What Should a Modern-Day Oak Creek Library Look Like?

Not your father's library

While they can't predict the future, officials say libraries today are (obviously) about much more than just books and periodicals.

And there's a reason why, despite changes in technology that would seemingly mean downsized libraries, that newer libraries are much bigger than their predecessors.  

"They're collaborative spaces. They're places for people to gather and share information. There's a lot of group work being done," Library Director Jill Lininger said. "A lot of coming together, meeting together.

"And let's face it, a person takes a lot more room than a book. That's why we've done a lot in the design (of the new library) to make sure we ... meet the needs of the community as we adapt."

Oak Creek need only look to its neighbors, like Franklin and Greenfield, to find that modern-day libraries are a lot larger than those built in the past. 

The old standard was that the square-footage of a library should be about the same as the population of the community it serves, said Steve Chamberlin, the owner's representative on the city hall-library project.

So, in Oak Creek's case, that would mean a roughly 35,000-square-foot facility.

But one national study suggested libraries today should be as much as 1.3 times the population, Chamberlin said. Following that, Oak Creek should have a 44,900-square-foot library, using today's population.

With Oak Creek one of the fastest-growing communities in Milwaukee County, Alderman Mike Toman said he's concerned the proposed new library would end up being too small.

"I'm concerned about 40 and 50 years down the road," Toman said. 

City Administrator Gerald Peterson said that with shared space, the proposed library will actually function more like a 50,000-square-foot building. The shared space includes public conference rooms and the common council chambers.

"We're trying to build flexibility to anticipate and be able to accommodate the needs of the community going forward," Peterson said. 

Plans moving ahead

Construction on the building is on track to begin in late October or early November, Peterson said. The facility will be built on the south side of the town square; on the north will be a new downtown for the city, with first-floor shops and second-floor apartments.

Plans for Drexel Town Square also include a Meijer store on the east and a residential area on the west. 

Some key Oak Creek Common Council votes on the project are coming up on June 18, including a rezoning of the 85-acre property and the final design and budget for the city hall/library and fire station. 

A public hearing will be held during the meeting, which begins at 7 p.m. at City Hall, 8640 S. Howell Ave.