At its March meeting the Pierce County Library System’s Board of Trustees will discuss plans for the first ever Fife Pierce County Library, University Place Pierce County Library grand opening and new building, new ways to access DVDs, and other issues. The Board of Trustees will meet at the Library’s Processing and Administrative Center, 3005 112th St. E., in Tacoma, on Wednesday, March 9, from 3:30 to 6 p.m. Three of the issues the board will focus on include the following.
Fife Library: In January 2011, the Library signed a purchase and sale agreement for a property along 20th St. E. and 67th Ave. E., to build the first ever Fife Pierce County Library. This is exciting news for the community. The Library is delivering more than promised—a permanent standalone library, versus a temporary rented space. Because finding a location for the library and now that the Library System is building a facility, versus renting existing space, the time to open the library is taking longer. The Library had hoped to open a library branch in Fife in June 2011. It now plans to open a library branch in late fall 2011. The 6,000 square foot library will offer full library services.
University Place Library update: On Feb. 12, more than 4,500 people packed the University Place Library to be a part of the library’s grand opening in the Civic and Library Building, 3609 Market Place W. The community is continuing to pour into the new library and get full use of its offerings, from 41 computers and 80,000 books, movies and CDs to separate areas for children, teens and adults. Library staff will update the Board on outstanding construction related items in the new building.
Accessing DVDs: To balance customer access to popular and high-demand movies with ensuring the movies are actually there when customers want them, the Library System is piloting a project to improve access to DVDs. The Library is testing two systems that dispense DVDs or are the Library’s equivalent to the redboxes for movies. Lakewood and Bonney Lake Pierce County Libraries are trying out a Media Bank system and Parkland, Summit and University Place Pierce County Libraries are testing a Movie Tower system. At Lakewood and Bonney Lake Libraries the machines hold approximately 1,000 items, and people may check out three DVDs at a time for up to three days. At Parkland and University Place Libraries the machines hold 1,500 items and at Summit Library the system holds 1,000. People may check out five movies at a time for up to seven days. People may continue to reserve movies via the Library’s online catalog and check out less-high demand movies from shelves.
The Library serves 560,000 people in all of unincorporated Pierce County and 15 cities and towns.
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Contact: Mary Getchell, Communications Director