Creating a public cultural center with the community

photo by Merrily Helgeson

WELCOME TO THE summer of the library. Over the next few months, Viroqua Library officials will invite the public to join them in dreaming up a new library to replace the city’s charming but cramped 105-year-old structure, McIntosh Memorial Library.

What would the community like to see in a new library? Public meeting spaces are high on the wish list, so far, as is a small—smaller than the Temple Theatre—performing arts facility. Some are asking for space for temporary art exhibits. Handicap-accessibility is essential. Library staff are hoping simply for more elbow room for activities that now are being squeezed in: computer use, children’s activities, space for teens to gather, space for storage, staff offices, and book/magazine/DVD display.

And where should the new library be built? A frontrunner has emerged—city-owned space anchored by the disused city swimming pool on Rock Avenue—but other possibilities are still under discussion. The library’s current site, at 118 E. Jefferson St., has too small a footprint to accommodate the hoped-for expansion, the architect has warned. A two-acre-plus site on South Main Street, now rented by the Viroqua School District to park its school buses, is not seen as a desirable location by most of the current board, said Library Director Trina Erickson, and, besides, “we have good renters on that property.”

For a project that will require fundraising of an estimated $5 million and a construction period of at least two years, this summer’s discussions will be the warm-up. The focus will be on reaching agreement on just what the community wants and where it wants it. The first public meeting, attended by about 60 people, was held April 14. At least two more are planned, the first likely in mid-May. In addition, citizens are invited to join New Library Task Force subcommittees focusing on specific parts of the design. To keep up with events or volunteer, visit the library website (http://www.wrlsweb.org/viroqua/).