McCLATCHY FACILITY SUMMARIES

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1 McCLATCHY FACILITY SUMMARIES BRANCH SUMMARY The historic E.K. McClatchy Library building is highly valued by the city and the community. Its size and barriers to access prevent it from completely meeting the library program, service, and collection needs of its customers. It is a much loved community resource and destination facility, though its vacant upper floors would provide a welcome relief from the congestion resulting from its popularity. Historic McClatchy Library COMMUNITY The E.K. McClatchy Library is located in an historic residential neighborhood in midtown Sacramento. The area is mostly built-out, although some new condominiums and other housing are being developed. There is a light-rail station five blocks away, and several bus lines pass within one block of the library, which help offset the limited parking available. This is a destination facility for many who work in the area or who live in other neighborhoods and appreciate its historic architecture and friendly intimate atmosphere. SITE The location within the residential community is fairly central but is not ideal. The site is a large residential-sized lot located mid-block that does not offer on-site customer parking. There is no time limit for street parking on the library side of the street, making it difficult at times for customers to find parking easily and conveniently. Additional bike racks should be explored, both at the front entrance of the building and at the back entrance off the alley. BUILDING Constructed in 1910 as the residence for the McClatchy s, owners of the Sacramento Bee, the building was deeded to the City in 1940 and converted into the nation s first Young People s Library. The Sacramento Fire Second Floor closed to pulbic Service Current Population Served 13,398 pop Year Facility Constructed 1910 Year Facility Renovated 1940/1995 Collection Size 23,038 volumes Reader Seats 25 seats Public Computers 2 computers Community Room 0 seats Group Study Seats 0 seats Building Size 2,557 sq. ft. 106 SACRAMENTO PUBLIC LIBRARY FACILITY MASTER PLAN

2 FACILITY SUMMARIES CITY OF SACRAMENTO Chief closed the 2 nd and 3 rd floors to the public in 1969 due to lack of code compliance. Currently, the first floor of the building serves as the library, while the second and third floors are not open to the public. Despite improvements to the building s shell, infrastructure, and first floor in 1995, the empty spaces are now deteriorating and need immediate attention. Many of the materials and systems in the building are original, but some were recently replaced. In 1995, the City funded $350,000 in repairs and renovations, including new electrical system, custom windows and frames, roof, elastomere coating and paint, and smoke alarm. In 2005, the City and the Friends installed an ADA compliant lift from the first to the second floor. In 2006, the HVAC system was replaced and sized to accommodate the eventual addition of the second floor. A City draft feasibility study estimated costs for the 2 nd floor expansion/renovation as high as $2 million, but the study needs refinement. The first floor retains the original layout of the house making it atypical of a modern library. The collection is divided among the rooms: fiction in the former living room, mysteries in the former home library, children s materials in the family room, and non-fiction in the dining room. The original kitchen is used for a staff room. The sun porch is used as a Friends Book Shop, where donated items bring in about $200 per month for the branch s use. The unique arrangement of services in the library adds to its charm and magnetism as a destination facility. However, the segmented nature of the building will continue to be a challenge for supervising the various spaces with the current small number of staff. LIBRARY SERVICES The Ella K. McClatchy Library is a destination for history, architecture, atmosphere, and information. The building s small size and residential layout limit the number of volumes and services available at the branch. The library does a brisk business in holds from other branches to supplement its collection, which points to the attraction of the location. The two public Internet stations are in constant use and many customers use the branch s wireless access as well. Seating is limited and the only program space is the patio in good weather or among the stacks which limits access during programs. There is a clear need for a community meeting space which can be provided by renovating/expanding to the second floor. First Floor open to pulbic Program in library There are two drive-up bookdrop bins in the alley, but no book drop at the building itself; a third drive-up bin is needed to provide capacity for returns. Due to the convenience of the drive-through bookdrop, many people return items at this location regardless of where they checked out the materials. SACRAMENTO PUBLIC LIBRARY FACILITY MASTER PLAN 107

