Current Facility

<body topmargin=0 leftmargin=0 marginheight=0 marginwidth=0> <table cellpadding=0 cellspacing=0 border=0><tr> <td valign="top" colspan=2 height=90 BGCOLOR="#FFFFFF" TEXT="#080000" background="045005a3.jpg"> <div> <FONT SIZE="5" COLOR="#000000" FACE="Copperplate Gothic Light" ><B>New Bellevue Library</B></FONT><B>    </B><B> |     </B><A HREF="index.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="New Bellevue Library"><U><B>home</B></U></A></div> <div> <A HREF="id18.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="Mission"><U>Mission</U></A>   |   <B>Current Facility</B>   |   <A HREF="id19.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="News"><U>News</U></A>   |   <A HREF="id21.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="Help Us"><U>Help Us</U></A>   |   <A HREF="id22.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="Community Feedback"><U>Community Feedback</U></A>   |   <A HREF="id20.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="Related Links"><U>Related Links</U></A></div> <div> </div> </td> </tr><tr> <td valign="top" width=210 BGCOLOR="#FFFFFF" TEXT="#080000" background="044d2b03.jpg"> <bR> </td> <td valign="top" height=390 BGCOLOR="#FFFFFF" TEXT="#080000"> <div> <I>Current Facility</I></div> <div> <IMG SRC="04a58160.jpg" border=0 width="600" height="278" ALIGN="BOTTOM" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0"></div> <div> <TABLE BORDER="2" CELLPADDING="2" CELLSPACING="1" WIDTH="602" BORDERCOLORLIGHT="#C0C0C0" BORDERCOLORDARK="#808080" FRAME="VOID" RULES="ROWS" ALIGN="LEFT" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0" > <tR> <tD VALIGN=TOP HEIGHT= 16 WIDTH="596"><div> <B>Beginnings of the Bellevue Branch</B></div> </tD> </tR> <tR> <tD VALIGN=TOP HEIGHT= 1016 WIDTH="596"><bR> <div> The Bellevue Library opened on February 15, 1984.</div> <bR> <div> Library officials knew for a long that a branch was needed at Bellevu, but at that time, Metro budgets were being cut and the library suffered cuts, as did other departments. </div> <bR> <div> The library was trying to cooperate with the Bellevue citizens as best it could, but the budget was stretched to the limit. The Bellevue Women’s Club was very active and very persistent in lobbying for a branch. Demand by the citizens increased when the books already collected were moved to a portable room on the grounds of the Middle School, . At this time the director of Library Branches, Caroline Stark, selected from gift books and from branches that might have two copies or for other reasons were not circulating a particular copy and gave the books to the volunteers who staffed the “portable library” in Bellevue. </div> <bR> <div> Who knows exactly why (politicians do pay attention to the public!) but, unexpectedly, the library was told they had a building and an architect for a branch library at Bellevue. No money was allocated for renovating the building, for staff, or for books. The location was the shop building of the old Bellevue High School. The site did not fulfill some of the library’s criteria but the property had been given and the library had been told to open a branch there. </div> <bR> <div> I remember going with Mrs. Stark and a couple of other people to look at the building. When we walked in we were almost speechless! The building was quite small. There were two or three pieces of worn out rusted machinery sitting around and the floor was covered in what looked to he about a half inch of grease. There was no money to purchase other property and the mandate was there, so the library did the best it could under the circumstances. Postponing plans already made for existing branches or cutting funds in any way that could be found, the library added a small amount of space (a glass entry way, and a little to one side of the building), then added bathrooms, storage space, a children’s story room, work space for the staff, and partitions to separate different areas in the building. </div> <bR> <div> Furniture was purchased at a sizable expenditure.  Llibrary furniture has to he more sturdy than that we put in our homes because of the weight of books and the heavy usage. Work was begun on gathering books and other materials and also in selecting a staff. Books were pulled from other branches where possible.  Gift books given to the library were carefully reviewed for possible additions. Some new books had to he purchased, of course, so funds were cut from each of the other branches to make this possible. Likewise, staff had to be moved from other branches. This was not popular with them!! Some staff were hired for Bellevue instead of filling a vacancy at another branch.  Marilyn Rice was selected to be the head of the branch who moved from Green Hills.  She began to select materials and make plans for the branch. </div> <bR> <div> Volunteers helped get the books ready and on shelves and in countless other ways where help was needed. The Women’s Club members were present everywhere! Opening day was a real celebration both for the community and for the library! </div> <bR> <div> Library personnel always had in mind eventually getting a larger and more suitable location but budget restraints interfered. When a bond issue was finally passed to build a new downtown library and five new branches, Bellevue was on the library’s list for a new branch when sent to the administration. Unfortunately it did not make the cut when finally voted on by the Council. </div> <bR> <div> The involvement of the citizens of Bellevue demanded a library in the beginning and the same involvement is needed now to meet the demands of a much larger population. </div> <bR> <div> Let me state again that the budget of the library was not increased to prepare and open the Bellevue branch. Monies were gleaned from the budget already in place for the rest of the library system. </div> <bR> <div> <IMG SRC="050c8350.gif" border=0 width="200" height="53" ALT="Sara O'Kelley" ALIGN="BOTTOM" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0"></div> <div> Sara O’Kelley</div> <bR> <div> <I>Sara was the Assitant Head of Branchs for Metro Public Library when she retired in 1994.</I></div> <bR> </tD> </tR> </TABLE></div> <bR> </td> </tr></table></body>