Transforming Libraries

Building off the Saint Paul Public Library’s (SPPL) 2022 Strategic Direction, opens a new window, the Facilities Direction presents a vision and recommendations for SPPL facilities. The Facilities Direction includes recommendations for system-wide technology and play-based learning. It also focuses on three branches that have not been renovated in more than 30 years: Hamline Midway, Hayden Heights, and Riverview libraries.

The Facilities Direction is not a detailed implementation plan or branch-by-branch facility design.

Engagement to inform Saint Paul Public Library’s Facilities Direction started with our Strategic Direction. In 2018, the Library undertook an extensive, inclusive learning and engagement process with staff and community to co-create a new vision, mission, values, and strategic goals for libraries. We engaged nearly 3,000 people in that process through in-person engagement sessions at libraries, youth-led neighborhood pop-ups, one-on-one interviews, and an online survey. You can learn more about the Strategic Direction engagement process here.

Based on insights from that community learning process, the Library set forth this specific goal regarding our buildings: invest in spaces that are safe, inviting, affirming, and comfortable for people of all cultures, abilities, and communities.

With the Strategic Direction as our springboard, the Library again led a community engagement process to inform our Facilities Direction in late 2019 and early 2020. We engaged 1,680 people through the process by online survey and, in order to go deeper with neighbors near the three branches in need of most repair, in-person, design thinking-based engagement sessions that reached more than 53 community members. To increase accessibility and inclusion in our engagement, the survey was translated into Somali and Spanish, and “Design Your Library” Take-home Engagement Kits were made available for individuals and community groups. View photos from the Hamline Midway engagement session here.

With community input gathered through multiple avenues, along with an assessment of the condition and function of our buildings, the Library and our consultant, HGA, created a Facilities Direction report, which was made available to the public on our website, opens a new window. The report includes methodology, themes from community engagement, and recommendations for SPPL.

The recommendations included a unique decision point for Hamline Midway Library, one of three locations in need of repairs: rebuild or renovate.

On March 4, 2020, the report was presented to the Saint Paul Library Board (also the City Council). One week later, the World Health Organization declared COVID-19 to be a global pandemic. As Saint Paul Public Library, we spent the remainder of 2020 responding to our community’s most urgent needs, developing and maintaining safety measures for staff and community, and managing budget and workforce reductions. The unprecedented scope, scale, and duration of multiple crises in 2020 meant we were unable to adhere to the original timeline laid out for further community engagement that year.

In early March of 2021, the Library organized a virtual community discussion to seek input from Hamline Midway neighbors on the two possible directions for that location: renovation or new building. Community input informed our decision on which option the Library would submit for funding through the City of Saint Paul’s Capital Investment Budget (CIB) process. The community discussion’s presentation and feedback shared by attendees can be found on this webpage, opens a new window.

Community members were also able to provide input on the three priority library projects via a CIB online survey and community meeting in March 2021. Online survey results are available here.

Libraries in Saint Paul are well-loved, well-used, and well-worn.

In 2018, through engagement to inform our Strategic Direction, the Library heard:

• People want libraries to focus on young people and families.
• People want libraries to hold space for both quiet and loud activities.
• People face structural, cultural, and financial barriers to using libraries.
• People seek an environment that fosters safety and belonging.
• People seek programing beyond books and buildings.

In 2019, through engagement to inform our Facilities Direction, we talked with our community about our library buildings. We assessed their condition and function. We learned:

• Community members feel pride for their neighborhood library. The library is a strong connector in Saint Paul neighborhoods and patrons would like the library to play a stronger role. More than half of the respondents in the survey said, “I am willing to help make the library better.”
• Across demographic and age groups, the library is viewed as a place for exposure to new things and people and as a place to have connections with other people.
  • The majority of white respondents strongly valued access to diverse resources and the physical space and feel of the library.
  • In comparison, BIPOC respondents strongly valued their library as a place to spend time with family, exposure to new things and people, and to attend meeting/gatherings.
• Outdated buildings struggle to support high use.
  • While circulation and visits remain strong, the collection is large and diverse, and program attendance is increasing, technology is falling behind, surfaces are worn, and the buildings are in serious need of investment.
  • In SPPL’s historic two-level buildings, many spaces are not easily accessible.
  • These buildings have limited access to power/data and many are experiencing water infiltration.
  • Mechanical, electrical and plumbing (MEP) systems need significant investment.
• SPPL facilities are falling behind their peers. Interior spaces are inflexible and are challenged to provide consistent, quality learning, and play spaces. Entry areas should be more welcoming. Exterior and interior signage and way-finding need improvement. Sightlines and staff work areas need reconfiguration. Meeting rooms require enhanced flexibility and improved AV technology. Furniture throughout the system needs replacement.

