As the library contemplates next steps for growth, members of the community shared their thoughts on the idea of moving the library to the old quilt store.
Library Board members recently toured the building that used to house Quilting Bits and Pieces to consider purchasing it. This follows the board’s proposed $4 million bond project for a new building that failed in 2022.
The board has a capital campaign fund from the last bond and has received indications that money is available for use if the board decides to move forward with buying and renovating the former quilt store, Library Board member Eric Magette said.
A bond for renovations to the quilt store would be significantly cheaper than what the board proposed for building a new library last time, Magette said. It is expected that capital campaign funds would be enough to cover the cost of the building itself, or the costs to bring it up to ADA standards, add fire suppression and meet the legal requirements to make the building safe for a library.
“So we have money in the capital campaign to do either one of those things. We don’t have money in the capital campaign to do both of them,” Magette said.
The board has been in frequent communication with the building owner and had Mar Lan Construction assess the building. Next, they’ll need to have architects sketch out possible designs.
The board will move up its regular meeting to next Tuesday to continue discussions about next steps if the desire to move forward with the quilt store is the final decision. It also has to decide if they want to go out for a smaller bond issue.
“On the financing side of it, we’re trying to figure out if this is going to work, how we’re going to pay for it,” he said. “We’ve got a couple grant options that we’re exploring, that we’re investigating.”
Magette said the board knows it can’t borrow money to buy the building, so it’s necessary to explore all financing options and then enter into negotiations with the owner if that’s the next step determined by the board.
“I think a lot of people would like to. There’s a lot of things that would make it a very, very good library,” he said.
After the last bond, it was made clear that people wanted a smaller bond and for the board to use an existing building and this checks both of those boxes, Magette said.
“This would renovate a 100-year-old building downtown. It would bring people to Main Street. It would just – there are so many good things about this for the community,” he said.
Residents shared a variety of views about how they feel about the library’s potential next steps.
Rose House grew up in the stacks at the old library on Main Street. She’d find her designated spot in the stacks and pick out piles and piles of books.
“I practically had my own place back in the stacks. I’d sit back there and pull books off the shelf and read, and I’d go home with stacks of books. I’m an avid reader,” she said.
House has lived in Eudora almost her whole life, and the library has always been important to her. She uses Hoopla, an online service to rent books, and now that she has grandkids, she takes them on walks to check-out their own books, just like she did as a child. She also knows the city needs a new library.
“I think a lot of people think the library is a luxury. I don’t think that. I think the library is a necessity,” she said.
Libraries are an asset to every community, and it’s time for a change, she said.
“I think we need to do something. We’re desperately outgrown the old one,” she said. “I’m not a big fan of tearing stuff down and building new all the time, you know. And I’m a fan of taking care of what you have.”
House has thought for years that making the old public safety building into an annex for the library would be a good solution. However, the old public safety building was purchased by the Wights in 2023. They planned to use the space for a media production facility.
That’s not to say House isn’t in favor of moving the library to the quilt shop, though, she said.
She thinks more in the community would be in favor of putting a smaller amount of money into renovating a building rather than building something new that may seem excessive to some, she said.
“I think people are tired of being taxed in our town,” she said. “I think a new library is a hard sell for a lot of people.”
The quilt store would be an alternative for a few years, and House said they could even look at partnering with the bank to use their parking lot on weekends and after hours.
She’s more in favor of a basic library with the needed amenities, rather than the original proposed library with all the bells and whistles, she said.
With so many in the community with fixed income and high tax bills, this seems likely to be the most positively received, House said.
If the quilt store space would be sustainable for even 20 years, it’s a good alternative for right now, she said.
Kelli Gamel thinks one of the best parts of living in Eudora is getting to share input on what matters in town, and the library is something she is passionate about, she said.
Gamel moved to town about 10 years ago, and what’s kept her from moving away is her love for the community – and the library’s events and resources are part of that. She rents physical books, uses Hoopla for online services and goes to library events.
It is clear an expansion is needed, and Gamel is in favor of either option: building new or buying the quilt shop, she said.
“I think it’s really easy for the community to point at the library and say, you know, ‘This doesn’t serve this purpose that it should anymore’, and that is because we haven’t invested in it,” she said.
It’s a free service available for any resident, so even if a new library did raise taxes, she’d be for it, she said.
“The library is somewhere I can go for free with my family and my loved ones, and it’s a free third space that I don’t have to actually spend any money at,” she said. “I’m also personally just for – if my property taxes go up for a community service – I’m fine with that.”
As she looks to the future as many become parents, children’s library resources become more important, but the space within the current library is small.
She likes the idea of keeping the historic building that housed the quilt store, though. She also enjoys spending time downtown, and the revitalization of the buildings is important.
Andy Bock has supported the addition of a new library building in the property the library owns across the street since the last campaign was first discussed.
Bock is at the library almost daily between her book club and taking her grandchildren to various activities hosted there.
“It has a picnic table outside, plenty of parking, that same concept would work perfectly across the street in the parking lot where they were going to build it,” she said.
She does agree with others in the community that the new library would need to be scaled down from the original bond amount, she said.
She is not in favor of the library purchasing the quilt shop, she said.
Bock said the quilt store would have no parking or green space, and it wouldn’t be as easy for kids to get off the bus in front of the library
The quilt store could be better used for a different project, she said.
“I want the new option. They’re going to have to scale it down from what they already proposed – that was too big, and everybody understands that,” Bock said.
She was hoping the board would have presented a secondary option with a smaller, but new, library following the community survey, she said.
Bock is constantly using the library and thinks it would be best served in a new building, she said.
“I love, love, love our library. We have great librarians,” she said.
Others shared their opinions on Facebook after the Times asked about the potential quilt shop option and what the future of the library should be. Here are some of their unedited comments:
Lori Ann Lero
I definitely like the idea of an expanded library. Library’s should be preserved as long as possible. Literal collections of physical, tangible knowledge. Not to mention a necessary resource for students and anyone who needs a computer and printer and doesn’t have access to one.
Karen Lewis
Wish they could get the old fire/police station
Millie Murray
Love the idea. Please consider parking when fleshing out this idea. How about a few cozy nooks for adult readers? An event area for book clubs?
Annie Bryant
Yes–we all want New things!! For now, in this economy, and current tax abuse to citizens—the quilt shop seems like a more financially responsible way to go.
Tom Lenahan
Parking? Should annex the old fire house.
Marty Monty
Libraries and use of libraries have been declining for decades, most as much as 85% in the last 5 years.
They are becoming pretty useless for students as well as the average citizens unfortunately.
Probably money would be better spent on the existing library to update it and modernized it rather than the huge cost of new for no reason.
Keith Brecheisen
Why don’t we build a library at the school with access to the public so it can be used by students and the public.
Butch and Kathryn Johnson
Make it into another one. Keep old one. East library and West library for different functions.
Liz Woods
The Quilting Bits and Pieces space will be the next best place for us to expand the Eudora Library! It’s handicap accessible, paved parking area out front, much more room for all the many areas of resources, the public uses. If the building is used the Eudora Area Historical Museum and the Library might have some shared areas of history for programs together.
As a Senior Citizen my husband and I had hopes to see a completely new, much needed Eudora Library built before my husband died. But the empty store and the little Library building will probably tide Eudorans over until more people will come live in & around Eudora who will decide to build a new, Eudora Library.
