McHenry County Library Comparison
This table is a comparison of the population served, the square footage and the square footage per resident of the libraries in McHenry County.
| McHenry County Library Comparisons As reported by Library Directors |
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| McHenry County Libraries | Population Served* |
Square Footage |
Square Footage Per Resident |
| Fox River Grove Public Library District | 4,235 | 9,000 | 2.13 |
| Harvard Diggins Public Library | 8,968 | 19,000 | 2.12 |
| Nippersink District Library | 12,291 | 18,000 | 1.46 |
| Woodstock Public Library | 32,890 | 43,487 | 1.32 |
| Algonquin Area Public Library District | 45,000 | 51,000 | 1.13 |
| Crystal Lake Public Library | 39,788 | 40,000 | 1.01 |
| McHenry Nunda Public Library District | 4,266 | 3,812 | 0.89 |
| Johnsburg Public Library District | 11,948 | 10,000 | 0.84 |
| Marengo Public Library District | 13,392 | 10,000 | 0.75 |
| Cary Area Public Library District | 28,094 | 20,000 | 0.71 |
| McHenry Public Library District | 35,293 | 23,000 | 0.65 |
| McHenry County Averages: | 21,470 | 22,482 | 1.18 |
| Huntley Area Public Library District: | 50,000 | 15,000 | 0.30 |
| Most recent estimates available | |||
Comments
Ignorance is Bliss
For those of you who are so adamantly opposed to the library referendum, I feel sorry for you. The library is one of the most valuable resources a community can have. The library is not just a place to pursue a leisure activity as one person commented. The library serves an educational purpose as well. Many volunteers help young people with their studies and improving their reading skills. The reference librarians are so helpful. For those of you looking for work, they can help you with web searches, finding resources for resume writing and interview skills. For those of you trying to buy or sell a home, the librarians can point you in the right direction in beginning to understand that complicated process. The library used to offer many programs for people of all ages (some free and some for very low fees) to learn new skills on the computer, selling on ebay, and crafting to name a few.
Those of you who are not patrons of the library, you should stop in and see what you are missing. Improving your minds through reading and becoming informed citizens might do you some good.
I will do everything I can to help the library pass this referendum.
Not Ignorant
I agree that the library is one of the most valuable resources a community can have. But not when poor planning forced us into this situation in the first place. They could not foresee that the building we have now would not accommodate future growth? How come the Algonquin Public Library was built to handle the increase in population but not Huntley? I would rather pay to use APL out of district than to vote for this referendum. Even though I am usually a strong supporter of libraries (for the reason I agreed with at the beginning), I will be voting NO and I will encourage and campaign to everyone I know to vote NO as well.
Re: Not Ignorant
The current library was built to serve 15,000 people. The library board at that time built it as large as they could with the funds available, and it was 10 times larger than the original library. It was always planned that additions would be built. The first one was to have been constructed in about 2004; at that time however, residents had other tax issues to deal with. If the current referendum is approved by voters in November, the addition would be completed in 2010.
The Algonquin Area Public Library District previously had only a 15,000 square foot building (approximately the size of the current Huntley Area Public Library). Their new main library, about 35,000 square feet, was built after, not before, most of the growth in homebuilding in their library district took place.
In Huntley, the village has approved 8 new subdivisions, adding approximately 25,415 more people since the library was approved by voters in 1997. These include: Sun City, Wing Pointe, Georgian Place, Northbridge, Covington Lakes, Lion’s Chase, Cider Grove and Talamore. We could not foresee growth before it had been approved.
If you feel the Huntley Area Public Library was not built large enough, it is difficult to understand how the defeat of an expansion will improve the situation.
nothing
why can you not just live on the increase you get from the expanded tax base?
Thank you for your question. We do receive some additional funding from an increased tax base, but the majority of it is used to provide services to the growing population. We are not able to set aside enough for an addition.
Set aside?
If you cannot "set aside" to plan for the future and use your money wisely, how can I trust you with more?
This is BULL
The LAST thing we need is ANOTHER raise in taxes. The Schools are already ripping us off to the tune of MILLIONS! Educators with double digit raises and perks second to none..... Now the Library wants to roll in the dough too.....SICKENING!!!!!! VOTE NO NO NO!!!!!
"BULL"?
It is really sad that for less than the cost of a visit to most fast food resturants this voter would say no to an expanded library. Do you even use the library? Those who use the library save much more than $5.00 for every trip they make to the library. Have you rented a video latley? No cost at the library. Bought a book lately? How much did that cost you? Borrowing that same book cost you nothing at the library. If you are concerned about saving money and you are not taking advantage of all the resourses at the library no wonder you are angry. Get yourself down to the library and see for yourself what you are condemning and find out how much you could be saving. Get a real break for your money!
Bull
And I should pay for your videos because...
And why am I asked to pay for meeting rooms for groups I neither belong to nor am interested in?
there should be a choice for .01 cent per month
I did not vote for any of the given amounts in the first question
Add the Old Village Hall into the equation!
Continuing to utilize the former village hall on the Huntley square should be a solution for the meeting space dilemma. No referendum should increase taxes for the sake of a leisure pursuit.
Add the Old Village Hall into the equation!
Meetings should be held in the former Huntley Village Hall, with the current library meeting room used to hold bookshelves. No new taxes for residents should be put on the books!
Where have you been?
When is the last time you were at the Library? Did you know that the meeting room became the kids library room about a year and a half ago? It has been filled with bookshelves and kids since then. It used to be that groups in the community could reserve that space at the library to meet. There is no space for that now. Why don't you actually visit the library before you make uninformed comments like this?
COMMUNITY ROOM
What about the new beautiful rec center? Plenty of space there for meetings and programs. When did a library become a meeting zone for crafts and groups looking to meet?
Meeting Room
The Meeting Room wasn't just a place for outside groups to meet. It served for programs the library can no longer host including most of the childrens programs. I applaud the library's use of the Old Village Hall but the library doesn't own that building. It won't always be available. Some day the Village will want to do something else with that building.