Robey Memorial Library cites documented growth in usage as catalyst for expansion

Usage of the Robey Memorial Library in Waukon has grown dramatically over the past few years, according to documentation by Library Director Rick Meyer.
“We have seen increased use in many areas at the library,” reports Meyer. “Visits to the library have increased approximately 31 percent since 2010 and library program attendance has increased approximately 18 percent since 2009. We believe this documented increase has been caused by several reasons, we have tried to schedule a variety of different and interesting programs for all ages and some of the other changes we have made at the library have seemed to meet patron needs. In addition, we may count patron use a little differently than before, which could account for some small amount of this tremendous increase.”
The Robey Memorial Library volunteers and staff have been planning a library expansion project for close to 10 years. This expansion will nearly double the current size of the library. “Library board members began discussing and planning an expansion close to 10 years ago, I am told,” Meyer said. “For the last few years, that planning has really picked up because we have seen the need for a larger library to meet a growing demand and similar-sized communities as Waukon have much larger libraries than we do here at Robey Memorial Library.”
Library statistics also show increases over the past few years in the categories of “Items Borrowed” from the library and “Internet/Computer Use.” “Both of those areas have increased approximately 15 percent and nine percent, respectively,” said Meyer.
The Robey Memorial Library Board of Trustees, Foundation Board of Directors, and additional area volunteers have started a Capital Fundraising Campaign to finance the expansion project. “Our total estimated cost of expansion is about $1.4 million,” said Capital Campaign Co-Chair Will Ament. “We have been working with Gardner Architecture of Strawberry Point. That company has helped design many Iowa libraries."
According to research of Iowa Public Libraries done by the State of Iowa Public Library Association, use of Iowa public libraries has continued to grow approximately 70 percent since the late 1990s.  “Many Iowa communities have expanded or built new libraries over the past decade,” said Ralph Savoy, Consult Savoy, Inc. of Cedar Rapids. “The reason is to accommodate library usage and because of the new increased library space and offerings, use at the new or expanded library continues to grow. I have seen many new Iowa libraries experience increased use and that eventually levels off but maintains those increases. New or expanded Iowa public libraries show a large increase in use right away and maintain those increases in future years.”