New Library or Remodel the Old One?
- Derrith Schmidt
- Aug 19
- 13 min read
Updated: Aug 26
Before Lake Oswego commits millions of dollars to a new library building and ditching the one we have, I think we have an opportunity to think outside the box for how to use our existing public resources more creatively and perhaps provide more services to more residents for less money.
There may be creative ways to use our existing public facilities, technology, community resources, and partnerships to provide more services to more residents without requiring a taxpayer-funded bond.
I’m not against libraries; I’m suggesting that we think beyond the traditional idea of a library as a single building and explore all the possibilities before deciding what to invest in.
In "tech speak" we'd say "can we think about the future library as one node in a “book ecosystem,” rather than the place where everyone gets books?
Maybe we need a different definition of library? Yes, it's a physical place and it's also a digital service plus a community network that helps residents discover, access, share and talk about books and information, regardless of where the actual book resides.
Could we start with this question: what do people need from a future library—including books, study space, children’s space, teen space, quiet space, technology, meeting rooms, social connection, events, librarians, digital access, and community services? By age group. And is it the responsibility of LO taxpayers to meet all of those needs at the library?
Meeting rooms - people have other options like WeWork, going to Starbucks, using the lobby at LORAC... could they sign up for office space at City Hall or the Adult Community Center?
Teen space - do teens want that to be at the library or could it be at the school or LORAC with bus service after school to the place?
Auditoriums for talks to large audiences - when these events happen what are other available (already paid for) places where these could be held? School auditoriums, event spaces. The high schools host graduation at Rolling Hills Church auditorium. Why do we need a future library to dedicate space for talks to large audiences?
Could a warehouse be used for books that are rarely checked out which might require someone to "order it" to pick up vs. having it on the shelf at the library? That would free up space for places where people could go to read quietly and to discuss books, host story hours, etc.
Could children's books be loaned out to pre-schools?
Could story hours be hosted all over town?
What are the obstacles, frustrations, or unmet needs of people who use the library—or choose not to?
I think the answer is more complicated than simply, “I have to drive across town.” If we want to create a better library experience in the future, it would be helpful to understand what frustrates people today, what they need but aren’t getting, and why some people have stopped using the library.
Here are some things I’ve experienced and heard others share:
Long wait times for popular, current books. By the time a popular book becomes available, the conversation around it may already have moved on. People who don’t want to wait often buy the book instead—or borrow it from friends.
The same problem exists with digital books. Even though digital books are convenient, there can still be a long wait list. One of my Book Club friends recently wrote, “I try not to buy books, and they’re usually hard to get in time. The book you're reading now is on my waitlist right now!”
Buying a book can be faster and easier if you can afford it. If someone wants to read a particular book now, it may be easier to order it online or buy it locally than to search the library catalog, get on a waiting list, and hope it becomes available in time.
Book clubs have a particular challenge. The library often doesn't have enough copies of a popular book for everyone in a book club to read it at the same time. That can make the library less useful for groups that want to read and discuss current books.
Convenience matters. Is it easy to find what you want? Is the website and catalog easy to use? Can you easily reserve, renew, pick up and return materials? Are the hours convenient? Are there enough locations, parking spaces and places to sit or work?
What about people who don't use the library at all? They may have reasons we haven't identified. Perhaps they don't know what the library offers today, don't find the collection relevant to them, don't have time to visit, find the technology difficult to use, or simply don't see the library as a place that meets their needs.
What about parents of young kids who aren't yet able to use the elementary school library to check out books? More and time are often in short supply for parents. How could books be more accessible to parents and kids?
Understanding these frustrations and unmet needs could be just as important as asking people what they want in a new library. Before designing the library of the future, shouldn't we understand why people aren't using the library today—and what would make them want to use it more?
How should Lake Oswego design a system that lets a resident find, borrow, buy, share, listen to or discover almost any book—wherever that book happens to live? (the library, the school library, BOOKtique, another nearby library...)
What can a public library provide that Amazon, bookstores, schools and people’s own homes cannot?
Addressing all this seems to me to shift the question of what size/type of library building does Lake Oswego want vs. what types of customer experiences do we want to provide in our future library?
