Press Releases

5/30/2024: https://www.sgpl.org/sgpl-expand-services-20240530 

Thank you!

Thanks to the voters in our supportive community, Sugar Grove Public Library’s future is bright! We will hold tight to our campaign promises and manage your tax dollars in a fiscally responsible way. 

Keeping Referendum Promises

Here’s what the referendum means for you. Our increased funding will begin in June 2024. We have been planning for a brighter future for the library. We plan to spend the additional funds as follows:

• Increased hours of operation: 55%

• Increased programs, books, and services: 12%

• Catching up on deferred maintenance: 18%

• Save for capital needs: 15%

Opening Additional Hours of Operation

• Sunday hours of 2:00-6:00pm resumed in Spring 2023 after briefly being closed in 2022-2023.

• Friday hours of operation begin July 12, 2024, 9:00am- 6:00pm

• Weekday opening hours will increase with a start time of 9:00am Monday - Thursday instead of 10:00am, beginning July 8, 2024.

Expanding and Improving Services

• For fiscal year 2024-2025, a significant increase to physical and digital collections budgets to shrink wait times on materials.  

• For fiscal year 2024-2025, we will increase our services, including focusing on early literacy skills and making the library accessible to everyone with more outreach services, including those who are homebound.

Proactively Maintaining our Facility

• In 2023, we plan to repair or replace broken and outdated equipment, especially in the areas of technology and a new boiler. 

• In 2023, we will add proactive building maintenance services.

• In 2023, we will begin saving toward a new HVAC system, roof, carpet replacement, energy efficient components, parking lot maintenance, window and door replacements, and more. Since the Library has deferred maintenance on many areas of building and equipment, more savings revenue will need be spent initially to catch up with the repairs needed to stabilize the library's capital improvement budget. Savings for capital needs will be higher in the first several years in order to rebuild low reserves.

Sharing our progress

• We will share our progress with the community on our website and in our newsletter. 

One Day Wishlist

How are we doing on our wish list of projects?

• 1,000 Books Before Kindergarten/Born To Read – looking into this for 2024-25

• More Opening Hours – Sunday hours added, additional hours coming in 2024-25

• Outreach Van or Bookmobile

• After Hours Holds Pickup Locker at a school

• Enhanced Genealogy Databases – added Family Search, looking at additional databases for 2024-25

• Streaming movie subscription: Kanopy – investigating pricing for 2024-25

• Outdoor playground

• Drive Up Window Service Option

• Regular computer class schedule – Considering how to do this in 2024-25

• Creativebug crafting database – added in 2023

• Homebound delivery service – Looking into this in 2024-25 with additional staffing

• More speakers for programs – Coming in 2024-25

• A vending machine so patrons can buy food/drinks – Coming in May 2024

• Laptop/tablet available for checkout

• Enhanced furniture 

• Play/Learn furniture in children’s department - Coming Summer 2024

• Gazebo or outdoor programming space – Kids’ Zone coming to Groovin’ in the Grove

• Fix Drive Up Book Drop

• Automatic renewals – Done

• No fines/late fees (only damaged/lost) – Under Consideration

• More business resources – AtoZ database, Niche Academy training resource coming soon

• More Wonderful Things – Additional items added 2024

• Building repaired – New boiler purchased, preventative services added, Back Porch Space enhanced, additional services out for bid

To view the historic referendum webpage with full details from the April 2023 ballot question, visit www.sgpl.org/referendum.