By Josie Grove

An updating of an old friend of the city is soon at hand, as the West Branch Library prepare for major renovation. — Photo by Bobbie Toner

Somerville’s oldest public library, the West Branch, is about to enter the present day. At a community meeting last Monday, neighbors met with designers and library staff to provide feedback on the plans for the impending renovation.

Glenn Ferdman, Somerville’s Director of Libraries, is excited for the changes to come. “21st century public libraries have evolved to offer new collections, services, and programs, in response to changes in publishing, and in society, by providing access to digital content, virtual reference services, instruction in the use of computers, eReaders, and other devices, and career-training types of programming, and more,” he said.

After the renovation, the West Branch library will better fit the present model of libraries as “incubators for creation of content and innovators of new ideas,” said Ferdman. One of the biggest changes to the library is the addition of a maker space. Ben Youtz of DesignLAB Architects, explains that a maker space is a technology-heavy space that supports experimentation and prototyping. “Maker space is quite popular currently in public libraries”, Ferdman said, detailing 3-D printers in a Kansas City library and a digital media lab in suburban Chicago. “They appeal to a wide variety of folks.”

The changing library necessitates changing the building, said Ferdman. “Upgrades and repairs to the exterior and interior of the building, updated mechanical systems, and a new large meeting space are minimum basic improvements needed to preserve this historical building and important community resource,” he said. Another key concern is making the building accessible for people with limited mobility. Longtime resident Brian Brady remembered, “We used to have meetings there until about thirty years ago, an elderly gentleman was going down the spiral staircase and fell.” Since then, says Alderman-At-Large Jack Connolly, “We have had such a problem with meeting space in Davis.”

After the visioning meeting in May, DesignLAB synthesized the ideas into designs. There are four design options, representing what Youtz termed three levels of intervention to the existing building, with each becoming larger and more involved. All of the designs involve a community room, moving the children’s space into the upper level, and adding a more inviting lobby, improved staff offices and work rooms, and a maker space. They also aim to improve the experience of the book-browser by making the collection more unified.

Some neighbors at the meeting were skeptical of modern additions to the historic facade of the West Branch Library. Youtz expressed equal measures of respect for the West Branch and realism about what it needs. “It’s a very handsome building,” said Youtz. “It has a lot of historic character, but it needs updating,” he said, underlining the need for an accessible building and infrastructure updates.

For many residents present at the meeting, the question of cost was not adequately addressed. Alderman Connolly estimates five to seven million dollars for scheme A, the smallest and least invasive of the plans, although Ferdman said that there are no final cost estimates.

Rob King, the director of Capital Projects and Planning, was vague about the project’s costs and funding. “The funding mechanism is what we’ll figure out next, but tonight’s about figuring out what the folks in this room want,” said King. The rest of the city administration is also vague about setting a budget for the project. “The direction we got from the mayor was, ‘Tell us what the community wants’, and we’ll work to fund it, said King.

Ferdman thinks the expense is justified. “Our community, and communities across the nation, view our libraries as a central public gathering point for cultural, educational, informational and civic access and it is our intent to meet this demand and need.”

Last Monday’s meeting presented the pros and cons of each of the four proposed designs. Now, the Somerville By Design website is set up to collect further comments on the designs. “In another three weeks, we’ll be able to recommend the schematic design to the mayor,” said Youtz.

Youtz is excited to move forward with the project. “The West Branch Library has had a civic presence in the city for over a hundred years. There’s a rich heritage and legacy. The opportunity to re-present that library to serve community needs for the next hundred years is really exciting.”