Is bigger always better or is less sometimes more? These two design philosophies collide in discussions over a list of $ 81 million recommended changes to Buncombe County’s public libraries.
As architect Maureen Arndt, director of Dallas-based consulting firm 720 Architects, outlined in a county-commissioned library master plan, the proposal would move Buncombe’s system away from a hub-and-spoke design that focused on the pack Memorial Library concentrated in Asheville. Instead, libraries would use a regional branch model, with larger, newly renovated facilities across the county providing more services to users.
Such an approach, says Arndt, would increase the total area of the library and the range of programs in the district, while at the same time improving access for all residents. “One of the most important considerations was to consider the buildings that are in the worst physical condition from an architectural, structural, mechanical / electrical / plumbing perspective,” she adds. “The regional system can also solve other major challenges – including security concerns for libraries that only have one staff member at a time, libraries that lack parking spaces, and less duplication of books and services.”
However, to focus resources on these regional branches, the plan would close three existing libraries in Black Mountain, Oakley / South Asheville, and Swannanoa. Neighborhood groups in these areas strongly oppose the changes, as demonstrated in recent community listening sessions hosted by the county.
“While the equipment can be quite desperate at times, the attitude that we prefer what we have to something new is different in my experience,” said Ruth O’Donnell, chairwoman of the county library council and a former library advisor. “A lot of the people we spoke to are interested in smaller libraries in the neighborhood. The opinion among the people, certainly half or more, is that it doesn’t matter how big it is, how many resources it has, only that they are very reluctant to change. “
concerns
RIGHT UP: Oakley Neighborhood Association officials fear closing their neighborhood library could put residents at a disadvantage who do not have reliable transportation to reach other branches. Photo courtesy Buncombe County
Arndt first presented the library plan to the Buncombe County Board of Commissioners on May 18. “The team began by studying the physical condition of each building, projected population growth, and soliciting community input on what a 21st century library in Buncombe County should look like,” she says of the process behind the proposal. “We were tasked with looking to the future to develop a system that would serve the county well into 2035 and ensure that the library could grow along with the community it serves.”
720 Design, according to Arndt, took into account the usage data of the library, 13 focus groups and an online survey with over 1,400 participants when designing his proposal. But that submission process, claims Elisabeth Wallace of the recently formed Oakley Neighborhood Association, was flawed from the start.
“The company did a terrible job,” says Wallace. “It all happened in 2020 and nothing was done personally. The focus groups were not well attended, their survey was not well distributed and the [Oakley population] Numbers in the report are wrong. The proposal is poorly informed. “
In response to similar concerns across the county, Buncombe started a new listening tour on the library plan in July. Wallace’s was one of 75 households that appeared online for an August 10 session that focused solely on the branch serving Oakley and the Shiloh, South Asheville parishes. A parade of residents during the 60-minute session shared their concerns about the proposed closure and advocated keeping the store in its current location.
“The branch is an anchor in our community and a center of learning and connection in a vulnerable neighborhood,” Wallace said, noting during the listening session that 25% of Oakley / Shiloh residents are colored and that nearly 10% are no access to a vehicle.
Several participants referred to the county’s 2025 strategic plan as they argued for the future of the Oakley office. The long-term plan advocates pedestrian-friendly and accessible neighborhoods, as well as a focus on equity for underserved district residents. Wallace claims removing the branch would be against this plan.
“If you eliminate branches that can be walked on,” she says, “it all goes out the window. We advocate change if it involves and supports our communities and is consistent with the model of justice that the county claims to uphold. “
The 720 plan calls for current users of the Oakley branch to commute to the new East Asheville branch or other library facilities. For most non-car residents, this could mean multiple changes on the city’s bus system or walking on streets with inconsistent accessibility, according to Michael Stratton, co-director of the Oakley Neighborhood Association.
“The idea that people from Oakley and Shiloh will make their way to the East Asheville office is challenging,” says Stratton. “The consensus is that we want a walkable and livable community. If you take these priorities out, that is a step in the wrong direction. “
Renovate or move?
