Cromaine Gauges Community Reaction to Possible Expansion

In 2010, a ballot proposal for a possible building expansion at the village location of Cromaine District Library was presented to the community, but according to Cromaine Director Ceci Marlow, “it just wasn’t the right time, economically.”

So, while the needs of the Hartland community continue to grow, the space available to help serve those needs at the village location has not. 

"We do a great job and offer lots of programs and people love that about us, but do that in spite of some of the issues," she said. "So, we're maintaining the building, but we just can't get past the need for more space to house people." 

The constant juggling of space has once again led the Library Board of Trustees to consider a possible expansion to the building. A survey is currently being conducted in the community to gauge interest in the project and highlight specific things the community would be looking for.

Residents completing the survey will be asked to rate their top five features they would like to see included in the space. 

Many of the ideas come from the 2010 proposal and include a quiet reading area, outdoor seating area, drive-up book/media returns and more teen computers and seating away from younger children since, according to Marlow, "even in spite of the teen center, we're still seeing as many as 35 teens after school."

Depending on feedback from the community and a workable design that meets all the requirements, Marlow said the earliest residents could expect to see a bond proposal would be on the November 2014 ballot.

Would you support a bond for a library expansion, Hartland? What do you want to see added? Tell us in comments.