Heather Barron, Warsaw Community Public Library director, told the city council Tuesday that her staff often get compliments about how beautiful the library building is, but if a person looks closely they can see signs of aging on the facility.
Backed by her full library board, Barron went before the council to give them a presentation on the feasibility study that was completed recently on the WCPL building.
She said the study was done “for the purpose of understanding the library’s infrastructure and facility needs because it’s been 30 years since our last renovation. Also, we wanted to know community needs and staff needs because a lot changes in 30 years. A building ages and the way we work and live changes quite a bit.”
The full report can be found online at https://www.warsawlibrary.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/01/WCPL-Facility-Master-Plan-Report-FINAL-2024-12-20.pdf
A page in the report includes a peer comparison with statistics from 2022.
“So as you can see, total visits per capita, we are right in line with all of our cohorts, and ... (in 2024) over 108,000 visits, which is up 15% last year over the year before. Cardholders, almost 18,000, also up 15%,” Barron said. “So these visits, they include things like our meeting rooms ... We have two large meeting rooms. We have people from outside coming in to hold events there. Nearly 18,000 people came in, in 2024.”
Some of the people using those meeting rooms include the Family & Social Services Administration, Department of Child Services, Department of Labor, INDOT, state representatives meeting with their constituents, the fire department, post office and many more.
“So we’re excited to see those numbers going up,” Barron stated.
Events are increasing, too, but she noted the library is a little bit limited with its meeting rooms. In 2024, there were 10,258 people who attended events at the library, up 40%.
“And one of the stats I just have to note because I’m so proud - our study room use. If you notice those numbers, 166% increase in the number of times they were used. Over 4,000 people using those study rooms,” she said, adding they would like to keep expanding on that.
The WCPL was originally built in 1917, with the last addition in 1998. It currently has 43,000 total square feet.
On the part of the report focusing on the condition of the building, she said it was just a “high-level” view of some of the library’s needs. The entrance/exit has limited opportunities for visitors and various mobility impairments or those with strollers and small children. The parking lot creates congestion with a single point of entry, while the current number of parking spaces is not sufficient for maximum capacity events. There is an accessibility ramp entry on the east side of the building but it needs to be more user-friendly. Finally, she said, the library is not currently able to offer any outdoor programming because the library is landlocked and two of the streets surrounding it are very busy.
Issues on the library’s lower level include limited meeting room size, an open staircase that creates issues with noise and temperature, non-public spaces aren’t efficient and there are mechanical, electrical, plumbing and other issues.
With the feasibility study completed, Barron said their next step was to invest in an architectural firm to help them address the urgent needs. The library board hired Luminaut out of Indianapolis this month to move forward with a schematic design plan.
“We’ll be able to start quantifying those needs to understand the cost of renovation and also come up with a design that addresses both those needs and improves our efficiency,” she said. “At the same time, that means we’re going to be working with bond counsel to better understand what the bonding process looks like and what a potential tax impact would look like.”
Councilwoman Diane Quance asked for an explanation of why the library was talking to the city council and what role the council plays in all of it.
City attorney Scott Reust explained, “Simply put, we learned that the role of this council will be to vote on whether to approve their request to seek bonding.”
Quance said that was because it may affect the tax rate.
No action was taken at Tuesday’s meeting.
In other matters:
• Stormwater Utility Superintendent Brian Davison presented a preliminary ordinance amending the city’s current stormwater ordinances. A final ordinance will be presented to the council at an upcoming meeting.
• Councilwoman Cindy Dobbins encouraged council members to attend the Main Street Warsaw 2030 Launch Party at The Vic from 4 to 6 p.m. Feb. 27.
“We will have a document to show everyone that will document some of the things that have already been done and what we hope to establish in the downtown area by the year 2030,” she said.
It should be informative, Dobbins continued, and they’re always looking for input from the public.
• Quance thanked Public Works Superintendent Dustin Dillon and his department for everything they’ve done to keep the roads clear of ice and snow. She also thanked the parks department for the shoveling of sidewalks.