Rehoboth library seeks public input by mid-July on needs assessment

Now is the time for the public to help shape the future of the Rehoboth Beach Public Library.

The Becker Morgan Group has developed a questionnaire which all members of the Rehoboth Beach community are encouraged to complete. It is part of the library’s needs assessment to determine how well it serves community needs and to identify what additional facilities and/or services may be needed. Copies of the questionnaire are available at the library and other in-town locations, as well as on the library website, www.rehobothlibrary.org. A direct link to the needs assessment questionnaire is at www.surveymonkey.com/r/G2T6ZML.

The Becker Morgan Group will hold meetings and seek comments from various community groups including the Friends of the Library, the Village Improvement Association, the Cape Henlopen Senior Center, the Community Resource Center, and representatives of homeowners associations and the business community along with focus groups. The goal for gathering public input is mid-July, in order to have the final report ready for review by state agencies.

The needs assessment process is part of the Delaware Public Library Construction Assistance Act, and once the assessment is completed and approved, the library can apply for 50 percent State of Delaware funding for eligible construction. The construction can include alteration, remodeling, or enlargement of library buildings and installation of apparatus or equipment.

“Although the Delaware law includes funding for the purchase of land and construction of new buildings, the Rehoboth Beach Public Library Board of Trustees firmly agreed that the library belongs on Rehoboth Avenue in its present location,” said Board President Tom Wontorek. “The board intends to seek funds to make improvements and modifications to the existing building and not to relocate to another site.”

Once the needs assessment including costs is completed and recommended by the board, it will be submitted to the Delaware Division of Libraries and the Council of Libraries for review. It will be forwarded to the director of the Office of Management and Budget to be included in the state’s capital budget.

Wontorek said, “The board of trustees, the Rehoboth Beach community and all associated supporting groups will need to raise the 50 percent non-state funding to match the state funding before any renovations/modifications are initiated or equipment is installed in the library. We encourage you to complete the questionnaire and let the board of trustees know what you want the Rehoboth Beach Public Library to be in the future.”