By QUINTON SMITH/YachatsNews.com
The Yachats Library Commission has found the consultant to help it find out what the community wants, what an expanded library might look like, how its various constituencies might be organized – and then hopefully find more money to do all that.
The short-handed commission voted 3-0 last week to negotiate a contract with consultant Penny Hummel of Portland to help it and the city figure out how to operate, expand and suggest ways to more smoothly operate and govern.
Hummel’s estimated the cost of her study to be $14,000.
The City Council in October reluctantly OK’d up to $20,000 for the study after the commission asked to postpone a previously approved $320,000 building expansion in order to possibly do a bigger one. That decision was prompted by a promise received in August of a gift of $150,000 by Marguerite Peterson spread over 2019 and 2020.
After years of trying to find a way to finance the library’s move into the vacant 501 Building, the commission and City Counci lare prepared to keep the library at its current location on West Seven Street. Plans approved last July called for extensive remodeling and adding 400 square feet to the 47-year-old building.
But Petersen’s donation, in the name of her late husband Bent Petersen, convinced the Library Commission it should pause the project, do a deeper study of the facility and community desires, see if it could leverage even more donations and grants, and make the library building a bigger and better place.
The city had OK’d using $60,000 from its capital improvement budget, and spending $100,000 of a bequest to the library from the Hall family. Friends of the Library, a nonprofit support group, has pledged $50,000. The Petersen donation brings the projected total to $360,000.
The council approved the delay last fall on a 4-1 vote and approved money for the consultant on a 3-2 vote.
The commission solicited proposals from three library consultants, two from Portland and one from Minnesota. It chose Hummel after interviews with all three, deciding it liked her approach, her communication skills, personal style and interest in small libraries, and that she’s already doing similar consulting work for the Newport and Waldport libraries.
Commission member David Rivinus also said that Yachats’ co-librarians had also interviewed Hummel and came away convinced she was the best choice.
Hummel has been a consultant for seven years, with clients in seven states. She was previously a library director or administrator in Canby and for Multnomah County and is a past president of the Oregon Association of Libraries.
The commission and city still have to work out details of the contract. Hummel’s proposal said if she can start work in April her work would be completed in June.
Commission needs new members
The commission – which is supposed to have five members – also acknowledged last week that it needed to recruit at least two or possibly three new members.
Former commission member Diane Allen resigned late last year after being named the library’s co-librarian. Vice chair Nikki Carlson’s term expired Dec. 31, but she agreed to stay on until July because chair Marv Wigle is undergoing treatment in Portland for lung cancer and has been unable to attend meetings.
Rivinus said he talked with Wigle and said he “very much wants to be involved” with the commission but needs to see how his treatments go. Rivinus said the commission should replace Allen as soon as possible and find Carlson’s replacement by July. By then, it should also know if Wigle can continue or needs to resign.
Commission members said they will get the word out that it needs new members. Rivinus said the group should especially look for a “team player.”
“This is not a position to sit and pontificate,” he said. “There’s work to be done.”
