By Katie Fallon
katiefallon@reporternewspapers.net

Sandy Springs has only one public library for its residents, and it appears that one library is not a top priority in the county’s library facility master plan.

“The master plan does not include any increase of facilities for Sandy Springs, despite our having one of the highest circulation patterns in the entire (Fulton County) library system,” said Mayor Eva Galambos, expressing her disappointment about the master plan proposals.

Since September, the Atlanta-Fulton Public Library System has been holding public input meetings to share the results of the group’s systemwide master plan. The meetings, which will continue to be held throughout the county into the month of November, are revealing the plan’s conclusions about which libraries need to be replaced, which need to be expanded and which need renovations.

The master plan, which was developed by the Sizemore Group, recommends the construction of 10 new library facilities, a major expansion and improvement of the Auburn Avenue Research Library and a complete renovation of the Central Library. It also calls for basic renovations and improvements at 27 existing branches, including the Sandy Springs Library. Some of the new libraries will replace existing branches.

The library system held its Sandy Springs meeting on Oct. 3 at the regional library on Mt. Vernon Highway. Led by the system’s Branch Services Manager Anne Haimes, the meeting drew members of the Friends of the Sandy Springs Library (FOSSL), branch staff, a few residents and John Thomas, a member of the system’s board of trustees.

Haimes said that the size of the Sandy Springs Library, which is in the largest size category of branch libraries at 25,000 square feet, means it has a larger circulation and a larger service area. Thus, there is less of a need for another library in the vicinity, Haimes added.

On paper, the Sandy Springs Library is not getting completely left behind. Although the numbers are still theoretical and would have to be approved by the Fulton County Board of Commissioners in the 2008 budget process, the master plan does allocate almost $2 million to the local library.

“The plan attached a dollar amount to each library that is to be renovated and the amount attached to Sandy Springs is approximately $1.9 million,” Haimes said.

The money could come from different sources, which include budget allocations or a bond referendum that could be voted on in November of next year. Although a monetary amount has been attached to the library, no specific plans have been outlined for its use.

“Right now, there is not a pot of money set aside for Sandy Springs,” Haimes said. “There is an identified need for Sandy Springs. Right now, we don’t have a plan for that money.”

Thomas said the $120 million bond referendum would mostly cover “brick and mortar” projects, but that further funds could also come from state and federal sources. The bulk, however, will come from local sources.

“Most if it will come from the county and as county citizens, we’ll pay for it,” Thomas said. “Make no mistake.”

The master plan process, which examined the state of each of the system’s 35 facilities, began two years ago when the Board of Commissioners, library board, staff, supports and patrons recognized the need for a plan that addressed the facility needs not just of one neighborhood, but of the entire county, Haimes said.

Among other things, the master plan has found that the most underserved portions of the county include extreme north Fulton, extreme southwest Fulton and a small portion of the midwest section of the county.

“The study that the Sizemore Group did really looked at population concentrations throughout the county…where we are serving and where we’re not,” Haimes said. “One of the things that’s exciting to me, as somebody who deals a lot with the nuts and bolts of our libraries is that while we have done this plan, the county is also looking at our facilities.”

While the master plan works its way through the various stages of the public input process, 20 of the county’s library’s have or will be re-carpeted this year, including the Sandy Springs branch.

But the public input process, Haimes said, is a very important step in seeing that the people of Sandy Springs let the system know what they do and do not want to see in their library in the next few years.

“It’s very important to move this facility master plan to the next step,” Haimes said. “We want to know what services would be most important at this library. We don’t have to be limited to what is here now.”

Both the trustees and the Board of Commissioners will receive the input collected from the public forums. Even at the Sandy Springs forum, which drew a small, but inquisitive crowd, Haimes and system staff were eager to take down any and all suggestions on how to improve the site.

“We’re librarians,” Haimes said. “We’re open to any suggestion you want to make. It doesn’t need to be bounded by this plan. We love building libraries. We wish we could build a library on every corner in Sandy Springs.”

Haimes said expansion plans for the Sandy Springs branch are outweighed by the needs of much smaller branches that now have the potential to reach more patrons by being replaced by new facilities.

“This library is very heavily used, but it’s not a competition,” Haimes said. “I would say there is never a moment this library isn’t being used when it’s open. The computers are always being used. There are always children’s programs going on.”By Katie Fallon

katiefallon@reporternewspapers.net

Sandy Springs has only one public library for its residents, and it appears that one library is not a top priority in the county’s library facility master plan.

