Wimberley Library approves expansion
#10 JULY 26, 2018
The Wimberley Village Library Board of Trustees approved plans for a two-phased expansion last week, and they are now starting the process of fundraising for what is expected to be a $1.7 million to $2 million project.
The expansion calls for an additional 3,610 feet of usable space along with an additional 550 feet for restrooms. A new wing would be added to the north side of the building, which stretches towards the three acres of property the library purchased a few years ago.
“Earlier this year, we did a needs assessment asking the community what they wanted from the library,” Wimberley Village Library Circulation Director Carroll Wilson said. “We identified the top two needs as more space for children and teens and more space public meeting space.”
The expansion would allow the library to double the amount of space for children. Moving the children’s space to the new wing would also open up more room in the existing facilities for teens and adult programming.
“Like libraries across the country, we are repositioning ourselves,” Wilson said. “Libraries have always been important to their communities, but for limited reasons. People now have a need to come together in public to talk about things… Looking at the national media, you may think people are splitting apart, but really people are trying to find a way to come together and Wimberley just doesn’t have those spaces. We have people who come here to place bridge and mahjong. We have Spanish classes and French classes. We have tones of programs, and we need space for all of it.”
In 2017, the library checked out 33,200 materials per month, which is up from 31,000 in 2016. While the need for books and other materials from the library is increasing, there is a growing shift for libraries to become more program oriented in the digital age.
As part of that shift, the Wimberley Village Library has focused on increasing the amount of programs offered. In 2017, there were 180 youth programs that had more than 5,500 children attend. There were 40 teen programs in 2017, which was the first year the library offered any teen programs. There has also been a steady increase in adult programs, which was limited to just 33 in 2015 but has now grown to 175 in 2017 with 3,500 attendees.
The first phase of the program would build the new wing while the second phase would enclose the plaza area at the rear entrance. The expansion will focus on trying to provide enough space for all of the new programs along with additional public meeting space.
We are building rooms so that two or three people could get together for a smaller meeting and study,” Wilson said. “We will also build larger rooms where you could gatherings for things like our classes on gardening or different programs like our documentary film night, which attracts so many people we don’t have enough space for it.”
The fundraising for the new expansion is just beginning. Wilson said that the library will be reaching out to local organizations interested in helping raise funds while also looking for individuals interested in giving donations. For more information on how to get involved, contact the Wimberley Village Library at (512) 847-2188.