Why do we need a Building Project?​

Since opening its doors in 1974, Library services have expanded to include community meeting space, special programs and events, and many new collections.

As the population of Southington has grown (30% since this building was opened), so too have the demands of the library, from items borrowed, to daily visitors.

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With only 21,000 sq ft to serve a population of over 44,000, the Southington Library one of the smallest Libraries in the state per capita. The Town of Wallingford has a population nearly the same as Southington's, yet Southington's Library could fit inside the Wallingford Library 3 times with space left over!
The Library does not meet the State Library recommended standards for space.

Fire code and ADA require wider aisles. Not all of the Library is accessible to everyone, and codes requiring fire doors further limit maneuvering clearance. Fire codes have also limited the number of people who can attend events in meeting spaces.

The Meeting Room can only seat 60 individuals. Larger programs need to be held in the Cafe Area disrupting normal library operations. There are no A/V capabilities in the Cafe Area limited the type of events that can occur there--and the number of individuals who can benefit from educational programming.

What are the next steps?

$35,000 has been allocated for design in the Capital Improvement Budget, approved by the Town Council on May 13, 2019. An architecture firm has been recommended to the Town Council for action on the August 12, 2019 meeting.

Library leadership will work with the new architecture firm and Town Council to create a project that satisfies the community's library needs and is fiscally responsibly.

​We hope to approach the Town Council to request the project go to referendum as early as 2020.

What can you do now?

Provide Feedback:
Talk to Library Leadership about the current library, the future plans discussed today, and what you hear in the community about their wants and needs.

Talk about the Library:
Be Ambassadors!​ Tell people about the need for fire code and ADA compliance, the needs for space from the community, the role of the Library within the community.