Middletown Public Library Building Program and Executive Summary

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Please use the toolbar below the Building Program to access the contents outline and to toggle the view to fullscreen. The plan can be downloaded by selecting the … on the toolbar and selecting “Download PDF File”.

Middletown Public Library Executive Summary

Below is the Middletown Public Library Building Program Executive Summary prepared by Library Trustee, Holly Johnson, as presented to the Town Council on Monday, March 6th 2023:

Access the slideshow presentation prepared by Lauren Stara, the Library Building Consultant, about the future of Library Services here

MIDDLETOWN PUBLIC LIBRARY COMMUNITY FORUM ON LIBRARY SERVICES

Who is Lauren Stara?

Lauren Stara is a library building consultant. She is both a registered architect, and a professional librarian, specializing in library building design. Her past experiences include library building consulting in Pennsylvania, Vermont, New Hampshire, Maine, Briitish Columbia, and Ontario.

Lauren is employed as a  Library Building Specialist for the Massachusetts Board of Library Commissioners. She began there in 2013 and has provided both assistance and advice from planning through construction for over 75 library building projects throughout the state,

Why is the Middletown Library Board of Trustees writing a library building program?

In the world of library construction, a library building program is a document that outlines the parameters that form the basis for a design project.

It is based on data collected from the community that serves as a guidebook or set of instructions from the Library Board of Trustees, the library director, and staff to the architect.

The building program articulates the library’s vision of its future and serves as a set of instructions to the architect. The architect confirms program requirements through independent investigation and then begins conceptualizing a building that serves as a yardstick to determine how true the design remains to that vision.

A 20-year planning horizon is used in developing the program requirements. The building program must be approved by the Board of Library Trustees, Town officials, and the Rhode Island Office of Library and INformation Services to qualify for a Rhode Island Contruction Grant.