. The cassette video has been replaced by the CD / DVD. Libraries continue to experience a high demand for Audio-‐Visual materials, however the media changes very quickly. DVDs take up far less shelf space than earlier media format. The next media will require even less physical space. Audiobooks can now be downloaded. Academic libraries are quickly moving away from physical items to streamed video by licensing digital products.

GVPL Context Report – March 2009

Page 27

Trend 11 — Publishing trends aﬀect library collections. Publishers are aggressively changing their methods of distribution. The popularity of e-‐books is growing with titles formatted for Amazon’s Kindle leading the way, followed by the Sony Reader. While e-‐books represent a very small percentage of the overall publishing market, it is expected that use of this convenient format will increase, especially given the rising costs of print book production and the diminishing returns to publishers based on the print model. Over time, this could signiﬁcantly impact library space, especially storage.

Trends — The Role of the Library Trend 12 — One Library, One Card. Libraries are moving towards shared resources through consortia agreements. BC OneCard is one example of collaborative eﬀort between all of the province’s public libraries to make accessing and borrowing library resources in British Columbia easier. This initiative will enable residents to borrow and return library materials at any one of 243 public library branches province-‐wide. Libraries will mail or ship materials back to the lending library on their behalf.

Trend 13 — Libraries are expanding their role in the community. A growing body of evidence indicates that our friendship networks are shrinking as a result of longer hours spent at work and a population that is transient. The proportion of Canadian reporting they have two or more friends has dropped across almost all demographics in recent years. Libraries are expanding their role as traditional meeting places that enable and reinforce friendships. Book discussion groups, public lectures and meeting rooms are a growing feature of many library systems.

Trend 14 —Libraries help the public navigate new technology. New technology products are being introduced daily and most people are confused when it comes to deciding how best to use this information. Libraries are stepping up to help the general public understand new ways of using technology. This role ﬁts well with the information literacy instruction many libraries are already delivering.

Trend 15 — The demand for “special collections” continues to grow. Most urban public libraries hold well-‐defined special collections of materials reflecting the historic richness of the area they serve as well as genealogical material. Prominently displayed, increasingly digitized and highlighted via the web, these collections teamed with reading rooms offer researchers, writers and the public opportunities for conducting local research.

Trends — The Library Building Trend 16 — Libraries are improving their “merchandising”. The old adage “you can’t judge a book by its cover” may hold true, but in library circulation terms, face out items are lent many more times than those that are stored with their spine out. As well, storefront displays, library ‘quick reads’, staﬀ ‘quick picks’, electronic feeds, online book discussion and a renaissance in readers’ advisory services are techniques that libraries are employing to attract users and increase readership.

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March 2009 – GVPL Context Report

Trend 17 — Library facilities are becoming “green”. Libraries are adopting sustainable design and practices. This includes repurposing and reusing existing structures like churches, ﬁre halls, hardware stores and outdated libraries. Dimmable lighting zones, reclaimed water, proximity to public transportation, high R-‐value insulation, formaldehyde-‐free composite wood, xeriscaping and solar panels are to name a few features that when combined can help to achieve Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) certiﬁcation.

Trend 18 — Co-‐locating with other uses is growing. Increasingly, public libraries are sharing space with other users — schools, housing complexes, art galleries, museums, academic libraries, retail (including cafes), and recreational and health facilities. By working in partnership, all users beneﬁt by sharing costs and attracting a larger potential group of users. In the GVPL system, the Saanich Centennial branch and the Bruce Hutchison branch are examples of successful co-‐ locations.

Trend 19 – Existing spaces are constantly being re-‐arranged and renewed. Interior decorating projects oﬀer low cost alternatives to extensive renovations and new construction. Rearranging and upgrading furniture, creating a fresh feeling with new paint and even acquiring artwork can signiﬁcantly improve the function and the appearance of a library.

Trend — Beyond the Building Trend 20 — Libraries beyond walls In the future, intellectually hungry commuters and suburban families could ﬁnd nourishment for their brains -‐-‐ from vending machines. Installed in high-‐traﬃc locations and in shopping malls where communities currently do not have libraries, the ATM equivalent could stock some 400 items. Pioneered in North America in May 2008 by the Contra Costa County library system outside San Francisco, it has already become a big success with 80% of the users (surveyed) thinking it was an excellent service and over 70% of respondents indicating that it was the only library they used.

Acknowledgements Many people throughout Greater Victoria participated in the development of the Facilities Plan – library users, staff, and representatives of GVPL’s municipal partners, as well as community and business groups. All were generous with their time and supportive of GVPL’s initiative to proactively plan for the future. GVPL’s Facilities Steering Committee played a key role in shaping the planning process and the recommendations of the plan. The Committee members were: ‣

Michelle Wong, Representative, City of Victoria (Chair, Steering Committee)

‣

Paul Gerrard, Councillor, District of Saanich (GVPL Board Chair)

‣

Lanny Seaton, Councillor, City of Langford

‣

Pam Copley, Councillor, District of Oak Bay

‣

Pamela Madoﬀ, Councillor, City of Victoria

‣

David Screech, Councillor, Town of View Royal

‣

Barry Holmes, Chief Executive Officer, GVPL

Two other GVPL Board members were fully engaged in the year-‐long process: ‣

Donald Hamilton, Representative, City of Victoria

‣

John Goudy, Representative, City of Langford

The Board would like to acknowledge the work of the Consulting Team: Linda Allen, CitySpaces Consulting Ltd., Paul Hammond, Chow Low Hammond Architects, Judy Moore, Library Consultant, Advicas, Cost Consultant, and the unfailing support of GVPL’s project manager, Lynne Jordon, Deputy Chief Executive Officer and Director, Strategic Development.