Key recommendations given to the Library by our consultant, based on their assessment of all buildings, usage and service data, and input from staff and community, included these insights:

• Cultural nuances and perceptions affect sense of belonging. Cultural includes generational, ethnic, family structure, and economic.
• Not all users understand how libraries are evolving, which can create clashing “norms.”
• Patrons look to have higher quality settings and experiential subtleties (inside and outside) that match their pride.
• Redesign space that is accessible and inclusive for a variety of modes of use.
• Engage teen space to meet their needs to grow, connect, and play.
• Activate the front and create a sense of welcome.
• Create initiatives to bring the neighborhoods together.
• Program intergenerational transition space.
• Create space and systems to support staff interacting with patrons.
• Technology within the library must evolve. Development of a consistent, base level of technology services delivered throughout the library system will create resources patrons can rely on.
• Library spaces should evolve to support play-based learning. Patrons helped SPPL understand the vast definitions and approaches of how play supports their learning and connecting—with themselves and others.

Improvements to the Hamline Midway Library are badly needed. Many components of the building and its usage—the mechanical, electrical and plumbing systems; shelving and furniture; fireplace; community room; restrooms; building accessibility; and staff workspaces must be replaced or upgraded.

Given the extent of the repairs needed, coupled with the feedback from community engagement, our facilities plan consultant, HGA, recommended in 2020 that we consider two options: renovate or rebuild.

A renovation to the existing building would improve building mechanical, electrical, and plumbing systems, furnishings and finishes, and some of the programming and space constraints. However, a renovation without square footage added would not address the community’s desire for different types of spaces—such as community spaces, individual work/study rooms, teen space—nor would a renovation substantively improve accessibility of the building.

An on-site rebuild of the library would address all issues named with the current building as previously mentioned and increase opportunities to add square footage for types of spaces and improved accessibility asked for through community engagement.

Based on further community input that was received in 2021, the Library advanced a proposal for $8.1M in investment for the Hamline Midway Library through the City’s 2022/23 CIB process that would support a new building on the same site or a renovation plus expansion. Mayor Carter proposed and City Council approved a $8.1 million investment in Hamline Midway Library. The Library began to work with community and an architecture consultant in late 2021 to dig into possibilities for an amended set of two options: new building or renovation + expansion. The work is continuing.

Based upon progress to date, the community engagement and design timeline has shifted to allow for more time to complete the community engagement activities outlined in our process. This shift includes the timeline for the design direction to be defined for all three libraries.

Based on the current timeline, the decision on a direction for Hamline Midway Library is slated to be made in May 2022. From there, a single concept will move forward for more detailed schematic design. There will be continued opportunities for community members to co-create the design all the way through the end of the schematic design process.

The decision on which direction to pursue for how to transform Hamline Midway Library – renovation plus addition or new building – will be made by City administration. It will be based upon community input, building assessments, project budget, and Saint Paul strategic goals for libraries, sustainability, equity and inclusion, and fiscal responsibility.

Hamline Midway Library received an $8.1 million investment for transformation from the City of Saint Paul. This decision was based upon a proposal submitted to the City’s Capital Improvement Budget committee, recommended by the committee for funding, proposed for funding by the Mayor, and approved for funding by City Council.

With the two proposed scopes of work for the renovation or rebuild of Hamline Midway Library, SPPL as part of the City of Saint Paul, is weighing both short- and long-term fiscal responsibility along with costs and benefits to library patrons and the community. The current library location is already owned and controlled by the City of Saint Paul, so there is no cost to the taxpayers to acquire new property. It is well-located – accessible by walking and transit with both on-street and off-street parking.

In regards to a second floor, given the existing building footprint and the site itself, opportunities to expand to the south, east and west are limited, and expanding to the north (front façade) would likely compromise the character of the front façade. It is unclear if constructing a third level is structurally feasible or cost effective. We do know that having three levels in the library building would present significant operational challenges and increase budget cost related to staffing, programming, ongoing maintenance, and security. Additional operating funds are not provided with capital funds.

Regarding co-location, the Hamline Midway neighborhood’s Hancock Rec Center is not currently within Parks and Recreation established five-year capital program, and not among the very top systemwide stated priorities for investment from Parks and Recreation. This is largely due to significant deferred maintenance needs in City-owned facilities throughout Saint Paul.

Similarly, Saint Paul Public Schools has adopted a five-year capital improvement plan, opens a new window that assembles the major and smaller building projects planned for the next five years within bond and levy funding streams, including those influenced by the District’s strategic plan. Any projects outside of the 5YP would need to go back to the School Board for approval and would have to be based on the District’s strategic plan (SPPS Achieves). School district bonds and levies used for construction are restricted in their use (each of the three different funding sources has its own requirements and restrictions), potentially limiting possible partnership opportunities.

