It Takes 2 YES YES Votes to Support the Library Museum
Filed under: Alaska, Announcement, Business, City of Seward, Economics, Education, Event, Harbor News, Health, KPB, Opinion, Politics, Travel, Uncategorized
Since 2005, the Seward Community Library Building Committee (SCLMBC) has worked diligently on behalf of the community to bring a new co-located library museum facility to reality. Their efforts have been mindful of what is essential for our community’s future education, information and historic preservation needs and the need for this new facility be one that is sustainable, innovative and functional, yet affordable and, most importantly, wholly supported by our citizens.
This committee has fostered this project through land acquisition, a comprehensive feasibility study, initial design concepts to arrive at a project cost estimate and development of a solid business plan, successful procurement of initial grant funding, leadership contributions and solicitation of in-kind services and supplies totaling over $1 million, and due diligence of a professional community support survey.
The project was accepted into the Foraker Pre-Development Program which assisted the committee in planning for a successful capital project by providing guidance and technical assistance to ensure the proposed project met a documented need , is consistent with strategic/community plans; considered opportunities for collaboration; has appropriate facility and site plans and realistic project budget is financially sustainable and will not negatively impact the sustainability of the proposing organization. The committee is proud of the project’s advancement within this program, and as the last pre-development step, is now in the process of selecting an architect/design team and have committed $200,000.00 of funds raised to date take the project through 35 percent design phase.
With successful completion of pre-development activities, the project has reached a pivotal point. For the project to secure additional project funding from state and public/private foundations, the community’s commitment of local funding must be in place.
On October 6th, the community will be presented with (2) propositions relative to the advancement of the Seward Community Library Museum.
The Vote YES YES Library Committee encourages the community to support the advancement of the Seward Community Library Museum project and presents the following for your information; Based on 2008 city sales tax revenues, 64% of city sales tax collected was paid by non-residents (visitors), 36% by residents (Seward, Bear Creek, Moose Pass)
A YES YES vote will enable the SCLMBC to apply for state and public/private foundation grants for the balance of the funding required for construction.
The SCLMBC has placed the following language in a Memorandum of Agreement with the City; ’The City recognizes that as sponsors of the initiative to seek voters advisement on a sales tax increase in support of a new co-located library/museum and any additional operational and maintenance costs that may occur as a result of the new facility, it is the intent of the SCLMBC to remain pro-active by establishing long-term generational stewardship to work with the current and future city councils to hold the voter’s original intent that revenue resources for this project be managed prudently and every opportunity to reduce the length and cost of the citizens commitment be explored and vetted. ‘
The proposed sales tax increase (one half percent, 0.5%) and issuance of general obligation bonds (not to exceed 5M) will not be put into effect until all project funding is secured.
On October 6th, please join us in supporting this significant community project and remember, it takes two Yes Yes votes to support the Seward Community Library Museum Project! Yes for Proposition 2 and Yes for Proposition 3.
The Vote YES YES Library Museum Committee
PO Box 722
Seward, AK 99664
In Support of the Seward community Library Museum
Filed under: Alaska, Announcement, Business, City of Seward, Economics, Education, KPB, Opinion, Politics, Seahawks, Sports, Technology, Travel, Uncategorized
By Jonathan Sewall & Bev Dunham.
We are in support of the Seward community Library Museum project and encourage the support of voters for Advisory Proposition 2 and Bond Prop. 3 on the October 6 city ballot that will make it possible. That said, a little personal history leading to that support:
Jonathan: My family came to Seward in 1976. Just getting established, we were too broke to go to the movies often. So we took advantage of the films shown at the library basement, seeing “Jewel of the Nile” many times. We continue to use the library and are pleased with the growth of its services. However, we are bothered by its increasing shortage of space. A collection of old periodicals belonging to the library and Alaska Nellie memorabilia destined for the museum are being cared for by local individuals until they can be accommodated at the new facility.
Additional space and more favorable conditions for the collections of both are crucial.
Bev: I came to Seward in 1946. The library was in the basement of the bank. Space was cramped, dark and dreary, but lovingly tended by the community. In 1963 it moved to its present location, but soon grew out of that space. An addition was built in the late 1960’s, funded through Seward’s share of Alaska’s Purchase Centennial project. In 1976 the library was endowed with a half million dollars from the estate of Viola Swetmann and became a city department in 1989.
Resurrection Bay Historical Society incorporated in 1965 and began receiving donations of photos, documents, collections and artifacts. Its museum operated out of the city hall basement. It got a home of its own in 1985. Renovation of that building, to accommodate the museum as well as the Senior and Teen Centers, was paid for by a bond issue. The move was positive, but conditions at the museum are not ideal for protection of artifacts. Sometimes access to on-loan traveling exhibits has been denied for lack of humidity control and other problems. The new facility will provide safe conditions for both library and museum and free up present museum space for other uses.
