By Bruce Rolfe

Voters in the City of Galesburg and Charleston Township will face a .85 mill, 12-year proposal for $1,610,000 in improvements at the Galesburg-Charleston Memorial District Library in the August 5 election.

According to information from the library, the current project debt levy will remain at 0.85 mills for the first nine years of the levy and decline to 0.84 mills for the remaining three years. Interest rates could fall and the District Library could also pay off the debt sooner.

The Library Board is planning an Open House for July 15, from 5:30 to 7 p.m.

Galesburg-Charleston Memorial District Library Director Helena Hayes said the library board has been discussing a library renovation plan for close to two years.

(Architectural renderings provided by C2AE)

The project will address  outdated items, provide enhancements and improvements, upgrade areas to meet current code, and provide needs that will benefit patrons for years into the future.

Hayes said some items that will be replaced have been in place since the library was built in 1989. She said the carpet is original and is stained and thin, making carpet cleaning capabilities nearly impossible.

Some improvements will utilize open space in the main portion of the library.

With the improvement plan, when visitors enter through a new entrance, they will notice the circulation desk will be located where the staff area currently is located to the left of the entrance. The work area for staff will also be slightly larger.

Two small meeting rooms will be constructed where the current children’s area is located.  

One enhancement visitors will enjoy is a new cafe’ that is part of the library improvement plan.

One major change is the ceiling will be raised and improved lighting will be installed.

Young adult and large print books will be placed along the east wall, near the cafe, and adult fiction will remain where it currently is located. 

The new children’s area will be located along the north (front) side of the building. This area will include a half wall with glass to separate the children’s area and the main portion of the library.

“It will continue to feel open. but it will separate the children. give them an area, and help with noise a little bit. But give them (children) a place where they can stay,” explained Hayes.

Sound dampening panels  that resemble trees and green themed  seats for children to sit on will be placed in the children’s room.

“With the parks and the river, and that natural feel, I especially wanted to bring that in,” said Hayes, who adds some additional painting with an outdoor theme, could be added to the children’s room to add warmth.

To address a small amount of wall space available for outlets, electrical outlets in the floor and furniture will be strategically placed around the library.

Restrooms will be renovated to meet current code and improvements in the mechanical room that contains the HVAC system, will be made. A new utility room where the water heater will be located and a utility sink will be installed, is also part of the plan.

Other sound dampening panels will be placed around the library and there will be other aesthetic improvements as well.

With the exception of the entry, none of the walls in the library are load bearing. This means any walls built as part of the renovation proces, will provide reinforcement to the building.

“I think that the library is an important resource for the community. Everyone that lives here deserves to have a library to be proud of. When people move into a community, they often ask about schools, green spaces, 
and libraries. We have really good schools. Our green spaces are beautiful. And, I think we have a pretty good library. The planned improvements will make it even better,” said Hayes.

If the millage proposal is approved, Hayes said construction in the library could begin in March, 2026 and the bulk of the construction could be completed by August, 2026. She said there would be a period of time when some areas of the building will be inaccessible. In that case, they hope to temporarily relocate so they can continue providing services. 

“We hope for minimal disruption,” said Hayes.

Hayes said an impact calculator is being developed and will be available on the library’s website in the near future.

According to the library’s circulation figures, checkouts for books, audiobooks, video/DVDs, Hoopla, and OverDrive has steadily increased since 2020 (the library was closed from March 16, 2020 - June 30, 2020 due to COVID-19).

Checkout for the five services were 10,352 in 2020, 12,958 in 2021, 14,820 in 2022, 15,155 in 2023 and 15,583 in 2024.

The library’s 10-year operating millage expires in 2028.

headlines The Climax Crescent

• Getting ready for the holidays
• Independent engineer authorized to review Galesburg Speedway issue
• Library board receives positive review; employee wage adjustments approved
• Updates on holiday events in Climax, Scotts
• Hall of Heroes exhibit debuts

headlines National

• Nikole Nelson champions a national model to bring legal services to those without access
• Social media and your legal career
• OJ Simpson estate accepts $58M claim by father of Ron Goldman, killed along with Nicole Brown Simpson
• Law prof who called for military action and end to Israel sues over teaching suspension
• The advantages of using an AI agent in contract review
• Courthouse rock, political talk lead to potential suspension for Elvis-loving judge