Additionally, safety and security infrastructure of an elementary school is different than that of a public library. Public libraries welcome anyone, no questions asked, to come in, hang out, and spend time in the library. This does not always align with the needs of elementary schools to more closely monitor who comes and goes from their buildings.

Library leadership has spoken with other libraries who have facilities co-located with elementary schools. Their general opinion is that these libraries deliver quality service to families with young children, but sometimes at the expense of the broader community who does not always feel welcome or interested in coming to an elementary school property. In a neighborhood like Hamline Midway, with high interest in the library better serving teens, working adults, and students in need of study and work space, SPPL believes a stand-alone public library provides most welcoming and accessible experience to all neighbors.

Finally, maintaining the existing library building while also building a new library in a new location would not meet the City’s goals for fiscal responsibility in our capital investments and would make any proposed investment in the Hamline Midway Library less likely to fare well in the competitive CIB process.  Maintaining the existing Hamline Midway Library building while constructing a new library in another location would add to the City’s already over-burdened total liability for long-term maintenance and repair. As we have shown, the current Hamline Midway Library facility is in bad condition and needs repairs – regardless of who occupies the building. The City’s Office of Financial Services Real Estate division advises that there is little history of market-driven alternative uses for libraries and rec centers in Saint Paul. Re-partnered buildings can remain the City’s responsibility for maintenance and repair over time. If we sought to build a new library in another location, public funding (i.e. taxpayer dollars) may need to pay for repairs to improve the condition of the current building and pay for a new library, while maintaining both buildings over time as City-owned properties.

This is a complex question that does not have a simple answer. An existing building’s embedded carbon –the carbon it took to make, use, and transport the materials used in construction—is significant  However, if constructing a new building enables it to be more energy-efficient through its design and construction, then it could ultimately have a smaller carbon footprint over the long run, especially if  it is expected to be in operation for many decades. Another important factor is the degree to which the building meets the needs of people within walking or biking distance. If the building does not fully meet residents’ needs and they drive elsewhere to meet those needs, that contributes to its overall carbon footprint.

In Saint Paul, city departments, including Saint Paul Public Library, make recommendations and decisions about Capital Investment Budget (CIB) priorities and funding proposals. Department leaders and staff review all available information and evidence to make recommendations informed by many inputs, including: Facility condition data, community input, staff expertise and experience, economic conditions, resources required and available (human and financial), feasibility, timeline, fit with department priorities, and fit with citywide priorities. The City of Saint Paul has a long history of strong community engagement informing its capital investment decisions. The CIB Committee provides a structure for residents to review proposals from departments and make recommendations to the Mayor and City Council.

The Library submitted three proposals for funding through the City’s competitive Capital Investment Budget (CIB) Cycle for 2022/2023 bonding. The project proposals include:

• Hamline Midway Library: $8.1 million request to support one of two options: new building or renovation plus expansion on the current site.
  • The library was built in 1930 and last renovated in 1990.
  • Given the poor condition of the building, the Library sought to secure significant capital investment from the City as soon as possible.
  • The Library is engaging community late in 2021 and is continuing to engage in 2022 to help inform which of two options advances forward as the future of this location.
• Hayden Heights Library: Request to renovate the library building, which was built in 1955 and last renovated in 1979.
• Riverview Library: Request to renovate the library building, which was built in 1917 and last renovated in 1989.

Hamline Midway Library was awarded a full investment of $8.1 million through the City’s CIB cycle for 2022/2023 bonding.

Below are ways to get involved in the process to co-create schematic designs for three libraries: Hamline Midway, Hayden Heights, and Riverview. Please sign up for the newsletter to hear about opportunities and dates.

• Participate in surveys
• Join a community open house
• Stop by a listening session

SPPL and LSE are also engaging the community through the work of an Artist Advisory Cohort and Library Design Project Ambassador group.

If you would like to connect us to a community publication, organization, or group to help ensure we are reaching all community members, including historically excluded perspectives and communities, please contact Marika Staloch at marika.staloch@ci.stpaul.mn.us.

Riverview Library in Saint Paul’s West Side neighborhood is a Carnegie Library and is designated as a historical building.

The Library is not seeking historic designation for Hayden Heights and Hamline Midway Libraries. All questions about historic preservation should be directed to Heritage Preservation.

As part of the City's Capital Investment Planning process, all funding proposals submitted to the CIB committee must include relevant information from the City's Adopted Comprehensive Plan and other relevant City-approved plans. This information was included for the Hamline Midway, Hayden Heights, and Riverview Library proposals and is part of the CIB record.

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