For many years now, the Ilsley Library’s aging mechanical systems and cramped and inflexible spaces have been limiting its ability to achieve its mission. For these reasons, and many more, the Middlebury select board created the Ilsley 100 Project Team, a committee tasked with guiding the development of design options, coordinating funding strategies, and engaging the community in the process of envisioning a “new” Ilsley Public Library.
The Project Team began meeting in March. A major component of the work done so far has involved learning about how libraries function today (and how they might change in the future!). The Project Team has visited recently renovated libraries around the state and studied award-winning library designs from around the county. It has reviewed public feedback, thought long and hard about community needs, and developed a draft proposal for space needs.
This draft proposal is completely conceptual; it calls for expanding several existing library spaces and adding several new ones, but there are no drawings or assumptions made about design. The Project Team would like to share this work with you and hear your feedback. You are invited to attend a public meeting to learn about the work of the Project Team and share what you would like to see in your library building. The Project Team will hold two public meetings, one in person and one remote:
- Wednesday, November 16th at 7:00 pm in the library’s Community Meeting Room
- Friday, November 18th at 12:00 pm via Zoom (link to Zoom info here)