Title
Staff Recommendation for Site Designation
Body
RECOMMENDED ACTION (Motion):
Staff recommends that the Library Board advance the Carnegie Library and Carnegie Park to the City Commission as the preferred site for the new OCPL and request the Library Director to take formal steps to validate current assumptions.
BACKGROUND:
Background
The Oregon City Public Library (OCPL or the Library) has been a function of the City since 1909. The Carnegie Building officially opened for business on June 21, 1913, and is celebrating its 100th anniversary this year. OCPL lived happily in the Carnegie for several years, but at as early as the late 1940s Librarian Gertrude Brumbaugh began reporting a lack of space to the Library Board. Finally, in 1995 OCPL moved to leased space in Danielson’s Hilltop Mall, where it was located for 15 years. At this site, OCPL had 13,000 square feet, over twice what the Carnegie Building offered. However, it was poorly lighted, had poor acoustics, and had only one window in the entire building. As funding dried up, the collection slowly deteriorated and at one point, the Library was open only 23 hours a week.
Then, in 2008, a county service district (District) was created and approved by voters; this provided an ongoing means of supporting all of the libraries in Clackamas County. In this same formation, Clackamas County agreed to fund each city $1M for library capital improvements. The District formation enabled the City of Oregon City to fill the Library Director position for the first time in several years, and the Library once again became its own City department. With the District funds, which can be used for any library purpose, and the $1M promised by the County, Oregon City was in a position to improve services and consider expansion for the first time in many years. Maureen Cole was hired with those tasks in mind. Shortly after that hire, OCPL lost its lease on the hilltop and was forced to consider an interim location until su...
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