“The master plan does not include any increase of facilities for Sandy Springs, despite our having one of the highest circulation patterns in the entire (Fulton County) library system,” said Mayor Eva Galambos, expressing her disappointment about the master plan proposals.

Since September, the Atlanta-Fulton Public Library System has been holding public input meetings to share the results of the group’s systemwide master plan. The meetings, which will continue to be held throughout the county into the month of November, are revealing the plan’s conclusions about which libraries need to be replaced, which need to be expanded and which need renovations.

The master plan, which was developed by the Sizemore Group, recommends the construction of 10 new library facilities, a major expansion and improvement of the Auburn Avenue Research Library and a complete renovation of the Central Library. It also calls for basic renovations and improvements at 27 existing branches, including the Sandy Springs Library. Some of the new libraries will replace existing branches.

The library system held its Sandy Springs meeting on Oct. 3 at the regional library on Mt. Vernon Highway. Led by the system’s Branch Services Manager Anne Haimes, the meeting drew members of the Friends of the Sandy Springs Library (FOSSL), branch staff, a few residents and John Thomas, a member of the system’s board of trustees.

Haimes said that the size of the Sandy Springs Library, which is in the largest size category of branch libraries at 25,000 square feet, means it has a larger circulation and a larger service area. Thus, there is less of a need for another library in the vicinity, Haimes added.

On paper, the Sandy Springs Library is not getting completely left behind. Although the numbers are still theoretical and would have to be approved by the Fulton County Board of Commissioners in the 2008 budget process, the master plan does allocate almost $2 million to the local library.

“The plan attached a dollar amount to each library that is to be renovated and the amount attached to Sandy Springs is approximately $1.9 million,” Haimes said.

The money could come from different sources, which include budget allocations or a bond referendum that could be voted on in November of next year. Although a monetary amount has been attached to the library, no specific plans have been outlined for its use.

“Right now, there is not a pot of money set aside for Sandy Springs,” Haimes said. “There is an identified need for Sandy Springs. Right now, we don’t have a plan for that money.”

Thomas said the $120 million bond referendum would mostly cover “brick and mortar” projects, but that further funds could also come from state and federal sources. The bulk, however, will come from local sources.

“Most if it will come from the county and as county citizens, we’ll pay for it,” Thomas said. “Make no mistake.”

The master plan process, which examined the state of each of the system’s 35 facilities, began two years ago when the Board of Commissioners, library board, staff, supports and patrons recognized the need for a plan that addressed the facility needs not just of one neighborhood, but of the entire county, Haimes said.

Among other things, the master plan has found that the most underserved portions of the county include extreme north Fulton, extreme southwest Fulton and a small portion of the midwest section of the county.

“The study that the Sizemore Group did really looked at population concentrations throughout the county…where we are serving and where we’re not,” Haimes said. “One of the things that’s exciting to me, as somebody who deals a lot with the nuts and bolts of our libraries is that while we have done this plan, the county is also looking at our facilities.”

While the master plan works its way through the various stages of the public input process, 20 of the county’s library’s have or will be re-carpeted this year, including the Sandy Springs branch.

But the public input process, Haimes said, is a very important step in seeing that the people of Sandy Springs let the system know what they do and do not want to see in their library in the next few years.

“It’s very important to move this facility master plan to the next step,” Haimes said. “We want to know what services would be most important at this library. We don’t have to be limited to what is here now.”

Both the trustees and the Board of Commissioners will receive the input collected from the public forums. Even at the Sandy Springs forum, which drew a small, but inquisitive crowd, Haimes and system staff were eager to take down any and all suggestions on how to improve the site.

“We’re librarians,” Haimes said. “We’re open to any suggestion you want to make. It doesn’t need to be bounded by this plan. We love building libraries. We wish we could build a library on every corner in Sandy Springs.”

Haimes said expansion plans for the Sandy Springs branch are outweighed by the needs of much smaller branches that now have the potential to reach more patrons by being replaced by new facilities.

“This library is very heavily used, but it’s not a competition,” Haimes said. “I would say there is never a moment this library isn’t being used when it’s open. The computers are always being used. There are always children’s programs going on.”

For more on the Atlanta-Fulton Public Library System’s schedule of master plan input meetings, visit www.afplweb.com.

For more on the Atlanta-Fulton Public Library System’s schedule of master plan input meetings, visit www.afplweb.com.