Letter: Update on Brookfield Public Library expansion project

To the editor:

As residents may already be aware, the Board of Trustees of the Brookfield Public Library is currently considering a range of options for expanding our capacity beyond the current building. The options under consideration all involve additions to the current physical plant. None of the options under consideration will involve an additional tax burden for homeowners.

The board and library leadership is committed to providing Brookfield residents with the range of services and quality of classes and events required by the community, while at the same time maximizing value and utility. We intend for this planned expansion to serve library members for many years to come with such features as meeting rooms that are flexible and serve a multitude of purposes and local organizations and dedicated space for Brookfield’s children and adolescents. As such, we want to be absolutely sure the final design plans are aligned with the community’s needs – both current and future – so that this renovation may be the last time the library must consider such a dramatic, far-ranging project.

Recent news coverage may suggest the library is backing away from its proposed expansion plans. This is absolutely not true. Rather, the Board of Trustees and library leadership are working in conjunction with partners both inside and outside of the village to identify the absolute best plan for our unique circumstances, while utilizing a capital campaign and the library’s existing resources to cover the costs of the project. We will continue working until we achieve the library’s goals.

Please feel free to contact library Director Kimberly Coughran at 708-485-6917 ext. 121 or library board President Linda Kampschroeder at lkampschroeder@brookfieldlibrary.info to share your input on the project or for additional information.

Linda Kampschroeder

President

Brookfield Public Library Board of Trustees