Framework for the Future 2030

Public Libraries

The City's public libraries serve an essential role in the development of our community by introducing children to the educational process; facilitating informal self-education and encouraging the formal education of its residents. Libraries are one of the community’s cultural assets.  Libraries are a source of information for all aspects of the community, in many cases providing the only free access to new technology, information, and life-long learning.  Special populations such as blind and disabled citizens who are not able to make use of the branch libraries are accommodated through specialized collections and services such as the bookmobile, books-by-mail and the Subregional Library for the Blind and Physically Handicapped.  Those needing assistance in developing literacy skills are helped through both the Library System’s literacy program and Peninsula READS.  Libraries today also serve as a bridge or community place for building social connections or networks – bringing together different types of people who may not otherwise share experiences with each other.

Growth in the City has changed the distribution of the population, increasing the demand for expanding existing and building new libraries to serve the people. Poorly located, inadequately sized and understaffed libraries and programs can be counter-productive to achieving maximum service from the current system. Improvements are necessary to permit more effective and efficient operations of the public library system. The City's length and separation of neighborhoods by the CSX railroad, the interstate highways, major streams and drainage channels, make the location of neighborhood oriented community facilities difficult.  Currently there is only one library, Grissom Library, located north of J. Clyde Morris Boulevard and it is 16,000 square feet.  The Grissom Library serves a population of 80,111.  By 2030, Grissom Library's service area is projected to have a population of 106,021. The small size of Grissom Library does not allow it to effectively serve its current or projected population. Branch libraries should be located where they are reasonably accessible to the largest number of residents; a large branch library and a replacement for Grissom is planned for a site on Warwick Boulevard adjacent to the future Northern Recreation Center. 

Consideration needs to be given for future libraries and their locations.  Placing a library in a community can enhance the neighborhood, encouraging new social networks and attracting further reinvestment and development.  The library’s role as community place enhances the life of the community.  While it is recognized that more libraries are needed, careful consideration needs to be given to their placement and to their function within that community.  A space and facility needs analysis was conducted in 2007. The study addressed the following:  are our libraries currently able to use technology to optimally meet user needs; is there sufficient meeting room space; are public spaces arranged to provide effective; convenient and visible access; are facilities located in prime areas that allow a significant number of residents easy and visible access to library services; and based on future growth, where are additional facilities needed; and locations need to be identified that will meet the greatest need. 

As a result of the facility needs analysis study and in consultation with the Library Board, the Library Department has determined that there are four main priorities for the future library system in Newport News.  They are:  

1. A new Grissom Library co-located with the Northern Recreation Center
2. An expanded and upgraded Pearl Bailey Library
3. A new central library located in Oyster Point
4. An expanded Main Street Library

Library and Collection Standards

The Newport News Public Library System does not meet Virginia standards for library service and facilities. State standards recommend that libraries in an urban setting with population densities of more than 1000 people per square mile should have library facilities located within a 10 to 15 minute drive from the home of all residents and that a library facility be provided for every 20,000 inhabitants or within a five-minute drive from the home of all residents. According to the Weldon Cooper Center for Public Service at the University of Virginia, the 2005 population estimate for Newport News is 182,000.  Additionally, future population projections are for 223,000 in the year 2030.  A facility and space needs analysis will be able to clearly plan for the future of library services in Newport News.  

Outdated library standards suggest that the aggregate size of all buildings in the library system should equal a minimum of 0.6 square feet per person living in the jurisdiction, however many libraries are now being built in the range of 1.0 square foot per person served because of the space needs for technology.  Sizes of libraries have also increased over the last twenty years due to impact of technology, the library as place, larger children’s rooms, homework centers and space for public meetings and programs.   

While some older standards recommend that full service branch libraries be 5,000 square feet or larger, it is no longer economically feasible to build any library facility smaller than 10,000 square feet due to high construction costs.  These standards also recommend a minimum of two (2) volumes per capita. Technology has had a significant impact on libraries and their collections.  On-line or electronic resources, downloadable books and videos play a significant role in how library collections are developed and the recommendation of a set number of volumes per capita reflects neither the variety of formats available nor how these materials are accessed.  The library must keep in mind the community it serves and how that community uses the library when it develops its collection.  The ability to provide materials and access to these materials is no longer limited to the size of the collection or the size of the building.  Many materials are now available via remote access or through the Virtual Library.  Reference services are also available remotely.  Anyone with access to a computer may review the entire collection of the Library System, place a reserve or hold on an item, conduct reference research using on-line data bases or ask reference questions.

School Libraries

School libraries, whose collections are based specifically on the curricula of the schools, close when the school day ends. Students interested in using the library are limited to the hours during the school day.  Therefore, many students use the public libraries during evenings and weekends. However, public libraries, whose collections are geared for the general public, may not carry the materials students need. The Christopher Newport University Paul and Rosemary Trible Library are open for use by high school students who must be eighteen years old to check out materials.  Surveys indicate students and parents alike do not feel the school libraries currently meet the needs of the students.  Expansion of the reference collections, along with an extension of operating hours, would address these concerns. Support of public libraries through remote access to online data bases can help enhance school library collections. 

Library Services

While the educational function of libraries continues to be crucial, the use of libraries as community information and cultural centers is increasing in significance.  By encouraging both the educational and non-educational functions, the library helps to demonstrate the interrelationships between educational, leisure time activities and lifelong learning. The library as a community place for social network building remains an integral part of the library’s role within the community.   

Among the many services the Library System provides to the community are business workshops, speakers bureaus, book discussions, parenting workshops, etc. Children's services aimed at encouraging recreational reading and maintaining educational levels are also provided. Early childhood programming introduces children to many information resources they will need throughout their life and helps parents prepare their child for a successful academic future. Attendance at these functions has been high. The Library System's contact with the community indicates that wide varieties of groups are looking for life-long learning opportunities, programs and space for workshops. By developing and updating these services, the Library System simultaneously increases the use of its collections, improves its community relations and strengthens its role as a community place and a community resource.