According to Arndt, the library’s master plan is geared towards the wishes of the community, which have been expressed through user feedback. She believes that meeting these goals will require redesign and rethinking of the current model of the system.
“The respondents believe that the most important thing for public libraries is to have areas for children and young people, space for reading and small group get-togethers, family toilets and access to outdoor WiFi,” explains Arndt. “Almost 90% of respondents said the main reason they went to the library was to borrow books – and books take up a lot of space.”
Arndt says the Oakley / South Asheville, Black Mountain and Swannanoa stores have been targeted to close, making way for this new build, as their current physical condition is inferior to the stores in the rest of the system. However, Stratton argues that this decline is due to years of poor funding and inattention, and admits his frustration that the recommendations would close down a facility he claims has been neglected. “Instead of taking it away, we’d rather have more money for it,” he says.
In the eastern part of the county, the plan recommends closing the smaller branches in the Black Mountain and Swannanoa neighborhoods and replacing them with a new, larger facility designed for both areas and located between the two parishes. Renee Hudson, president of Friends of Black Mountain Library, says her group collected over 900 signatures on a petition against the move; a crowd of over 100 with standing room only, mostly in support of the current libraries, attended a listening session at the Black Mountain branch in July.
“The Black Mountain Library serves as a community center as many people walk to the library or ride their bikes. People would like to see improvements to the current building to accommodate many of the updates proposed in the district plan, ”says Hudson, including areas for students to study and complete group projects, improved workspaces for librarians, and better accessibility of the building for users with disabilities . “A regional model of moving the library out of downtown Black Mountain doesn’t take into account those who don’t have transportation. I think it diminishes some of the personal interactions the community has with librarians. “
Arndt says the data offers a different perspective. “What we saw in the data is that, for example, people who lived near Swannanoa drove past this library to get to a larger full-service library,” she says. Minutes driving time for rural users. “In addition, our market segment analysis suggests that many libraries have a large proportion of retired library users. The ability to walk or ride a bike is great, but the ability to drive and park when physically necessary is also important for a large chunk of people [county library] User.”
In Weaverville, thoughts of a newer facility were greeted louder Stuart Lamkin the Friends of the Weaverville Library. “Weaverville needs a library that can accommodate the many families who use it. This also includes not having a constantly leaking roof or constantly spreading mold problems, as is the case today, ”he says of the current branch of the city, a former church that was built in 1924.
When visiting the new East Asheville office, Lamkin was surprised at how impressive this room was. “I admit I was envious of the library, but I was happy for them. We are excited about the prospect that one day the Weaverville Library will have a modern facility to truly bless and support our great fellowship, ”he says.
More about the story
O’Donnell, chairman of the library board, stresses that 720’s recommendations are not final and that the county has not yet made final decisions. In their experience, major library system overhauls can take up to 25 years; She described the consultant’s 15-year schedule as “overly ambitious”.
As director of the county’s 13-branch system, Jim Blanton reiterates O’Donnell’s comments that the current debate is a step in a longer process. Although face-to-face input sessions have been paused in response to increasing COVID-19 trends, online input sessions are scheduled until the end of September and funding for any changes has yet to be approved. (An up-to-date schedule of input sessions is available at avl.mx/aas.)
“It’s important to hear from the community what they need and want. It is clear that there must be improvements, ”says Blanton. “We are grateful to the community for being so passionate about their libraries and sharing their feedback. We want them to continue to get involved when we restart the process. “
During the online session in Oakley, Resident Althea Gonzalez Blanton asked if the current store could be improved rather than closed. “It’s all on the table,” Blanton said, but added that providing the new services that residents have requested would require additional square footage somewhere in the library system.
As the public input process continues, opposition from the Black Mountain and Oakley communities seems certain. Your efforts may already have an audience with the Chairman of the Board of Commissioners, Brownie Newman. “I do not agree with the proposal to close the Black Mountain Library and reduce the service of other branch libraries,” he says. “I think the public participation process was flawed.”
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