Our New Valley Library Needs your Support

[From the Friends of JPL March Newsletter]

No doubt you have heard of the push underway to finally give a permanent home to the Valley Library,
which would be located in Dimond Park.  There are two hurdles that must first be overcome:

1. Secure grant funding for half of the project costs from the State under the Public Library Construction Grant Program 
2. Become successful in having the New Valley Library Project added to the next 1% CBJ Special Project Sales Tax bundle and the subsequent passing of said bundle on the ballot in the fall

Our current “temporary” facility has been located in rented space in the mall since 1983.   Over that
time frame the City has paid more than $6.5 million dollars in rent.  Although the population of the
Mendenhall Valley has more than doubled in that time, the library has only 300 more square feet than
it did 29 years ago.

The facility has no outside entrance, limiting library access to mall hours and reducing programming options. The facility is only minimally ADA compliant.  Lighting, electrical and structural deficiencies limit collection size, programming space, and placement of technology.
Construction of a city-owned library in the Mendenhall Valley has been a community goal since the
early 1980’s.  Land has been designated for a library on the Dimond Park site since the city first purchased the site. The Friends of the Juneau Public Libraries and the Juneau Public Library Endowment Fund have committed $1.3 million to this project. If you have the opportunity, please speak of your support for this project to CBJ Assembly members and State Legislators.

Jeff Vogt 
President, Friends Board


Track Senate Bill 160 (SB160) the Alaska Capital Budget which will determine final funding for the Library Construction and Major Expansion Grant.

Alaska Library Association: Advocacy and Legislative Priorities

AK State Legislators: Juneau
Sen. Egan
Rep. Kerttula
Rep. Munoz


CBJ Assembly, contact 

1% Sales Tax Project List Growing...

Friends of the Library President, Jeff Vogt and JPL Director, Barbara Berg gave a presentation and fielded questions from the Assembly's Public Works and Facilities Committee on Monday.  The Library is one of ~12 projects seeking funding from the temporary 1% sales tax often referred to as a project fund.  The sales tax has the potential to raise $ 8 million a year totaling over $40 million over the five year term and the Assembly will have the final say in which projects go to the ballot in the fall of 2012.  KTOO News covered the story, take a listen.

The New Valley Library project is seeking a maximum of $4.7 million to serve as a local match to the State of Alaska Library Construction Matching Grant.  To date the Friends of the Library have committed at least $1 million and the Library Endowment, $300,000.  Currently the library will pay $200,000 in rent at the Mendenhall Mall in FY13.  By 2014, the city will have spent $6.7 Million  in 2010 dollars on rent for the mall facility.

Progress Update

Well the application for the Department of Commerce and Regional Affairs Library Construction and Major Expansion matching grant is on the jet, Gold Streaking to Anchorage.  Now comes the waiting period.  We expect applicant libraries will be notified sometime in June or July 2012 if their application has been accepted.  Let's keep all our fingers crossed.

The Friends of the Juneau Public Libraries, Staff of the Juneau Public Libraries, MRV Architects and CBJ Engineering would like to thank everyone who attended this fall's events as we put the design phase in high gear to meet the November 8th deadline (2 months earlier than previous year's deadlines).  It was great to hear directly from members of the community, in-person, on the blog and on the hundreds of "post-it" comments on the architectural drawings on display.   Your suggestions have directly shaped the conceptual drawings that were submitted with the grant application and we look forward to further opportunities to gather together and make this library a beautiful and highly used cultural treasure in the heart of the Mendenhall Valley.

Here are some pictures of your "post-it" comments as well as some from the Design Review on 10/24.  Be sure to check out the latest drawings which include 3D elevations.

Open House: Design Review

The Friends of the Juneau Public Libraries announce:
Open House: New Valley Library, 
Monday October 24th

5:30 pm @ Mendenhall Valley Library.

Refreshments and light supper provided

What makes a great library? Public insight, vision and support are needed to answer this important question. Come make this library your own. The event will showcase and discuss design options, the grant process, and community needs for a new library. In today's economy libraries are more important than ever and books are only half the story.

If you missed the Design Options Workshop, here's another chance.  We'll catch people up on project background, current conceptual drawings, community input and refinements and talk about the community involvement that will be needed to make this new library a reality.  Come take part in shaping a beautiful, functional library and community space in the heart of the Valley.

Please look at the designs now on display at the libraries and submit your comments here or in person at your neighborhood library.  All comments received will be forwarded to the architects for consideration in this design phase.  This will be the final public input session on the conceptual plan for the new library before we submit the grant application.  As we move forward in the new year, there will be many additional opportunities to influence the design.

Resolution Passed by Assembly

We made it over another hurdle!  The CBJ Assembly approved Resolution 2590 authorizing The Manager To Submit To The Alaska Department Of Commerce, Community, And Economic Development An Application For A Library Construction And Major Expansion Matching Grant For Construction Of A Valley Branch Library At Dimond Park.   


Thanks to everyone who attended the meeting and to all those who worked the phones beforehand.  There was a great turnout of library friends in the chambers and we look forward to hearing your thoughts and suggestions at the next public meeting on Monday October 24th, 5:30 at the Valley Library.  Now it's time to get the grant writing wrapped up!    

Resolution sent to Assembly

Yesterday, the CBJ Assembly’s Public Works and Facilities Committee sent the resolution to the full panel for approval.  


Applying for the grant now doesn’t commit the city to the project. The assembly will vote on the resolution next Monday, October 17th at 7pm in Assembly Chambers.  Public Comment and Testimony will be taken.  


Jeff Vogt, President of the Friends of the Juneau Public Libraries commented at the meeting, “If we let this slip by our fear is that instead of looking at a 7-million dollar project to the city – of which the Friends have already committed a million at least – if we let this slip by at this point in time it could slip by for a long, long time.”   


It has been a long-standing goal of the Friends of the Juneau Public Libraries as well as of the staff at the Juneau Public Libraries to find a permanent, city owned home for the Mendenhall Valley Branch since it moved into its first leased (temporary) location at the Mendenhall Mall in 1983.

Public Works & Facilities Committee Meeting

·         The Public Works and Facilities Committee meeting (at noon on Monday in the Assembly chambers) will review the resolution that approves submitting a library construction grant application to DCED and then vote on whether to send the resolution forward to the whole Assembly at their October 17^th meeting.