The Teton County Library is an impressive institution housed in an impressive building, and now even more so with its 35,000 square foot, $9,000,000 dollar addition/remodel including a massive art installation dubbed "Filament Mind".
TCL's description of "Filament Mind" explains the artwork's intended significance best:
Suspended threads of gossamer fiber optic cables span the length of the new lobby, and each thread connects on the wall next to the label of a unique library subject category. The cables will interface with the library’s own “mind,” the Wyoming State Library catalog. Each time a library user throughout Wyoming searches a person, place, idea or book, an bundle of fiber optic threads fire a glowing light or color related to the library subject category returned from that search. In this way, Filament Mind resembles a luminous “connectome,” or map, of synaptic brain activity, firing away the thoughts of people extended through the mind of the library.
That sounds great, but unfortunately Teton County Library's "Filament Mind" will be sleeping ~69% of the time because Teton County Library is currently closed ~69% of the time. This prompts the obvious question: Why spend millions of dollars on additions, renovations, and art installations when what the community really needs is a library that is open to the public as much as possible?!
TCL is open 55.5 hours in a typical week and closed 112.5 hours, meaning that the library is open 32.7% of the time any given week, or less than 1/3rd of the total time. Factoring in 8 holiday closures annually, the library is actually open an average of 32.3%. Factoring in the 15 day construction closure we just endured after the holidays, in 2013 the Teton County Library will only be open ~31% of the time, and closed 69% of the time.
Notably, TCL is only open four hours on Saturday and Sunday, rendering it effectively closed to the large segment of the community who spend their weekend afternoons playing outdoors. Friday's limited hours render it effectively closed on that day to people who work 9-5 jobs.
Notably, TCL is only open four hours on Saturday and Sunday, rendering it effectively closed to the large segment of the community who spend their weekend afternoons playing outdoors. Friday's limited hours render it effectively closed on that day to people who work 9-5 jobs.
TCL is just wrapping up an 11,000 square foot addition and 24,000 square foot renovation at a cost of approximately $9,000,000. Nine million dollars may not sound like a lot of money in a county where a private ranch is currently on the market for $100 million and $10 million dollar vacation spreads are rather common, but $9 million actually is a good chunk of change... at least to us working class folks who most benefit from a functioning library.
Assuming TCL could run basic "extended-hours" operations on an hourly budget of $150 (seven staff members at $15 per hour plus $45 hourly for utilities and other expenses), $9 million would be enough money to keep the library functional for an additional 60,000 hours.
Sixty thousand hours could extend library operations by 21 hours per week (from 55.5 hours to 76.5 hours) for 2,857 weeks which translates into ~55 years. In short, theoretically, $9 million dollars could keep TCL open for an additional three hours per day every day for ~55 years.
An extra 21 hours per week -- three hours per day -- would render a much more accessible and functional library to the community:
Assuming TCL could run basic "extended-hours" operations on an hourly budget of $150 (seven staff members at $15 per hour plus $45 hourly for utilities and other expenses), $9 million would be enough money to keep the library functional for an additional 60,000 hours.
Sixty thousand hours could extend library operations by 21 hours per week (from 55.5 hours to 76.5 hours) for 2,857 weeks which translates into ~55 years. In short, theoretically, $9 million dollars could keep TCL open for an additional three hours per day every day for ~55 years.
An extra 21 hours per week -- three hours per day -- would render a much more accessible and functional library to the community:
WHICH COULD BE...
Sunday: Noon-7pm
Monday: 8am-9pm
Tuesday: 8am-9pm
Wednesday: 8am-9pm
Thursday: 8am-9pm
Friday: 8am-6:30pm
Saturday: Noon-7pm
Even if my estimate of $150 per hour for "extended-operations" is off by a factor or 2x ($300) or even 3x ($450), $9 million dollars would still be enough money to keep the library open an additional 21 hours per week for ~27.5 years or ~18.3 years respectively. Operating expenses that high would of course beg the question why it costs so much to keep a library open to the public...
