Special Sneak Preview For Hawthorn Students

Hawthorn students were treated to a special sneak preview of the Cook Memorial Public Library District facility on Aspen Drive.

“Hawthorn teachers will be incorporating the building project into their math, science, and history lessons, so we are honored to help students with their studies by giving them a special sneak preview of the new library,” said Library Director Dan Armstrong.

First graders from Elementary North and Elementary South, as well as Middle South 7th graders, partnered with Cook to help plan the new library. To celebrate the partnership, the students watched a video rendering of the new building and offer suggestions to the project architects. After the presentation, the students walked to the library site and formed a human outline of the new library on the actual building site.

When completed, the new Aspen Drive library will offer a quiet Reading Room, space for meetings and group study, a high-tech teen area, and an exciting children’s space. Plans also call for a Reading Garden, which will feature a butterfly garden created by Hawthorn students.

The project, dubbed Building a Better Future, will also include expanding and renovating the Cook Park Library in Libertyville. Both projects will be completed without raising taxes.

Read more...

Aspen Drive Library Bids Received

Bids for the Aspen Drive project were received, and three of the bids were below budget. The Board of Trustees is reviewing the bid documentation and will announce a construction company soon. Construction on the Aspen Drive project is expected to start by the end of the year.

Read more...

District Expands Budget

Cook Memorial Public Library District Board members agreed to increase the library expansion budget to $14 million.

"The district is on sound financial footing to complete both projects," said Board President Aaron Lawlor. "Providing additional funds on the front end gives us the opportunity to build the best possible libraries."

With the increased budget, preliminary plans indicate that the Cook Memorial Public Library District will be able to offer expanded services at both facilities.

At the Cook Park Library, plans include bringing the Youth Services Department to street-level, sun-filled space and developing a quiet reading rooms and community meeting space. The plans include doubling public seating and increasing library materials from 250,000 to 400,000 volumes. In addition, small group study rooms and a large meeting room will be open to the public.

With the expanded budget, the new library on Aspen Drive will feature a 20,000 square foot new building. The new library will hold 120,000 volumes of materials, 80 public seats, small conference rooms, and a meeting room for public use.

“We want to give our community the best possible library facilities. We have the resources to expand the budget and bring even better library facilities to the district.” said Library Director Dan Armstrong.

The project budget can be expanded without asking taxpayers for a referendum or issuing additional debt certificates. The district finished the 2007 fiscal year with $2.2 million in special reserves and expects to finish the 2008 fiscal year with an additional $910,000 surplus. Together, the surpluses will create a reserve of more than $3 million. These funds, combines with the $12 million issued debt certificates, provide a total of $15 million in available funding.

By increasing the budget from $12 million to $14 million, the library will have a $1 million contingency fund while adding 11,200 square feet to the Cook Park Library and building a 20,000 square feet library in Vernon Hills.

Read more...

Board Pursues Aspen Drive Site

The Cook Memorial Public Library District Board of Trustees announced on Tuesday, December 18, that they will focus their efforts on building a new library on Aspen Drive in Vernon Hills.

“We’re excited to bring the library into the community campus atmosphere,” said Dan Armstrong, Library Director. “The land’s proximity to major roads, schools, and public transportation makes it an ideal spot for a new library.”

The library district spent recent weeks pursuing financial and legal agreements to bring a full-service library to Vernon Hills. Officials thoroughly explored options to renovate the former Wickes building or build a new library on Aspen Drive in Vernon Hills.

After working closely with all the involved parties and legal counsel, library officials decided that building a new library on Aspen Drive would be the best option for the district.

"The board is working to ensure every option is thoroughly considered," said Board President Aaron Lawlor. "Our goal is to provide the best facility with the highest level of service while ensuring the investment of taxpayer dollars is fiscally responsible and free of legal liability. The Aspen Site achieves this goal and will serve our district well."

The Board unanimously approved a motion to develop an intergovernmental agreement with the Village of Vernon Hills, direct architects to progress with plans for the Cook Park and Aspen Drive sites, advance an application for state funds pledged to the district, and develop a plan for philanthropic and community involvement participation in the project.

The Village of Vernon Hills purchased land on Aspen Drive in 2006 and offered the land to the Cook Memorial Public Library District for a full-service library in Vernon Hills. When completed, the new library on Aspen Drive will offer a computer lab, small group study spaces, a meeting room, a teen space, and a children’s area.

The Building a Better Future expansion plan will add 30,000 square feet of library space to the library district without raising taxes. The plan includes remodeling and adding 10,000 square feet to the Cook Park Library in Libertyville and creating a full-service, permanent library in Vernon Hills. Both projects will be completed simultaneously, with a total budget of approximately $14 million. Funding for the construction and operations costs are provided for in the district’s annual budgets.

Read more...