The project was selected in 2003 as a Centennial Legacy Project following several public hearings revealing a desire for a multi-use facility to benefit local people year-around. The city donated the site, thus providing part of the in-kind participation needed to secure matching grants. Donations in support of the library museum of over $1 million have been secured. With passage of the propositions the project will be eligible for government and private grant funding.
The advisory Prop. 2, a half-percent sales tax increase, would pay for the Prop. 3 bond debt. The library and museum are used by those outside the city limits and by visitors, as well as townspeople, so this plan insures the fairest way to pay for the new facility. It is hoped the project can be completed in 2012, our “second centennial”, the 100th anniversary of Seward’s incorporation as a city. We’ll see you at the polls.
(Jonathan Sewall is chairperson of the Political Action Committee Yes Yes Library Museum)
Posted with permission by the Vote Yes Yes Library Museum Committee, PO Box 722, Seward, AK 99664
Homer Library Enhances Quality of Life
Filed under: Alaska, Announcement, Business, City of Seward, Economics, Education, Opinion, Uncategorized
Sept. 23, 2009
Dear Editor,
I understand that Seward voters will be voting on October 6 on a bond proposal and advisory sales tax measure to fund the proposed new library and museum building. Whether those pass or fail is up to your voters and their priorities, but I thought I might pass on some experience from Homer with our new public library, which opened three years ago. (If you have not visited it when in Homer, I encourage you to do so, to see what a modern library can offer a community. It’s located just off the Homer Bypass, behind the Safeway and banks.)
We dreamed of a new library for years, and we have not been disappointed. As is usual with new libraries generally, visitation doubled upon the library’s opening and has never eased up. With space for programming, the library is now able to offer all sorts of community activities, from book and writing groups to game nights, story tellers and magicians in the children’s room, a weekly knitting group, visiting writers and speakers, and computer classes. The small group study rooms are well used, and the collections of every media—not just books—all have room to grow. It’s hard to quantify the economic benefits to the town, but tourists use and praise it (and presumably find it enhances and prolongs their visits to Homer), retirees locate to Homer for the “quality of life” contributed to by the library and other educational and cultural opportunities, and everyone who enters its doors is able to find information to help with education and job opportunities.
We had a public vote in Homer, too. We approved a government loan (like a bond) to partially fund the library. That show of local support was essential for securing grants from other sources.
Nancy Lord
Homer
Posted with the permission of Nancy Lord by:
Vote Yes Yes Library Museum Committee
PO Box 722
Seward, AK 99664
In Support of VOTE YES YES Seward Community Library Museum
Filed under: Alaska, Announcement, Business, City of Seward, Economics, Education
My appreciation for the library began in 1970 when my family moved to Seward. As a weary mother of toddlers, the library became a haven when I could sneak in a few minutes to check out the latest book, or just relax and read current magazines. Back then, one knew by the signatures on the circulation card who had checked out that book, and often made selections based on those implied “recommendations.” My children’s grandmother, a retired teacher and avid reader, spent many summers with us and insisted on regular visits to the library. The kids used the library all through high school and even during breaks from college.
After being away from Seward for fifteen or so years, my family took on a long term project in Seward, rendering us week-end residents. Once again, frequenting the library became my escape from my day job as a school principal in Anchorage. While other family members were hard at work, I would read old copies of the Phoenix Log, latest novels, and even found books appropriate for graduate classes I was taking. Eventually we bought a house in Seward and officially became part timers.
The Seward Community Library has kept up with the information age, expanding the collection to include A-V materials along with books and magazines, automated circulation system, public use computers, and sophisticated retrieval systems. The children’s section is one of the best I have ever seen. And the New Arrivals shelves remain current and enticing. Many times I have read a book checked out from the Seward Library and then read a review of it the current edition of Time or Newsweek magazine.
Walking into the Seward Library even today brings a sense of comfort, excitement, and now joy as I share it with my grandchildren. They love the idea of discovering books in the same facility as their parents and even their great grandmother of whom they have only heard stories, but can feel a connection through their mutual love of reading. For them, no visit to Seward is complete without a trip to the library.
On October 6 Seward voters will have the opportunity to support the construction of a new library/museum center by voting yes/yes (Propositions 2 and 3). Both the library and museum facilities have been utilized to full capacity (and then some) as demand and availability of resources have increased. The new library/museum facility will further the community’s commitment to providing resources for a rich quality of life. And passage of the bond issue will ensure that folks like me who can’t vote will nevertheless be supporting construction of the facility through sales tax. I hope the voters will give us part-timers, visitors and tourists the opportunity to participate through your yes votes on Proposition 2 and Proposition 3.
Joanne Myers
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