Crystal Lake Public Library Resource Documents and Studies
The Library Board has considered information included in the studies and expert opinions listed on this page as it has evaluated options related to 21st-century library service.
2022 Capital Maintenance Plan
This study was commissioned to help the Library Board
- Better understand the condition of the building
- Prioritize needed repairs or replacements
- Coordinate capital maintenance projects with service-based improvements to the building
- Identify appropriate funding levels to replace those building systems or components using designated reserve funds
Aspen Institute Report from the Dialogue on Public Libraries Rising to the Challenge:
Re-Envisioning Public Libraries
This report explores ways in which communities can leverage investments in public libraries to develop richer information ecologies, build stronger communities and forge new partnerships for achieving local and national goals.
Community Engagement Sessions
In the spring of 2016, hundreds of Crystal Lake residents gathered for a series of four FOCUS (Future of Crystal Lake Under Study) Community Engagement Sessions. At this site you will find:
Audio/Video Presentations – March 10; April 21-Part A, Part B; May 19; June 9
Executive Summaries –March 10; April 21; May 19; June 9
Verbatim Responses – March 10; April 21; May 19; June 9
Work Activities – March 10; April 21; May 19; June 9
FAQs
The FAQs page provides answers to some of the most frequently asked questions that the community had about the problems with the library building as well as answers to questions about the November 8, 2016 Advisory Referendum.
Informational Mailer, September 2016
This document, published and mailed to City of Crystal Lake residents, was designed to outline the what and why related to the question that appeared on the November 8, 2016 ballot.
Site Comparison Study (35MB file)
Created by architectural firm Engberg Anderson, this document describes comparisons for 24 sites investigated over a two-year period by the Library Board at the request of the Crystal Lake City Council.
State Library Construction Grant, 2012, Video
In April of 2012, the Library Board applied for a Library State Construction Grant. If the library had received this grant, it would have financed up to 1/3 of the construction costs for a new building. Forty-nine Illinois Public libraries applied for the grant. A major criteria was economic need. The grant was not awarded. Crystal Lake Public Library was ranked 47/49. This video was filmed in 2012 to outline the problems the library had at that time. The same problems remain today.
Pew Research Center’s Internet and American Life Project
This link contains reports from a three-year study funded by the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation to determine the role of libraries in users’ lives and in their communities.
Videos
Click this link to view videos about the issues and process related to the Board’s ongoing exploration of a solution the the Library’s building problems.
