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Appleton library reports strong usage at new building; punch-list items remain
Summary
Library staff reported completed landscaping, donor signage installations and remaining punch-list work. Circulation, door counts and program activity have risen since the library reopened in the new building.
Appleton Public Library staff told trustees on May 20 that the new library building is largely finished and in regular public use, but some exterior and interior punch-list work remains.
Staff reported recent landscaping installation, completion of concrete work and adjustments to the front-door overhang. Donor plaques and raised-letter signage have been mounted in the commons and the community meeting room; remaining items include a garden gate for the children's garden, exterior railing, suspended donor signage, donor wall completion, shelving tops in the children rea, furniture warranty repairs and surfacing for the learning stairs. Hearing-loop installations for the large community meeting room and some conference rooms are scheduled to start soon.
Trustees and staff also reviewed early usage data from the new facility. Staff said overall circulation is up compared with the library—arlier temporary locations, and cited a 34% month-over-month increase in total circulation compared with the prior site. Children's circulation has shown the largest gains. Door-count figures for March were reported as up 142% over the prior year. Staff noted electronic-circulation (eCirc) use has begun to decline from the pandemic peak as in-person visits resume. Reference and customer-assistance transactions rose, with staff reporting a 123% increase in reference transactions overall and nearly a 400% increase in children's reference transactions compared with numbers recorded at the temporary site.
Meeting rooms and community spaces have seen heavy use since opening. Staff described the library's design as enabling both quiet, well- insulated rooms and lively open commons; they said those design goals have let different groups use the building simultaneously without disturbing each other. Volunteers and staffing were discussed: the volunteer coordinator role was increased to full time this year, and staff expect volunteer hours to grow (the coordinator has a goal of roughly a 50% increase in volunteer hours this year).
