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Library board recommends OPN; council approves contract for Urbandale library interior redesign funded mostly by donations
Summary
The Urbandale City Council approved the library board’s recommendation to hire OPN for interior redesign services. The library has a $650,000 project budget funded primarily by donations and state library funds; the contract will be paid from that budget and staff expects no full library closure during work.
The Urbandale City Council approved a contract to engage OPN for interior design services at the Urbandale Public Library after the Library Board of Trustees recommended OPN following an RFP and finalist interviews.
Library Director Nicholas Janning told the council the library’s interior has been heavily used — about 200,000 visits annually and more than half a million checkouts across formats — and noted the last renovation in 2015 addressed carpet and shelving but did not include a full interior refresh. In 2023 the library board hired a consultant to evaluate interior use and recommended updates to youth and teen areas, study rooms, customer service desks, shelving and a dedicated seed-library area.
Janning said the project is funded entirely by donations and state library funds, with a total budget of $650,000; about 77% of that total is donations, he said. The library posted an RFP in October, received eight submissions, interviewed four finalists and the board selected OPN as its top choice; the library board carried the motion recommending OPN to the council.
Janning said the work involves primarily furniture, shelving and fixtures rather than structural demolition or HVAC work and that staff do not foresee closing the library; construction can be phased and segmented to keep the library operational. The board and staff expect the project to conclude by the end of the calendar year.
Council approved the council letter (8,101 in the meeting record) to proceed with the OPN contract.
Why it matters: The redesign aims to refresh heavily used public spaces, add sound-mitigating study pods and increase dedicated program/display space while using donated funds and state library support rather than new taxes or the city’s capital budget.
Council members asked about study room soundproofing and the project’s funding status; Janning confirmed the state funds are already in hand and that study-room pods include manufacturer sound-mitigation features.