3 McKINLEY FACILITY SUMMARIES BRANCH SUMMARY The McKinley Library is part of the historic Clunie Clubhouse building, which also includes a community center and aquatics, in McKinley Park. Built in 1936, the library was renovated for ADA upgrades and historically sensitive renovation of library spaces. COMMUNITY McKinley Library The McKinley Library targets the diverse needs of Sacramento s Midtown, East Sacramento, and River Park communities, which are home to families with young children, retired seniors, and professional adults of all ages. SITE McKinley Park The building and site are highly visible and have good civic presence. While there is potentially space at the rear of the building to expand the facility, the historic nature of the building and the presence of heritage trees discourage expansion; a limited addition to the facility may be possible. While many customers take advantage of excellent pedestrian, bicycle, and public transportation access to the library, limited on-site parking causes some customers to go to the Arcade or Arden-Dimick branches. There are no accessible parking spaces near the library, and general parking is limited to street parking and far away. BUILDING The 1936 building was beautifully restored in The front window sills need maintenance to prevent damage to the wood from long-term exposure to overspray from the irrigation system. The library entry shares a central lobby with the community center; access to the community room is through the lobby. There are some operational issues with this due to the different operating hours of the library and the community center. The Service Current Population Served 31,710 pop Year Facility Constructed 1936 Year Facility Renovated 1995 Collection Size 50,148 volumes Reader Seats 56 seats Public Computers 6 computers Community Room N/A Group Study Seats 0 seats Building Size 4,681 sq. ft. 108 SACRAMENTO PUBLIC LIBRARY FACILITY MASTER PLAN

4 FACILITY SUMMARIES CITY OF SACRAMENTO electrical system is at capacity and provides insufficient outlets. Despite recent upgrades for ADA access, the mezzanine level does not meet ADA requirements. This limits access to a portion of the collection by those with accessibility needs. Interior visibility is good with the exception of the mezzanine, which is difficult for staff to monitor from the ground floor. LIBRARY SERVICES Spanish language materials are the only non-english materials with any significant circulation at the McKinley Library. Other popular materials include media as well as special collections such as arts and crafts, California bungalow books, gardening, and home improvement collections. The materials collection must be continually reevaluated to adequately allocate the limited space available. Limited use of the large print collection may potentially be due to the difficulties some seniors have accessing the building. Some of the original, built-in high shelves make the children s collection less accessible for younger children. Auditorium run by Parks and Rec. The library can use the community center s auditorium and an upstairs multipurpose room for programs, although these are frequently booked for other uses and not always readily available for library use. The combined circulation and reference desk works well, providing an efficient single point for customer service. This is one of the first Sacramento Public Library facilities to combine these two service points, and results so far have been positive from both staff and customers. However, back-of-house staff work areas are extremely crowded and inefficient, as they are split into two areas of the library. One of the staff areas was decreased in size during the 1995 renovation when rest rooms on an adjoining wall were expanded to provide for accessibility requirements. Book drops are into bins outside the building rather than directly into the staff workroom, which is less efficient for staff. Library book stacks SACRAMENTO PUBLIC LIBRARY FACILITY MASTER PLAN 109

5 McCLATCHY McKINLEY FACILITY RECOMMENDATIONS McKinley Library RECOMMENDATIONS The McClatchy Library plays an important role in the Sacramento Public Library library system as a destination library and an historical resource. A major renovation and expansion within the facility is recommended by making the second floor fully accessible to the public. Such a renovation and expansion will help ease the McClatchy Library s continued functioning as a unique and vital branch. The McKinley Library is part of a joint-use community building and is similarly a historic structure with limited potential for expansion. This facility was recently renovated to improve ADA and other building deficiencies, but additional building functional issues, such as staff areas, should be addressed to make the facility more functional. Today s population in this area of Sacramento is sufficient to demand an additional library to serve the mid-town and east and southeast areas of the city, potentially near the transit village being developed near 65th and Folsom Blvd. Renovate Existing McClatchy Branch (will expand library space in existing building envelope) Renovate Existing McKinley Branch New Library Facility near 65th and Folsom Blvd. (also serves Colonial Heights area) 110 SACRAMENTO PUBLIC LIBRARY FACILITY MASTER PLAN

6 FACILITY RECOMMENDATIONS CITY OF SACRAMENTO New 30,000 SF Library 2007 Dollars Construction Hard Costs $13,906,000 Technology, Furniture, and Public Art $1,961,000 Soft Costs $5,692,000 Unescalated Project Budget $21,559,000 Does not include land, cost escalation, or initial purchase of library materials COST MODEL The base cost for the new library, in January 2007 dollars, is from the 30,000 square foot template cost model. Other site-specific costs will need to be identified once a specific site is identified. Cost Escalation, Land Costs, and initial purchase of Library Materials are not included. A recent study of the McClatchy Library describe a cost of $1.9 M in 2003 dollars to renovate this facility. Improvements to this facility may be phased, with a Phase 1 making the second floor community room available via elevator improvements and renovation of the second floor, and a Phase 2 to address other needed improvements. OPPORTUNITIES AND FUNDING Planning for a facility near 65th and Folsom should begin immediately to take advantage of other development occurring in this area. There are currently no funding mechanisms identified for this area. For further information, see Colonial Heights Facility Summary. NEXT STEPS Funding Identification for all projects Site Identification for new library near 65th and Folsom Blvd. SACRAMENTO PUBLIC LIBRARY FACILITY MASTER PLAN 111