Hello Lake Bluff neighbors, 

As current Vice President of the Lake Bluff Public Library Board of Trustees, I want to thank you for your continued interest in and support of our Library. I am currently the longest-serving Trustee, elected to the Library Board in 2015. I have served as Library Board Secretary for eight years, and have taken on the role of Chair of the Library’s Building and Grounds Committee for 6 years. I am deeply committed not only to making the Library the best it can be to serve your needs as our patrons and community, but also in being a good steward of the public funds we receive from your property tax dollars.

With my years of involvement, I have been well aware of the needs of our nearly 50-year-old building. Our new Library Director Renee Grassi, who joined the Library in January 2023, is responsible for managing the building and has been supporting the Board’s planning of our capital needs. In the last year, you may have noticed improvements that have been made to our aging building, such as new furniture, new accessible door operators, period product dispensers, and new lighting to name just a few. Still, there remains much to be done. 

Here’s where you come in. We need your help to plan for our future. At the March 2024 meeting, the Library Board approved a Master Plan project with Engberg Anderson Architects to make plans for short and long term building needs. Part of that project includes engagement with the community. Starting this summer and throughout the rest of 2024, you will have opportunities to participate in online surveys, drop-in open house events, and focus groups to help inform our building planning. Look out for more information in the Library's Summer 2024 Off The Shelf newsletter scheduled to arrive to 60044 residences in early June. Why is this needed? Here's some background about the state of the library building to provide more context.

In the 1970s when the original library building at 123 E. Scranton Avenue was built, the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) had not yet been signed into law and accessibility code compliance was not state or federally mandated. In the State of Illinois, public libraries are now required to comply with the Illinois Environmental Barriers Act and Accessibility Code to address environmental barriers in their facilities. Unfortunately, our Library does not comply in many areas, as much of our building retains the original design from the 1970s.

You may be surprised to know that none of the Library’s six restrooms are ADA compliant. In addition, the ramps in the front and side entrances, the exterior stairs, and some of the interior doorways are also non-compliant. Handrails inside and outside the building are either absent or fall below compliance standards. There is also no accessible means of egress from the lower level and mezzanine level without the elevator. Beyond the scope of ADA law, it is recommended for safety and accessibility that public libraries have an internal building-wide paging system, as well as indoor and outdoor security cameras. The Library, unfortunately, does not have any of these. 

The Board was made aware of the building’s many compliance issues during the February 2024 Regular Board Meeting, when Engberg Anderson Architects presented their Final Report of their Universal Design Assessment of the Library building. This work was recommended by Director Grassi and was approved by the Library Board in the fall of 2023. I invite you to learn more about the Library’s current accessibility needs and review the Library’s Universal Design Assessment Final Report. These issues require immediate attention and planning of the Board and the Library to improve the accessibility and safety for our patrons and employees. 

The building has other significant capital improvement needs as well. Many of you may remember the unexpected closures last winter, which resulted from the failure of one of our furnaces. Since 2023, our Library has actually experienced several HVAC systems issues resulting in costly emergency repairs. A related issue is that the windows associated with the original parts of the building are also almost 50 years old, lacking modern-day energy efficiencies and rendering the Library’s HVAC system less effective. Managing building temperature is vital for the comfort and safety of both staff and patrons alike. Without an HVAC system that properly manages building temperature, these environmental issues can negatively impact experiences at the Library. You can learn more about the Library’s building systems needs in Engberg Anderson Architect’s Building Systems and Site Report and their Capital Needs Assessment, which were also presented at the February 2024 Board Meeting. 

The Library Board is well aware of the significant amount of projects that need attention at the Library, and we are working diligently to gather information and plan for what lies ahead.  In fact, earlier this year, Library Board President Bonnie Shaul discussed the Library’s financial situation, sharing with the community that Lake Bluff Library, unlike neighboring libraries, does not have a Capital Reserve Fund to cover expected and unexpected building projects. The Library also does not have a Capital Plan to identify needed updates and replacements of building systems, but we are working on creating one.

We elected Library Trustees are gratified that in the last several community-wide surveys of governmental entities within the Village of Lake Bluff, the Library received the highest esteem ranking of all other local agencies. The Trustees and I are proud to have a talented, hard-working staff who clearly love serving our patrons—whether they request book suggestions, passports, assistance with technology, or a myriad of other available services. On behalf of the Board and the staff, thank you for allowing us the opportunity to support and serve our great Lake Bluff community. We look forward to working with you on planning for the future of the building and the Library for many more years to come. 

Janie Jerch, Library Board Vice President 

Chair of the Library Board Building and Grounds Committee