Library turns pages on one incident, looks to future

News involving the neighborhood library had Council flipping pages at Tuesday night’s meeting.

Parks, Recreation and Libraries Director Marty McDonald talked about the good, the bad and the ugly during several agenda items involving Maricopa Community Library.

Getting the ugly out of the way, McDonald touched on last month’s incident where, according to the Pinal County Sheriff’s Office, Corey Vincent Alberto, 21, of Maricopa, was found masturbating in the computer lab area of the library in the presence of a minor.

Alberto, who was charged with public sexual indecency, was taken into custody at his residence and booked into the Pinal County Adult Detention Center.

“This situation has been alarming to myself and staff,” McDonald said. McDonald said a more comprehensive Internet use policy needed to be in place.

“The department acted in the correct and appropriate manner,” McDonald said. “We do need to tighten up our policies. The staff is not there to dictate what people can and cannot view.” The library does not monitor an individual’s use of the Internet; however, filters are utilized to prohibit inappropriate content. Use of chat lines is also prohibited.

Among the changes are relocating where the computers are housed. “By moving them we can more closely monitor situations,” McDonald said. He added that patrons also should report any illegal things they see immediately to staff.

In a follow-up conversation on Wednesday, McDonald told inmaricopa.com that the library will continue to use Cyber Sitter to monitor Internet traffic.

“Patrons wishing to research information on breast cancer or AIDS will still be able to conduct research,” McDonald said. “In those cases, the filter will be released so the patron can carry on with his or her efforts. The policy will definitely help us educate patrons on the roles of the library, themselves and the content not allowed per state law.”

McDonald also noted the need Tuesday evening for an expanded library as the current one is packed to the gills.

Having made a request at a previous meeting, McDonald on this night received approval on RFPs (Request for Proposals) regarding both leased land and submittals of proposed land for City acquisition for library and recreational facilities.

The leased land would allow for the movement and expansion of the current library. The land for acquisition would allow for the construction of a library facility. The current facility was born in 1988 when the John and Mary Lou Smith family donated the land and gathered enough money to locate a barracks from Williams Air Force base. The building underwent a major renovation in the summer of 2004.

“We’re the only city in Pinal County prepared to move forward with a library expansion,” McDonald said. “The ‘you’ve gotta make it work’ is over with. We need more space, period.”

Councilman Steve Baker added it was “time to step up to the plate” when it comes to providing the library what it needs. Councilman Will Dunn asked if some potential building or rental sites for a library expansion could be brought to Council to look at.

According to a report by consultant PROVIDENCE Associates, the libraries of Pinal County presented a challenge due to their varying profiles, governance structure, the unique environments in which they are located and the future issues they must deal with.

The report notes that Pinal County continues to see a large burst in population growth.

Currently, from the standpoint of public library facilities, Pinal County is very deficient in meeting the needs of its citizens for the most part. Two exceptions are Casa Grande and Apache Junction where library expansion is taking place. The report said all other areas must take a serious look at their current situations and start to plan immediately if they are to construct library services and facilities that current and new residents will require.

“I’m incredibly excited about the direction we are headed,” McDonald told inmaricopa.com. “It’s time we increase our efforts to deliver services to our residents. In the recently completed branding survey, 10.95 percent of our residents told us they wanted to see increased library development. While I think that number is probably higher based on our own user feedback, the direction from our residents is clear to us: they want more public services such as libraries and parks, pools and recreation centers.”

McDonald said the RFP will be out on the street for 30 days and staff hopes to receive a lot of offers. “We want the market to tell us what is out there,” McDonald said.

“From there, we’ll review all offers from a strategic point of view and go from there. We need more space now so if we can find a parcel of land to lease for a short period of time we’ll explore the option of creating a larger interim facility while a hard building is constructed. If we do relocate the library, we’ll renovate the existing location and create a teen center. I feel confident that at some point before 2007 draws to a close we will know where a library facility will be located, and we can begin the process of turning a dream into reality.”

Photo by Joyce Hollis