MOVING ON UP. A proposed third story of the L.E. Phillips Memorial Public Library is shown in this rendering. A new fundraising campaign would pay for that addition and other improvements.

A key word – fraught with possibility – in the L.E. Phillips Memorial Public Library’s expansion project is the word “maybe.”

When conceptualizing the updated library space, Robert Eierman, expansion campaign co-chair, said many of the library’s plans are not set in stone, as project leaders collectively ask the question, “How do we design that in the age of coronavirus?” With a new social status quo as a result of the pandemic, they want to take the opportunity to reconsider their plans and ensure the new library is the best it can be.

With a leaky roof, out-of-date plumbing, accessibility issues, a problematic HVAC system, outmoded fire and security systems, and other tricky problems with the building, Eau Claire’s public library is in desperate need of remodel, advocates say. The City of Eau Claire has committed $11.5 million for library renovation and roof replacement over the next two years to improve the 44-year-old building, which sees an average of 1,200 visitors every day.

To fund the rest of the renovations necessary to create a better library for Eau Claire, the Story Building campaign comes in clutch with a $7 million private fundraising drive. So far, the campaign has raised $2.5 million, including a $1.5 million matching challenge sponsored by the RCU Foundation, the Pablo Foundation, and two anonymous donors.

To fund the rest of the renovations necessary to create a better library for Eau Claire, the Story Building campaign comes in clutch with a $7 million private fundraising drive. So far, the campaign has raised $2.5 million, including a $1.5 million matching challenge sponsored by the RCU Foundation, the Pablo Foundation, and two anonymous donors.

“We’re happy with how the community has responded,” said Kimberly Hennings, the deputy director of the library.

In the course of just a few days, a video from the library, which offers updated statistics on how far the campaign has come, has shown up in the Facebook feed of 18,150 people, was viewed by 12,200, and more than 1,000 people have clicked through the Story Builder website, according to library data provided by Hennings.

The campaign’s plans include a new third floor (which would include a community room with 200 seats), an extension of the first-floor footprint, a new front entrance atrium, green initiatives to reduce energy use and the library’s carbon footprint, a rooftop terrace, more access to nature and daylight, updated restroom facilities, a hands-on learning lab, more study rooms and reading areas, and more accessible aisles – among other things listed on the library website.

A proposed design for the Youth Services area of the library.

But, even with plans how they are, Eierman said the conceptual renderings can change or may not look precisely like the pictures, as the community continues to give input and as project leaders consider a changing society.

“We’re kind of the living room of the community,” Eierman said. The problems the community faces often manifest at the library, he said, and they want to solve many such concerns through the renovation project. He said the “fervor” for the library to re-open during its current closure has been a good sign for the library’s future and for the expansion project: The community wants its library back.

According to the library website, more than 33,500 people visit the library per month, with an annual total of 403,498 in-person visits – a 10% increase in usage over 10 years. Circulation statistics from 2018 reveal patrons checked out 856,918 items, and the library added 17,000 new items to meet the needs of library users. During renovation, the library will remain open, but the location depends on the construction timeline.

As a part of fundraising, the Story Builder campaign had planned a kickoff gathering at the Pablo Center at the Confluence in April; this event has been moved to early September as a result of coronavirus. Eierman said there has been a good deal of “pondering” from donors as they consider the project, but the fact that donors can stretch their gifts across five to seven years (rather than contributing one lump sum) can ease some anxieties about contributing to the project.

Donating to the campaign, Eierman said, is really simple: Community members just need to visit the library website (ecpubliclibrary.info) and click on the “Story Builder” icon.

The campaign committee hopes to finish fundraising at the end of the year, with construction beginning in 2021.