The suggestion of extending library hours seems pretty reasonable when you look at the weekly hour averages for other libraries. Of all the libraries I looked at, only one was open for less hours than TCL in the average week.
The suggestion of extending library hours seems pretty reasonable when you look at the weekly hour averages for other libraries. Of all the libraries I looked at, only one was open for less hours than TCL in the average week.
How does TCL's typical weekly average (55.5 hours) compare with public libraries in other affluent communities and mountain towns?
The Mid-Manhattan Library in NYC is open 88 hours per average week, 32.5 hours more than TCL's average week.
The Park City Library is open 64 hours per average week, 8.5 hours more than TCL's average week.
The Wilkinson Public Library (Telluride) is closed on Sundays but is still open 61 hours per average week, 5.5 hours more than TCL's average week.
Vail Public Library is open 61 hours per average week, 5.5 hours more than TCL's average week.
The Pitkin County Library (Aspen) is open 58 hours per average week, or 2.5 hours more than TCL's average week.
In short, TCL is open less than similar mountain towns and significantly less than the public library in the most affluent part of NYC.
How does TCL's average week compare with other Wyoming Public and University Libraries?
Pinedale Library is closed Sundays but is still open 57 hours per week, 1.5 hours more than TCL.
In short, TCL is open less than similar mountain towns and significantly less than the public library in the most affluent part of NYC.
How does TCL's average week compare with other Wyoming Public and University Libraries?
Pinedale Library is closed Sundays but is still open 57 hours per week, 1.5 hours more than TCL.
Rock Springs Library is closed Sundays but is still open 58 hours per week, 2.5 hours more than TCL.
Natrona County Public Library (Casper) is open 64 hours per week, 8.5 hours more than TCL.
Albany County Public Library (Laramie) is open only 38 hours per week, but Laramie also boasts UW's Coe Library which is open an impressive 97 hours per week, 32.5 hours more than TCL.
Freemont County Libraries in Lander and Riverton are closed Sundays but are still open 56 hours per week, .5 hours more than TCL. Riverton also boasts the CWC Library open 82.5 hours per week, 27 hours more than TCL.
Put simply, Teton County Library is open less often than the libraries in Pinedale, Rock Springs, Casper, Lander, Riverton, the CWC Library, and the UW Library. TCL is also open less often than libraries in many resort communities throughout the rocky mountains and is open 32.5 hours less weekly than the public library in Manhattan, NYC.
Put snarkily...
Put snarkily...
I, for one, find this less than ideal. The primary purpose of a library is to provide the community with access to information. In modern times, a public library is not just a place where people go to check out books but also a reference library, computer lab, portal to e-government, community hub, regional attraction, etc. Ideally a library is also a quiet place to spend a cold morning, rainy afternoon, or boring evening curled up in a comfortable chair with a good book.
Of course -- to be any of these things -- above all else a library must first be OPEN to the PUBLIC.
Of course -- to be any of these things -- above all else a library must first be OPEN to the PUBLIC.
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| This library may be small, but it's always open. How cool is that? |
Fortunately, here in one of the wealthiest counties in the world, we are suffering from no such budget cuts. TCL is just wrapping up an 11,000 square foot addition and 24,000 square foot renovation at a cost of ~$9,000,000. Maybe next time the Teton County Library Board, Teton County Library Foundation, and Friends of Teton County Library go looking for extra funding or find themselves with a budget surplus, they will devote it to keeping the library functional instead of merely making it bigger and more ornate. Maybe you should take the time to let them know that you would prefer a more open and accessible library over a bigger building.
It seems that our local library suffers from the same insanity causing many valley 2nd and 3rd home-owning vacationers to spend millions of dollars on gigantic, artistic structures which sit vacant the majority the year. Teton County Library is a lot like a neglected vacation home because it will be closed approximately 69% of the year in 2013.
Wouldn't it be great it TCL was open 12 hours a day every day for a nice even 50/50 split? Can we stop the insanity please?
Wouldn't it be great it TCL was open 12 hours a day every day for a nice even 50/50 split? Can we stop the insanity please?