What triggered all this wondering for me was a letter Glenn Newman wrote that was published in the LO Review on August 15, 2026.
I thought he made several interesting points worthy of sharing and discussing. And his letter provoked some ideas I've been wondering about for what we could do to innovate within budget without the need for a taxpayer-funded bond.
Glenn, an attorney in LO, wrote in his opinion piece:
"We want our leaders to be bold and forward-looking. Leaders want to leave a legacy of their time in public office.
But in their desire for a legacy, some leaders confuse arrogance for boldness. And they too often equate legacy with construction projects, the bigger the better.
The pharaohs had their pyramids. Our president may soon have his ballroom. And Lake Oswego city councilors are rushing headlong to build their own monument, a new library and community center in Lake Grove (Editor’s note: the city has not agreed to plans for the future of library services nor a location for a possible new library. However one of its 2026 goals is to “develop a strategy for an expanded and modern library facility, prioritizing the West side of town and urban renewal funding options, allowing it to serve as an all-ages and all-activities community center.”).
Lake Oswego has a library. A good one. Beloved. Our library is showing its age. It needs improvements, seismic and otherwise. But nothing that can’t be fixed with some tender love and care (according to Lake Oswego’s 2024 assessment, the current building can be renovated and improved for $9.7–$10.5 million — not chump change but a fraction of the cost of building a new library). Our existing Lake Oswego Library will never be an imposing physical edifice. But it is, and can remain for years to come, a place for learning and gathering.
To justify the demolition of the library and its relocation, our city leaders contend that the library should be situated in a more central location. The City Council may need to be reminded that, thanks to their visionary efforts over decades, First Addition has become the beating heart of Lake Oswego in every way except geographically. It’s home to an ever-increasing number of restaurants, shops and multifamily housing units, plus the newly remodeled Adult Community Center and Millennium Plaza Park with its popular farmer’s market and other events. First Addition is also the site of our new City Hall and where city services are delivered. Apparently First Addition is the ideal location for everything … except a library.
The other rationale given for demolition and relocation is that the current library is too small for our town’s current and projected needs. It is true that our cherished library gets a lot of use. Compared to neighboring towns, our library might be on the smaller side on a square foot-per-resident basis. But small doesn’t mean overcrowded. Our library is cozy. All the better for getting to know our neighbors.
Leaders should lead. But elected representatives in a democracy must first listen. The citizens of Lake Oswego are not clamoring for a giant new library across town. Quite the opposite. When the city surveyed the populace in 2022 about the library’s future, the consensus was clear: renovate the existing library (and, if feasible, add a branch on the westside).
So far our representatives have chosen to ignore the voice of the people. Instead they are advancing with a heavy hand towards an oversized and costly new library. The City Council has established a “Future Library Task Force” and a “Library Site Reuse Task Force” for community input but, as made plain in their very names, both are premised on demolition and relocation. In other words, they are a sham.
In this age of grandiosity, runaway development and authoritarian wannabeism, our city councilors could instead lead with humility, small “c” conservatism, and democratic revival by acting to preserve our much-loved current library. That would be a legacy worth having.
Glenn Newman is a Lake Oswego resident."
His point that made me stop and think, "Yes, that's true" was this:
"The citizens of Lake Oswego are not clamoring for a giant new library across town. Quite the opposite. When the city surveyed the populace in 2022 about the library’s future, the consensus was clear: renovate the existing library (and, if feasible, add a branch on the westside)."
When I volunteered for the team to get the Bond passed for the new Southshore Fire Station rebuild, we heard from a lot of LO residents, "No more bonds. Our taxes and assessments are too high." The bond for the fire station passed but many people we talked to said, "That's it. No more bonds." The bond for the library last time it was on the ballot did not pass. And I doubt it would if it was on the ballot anytime soon.
Some important information I learned at the Neighborhood Association Chairs meeting in July about what's happening with our library
Interim City Manager Lynn Peterson shared an update about the library...
Lynn shared that the City Council has decided to move the existing library to a new centrally located area hopefully within an urban renewal area. The Council has established two task forces to help with this.
One task force will focus on parameters for after the library has moved and what to do with the existing library land.
Our NA VP Jim Perris was elected by our OTNA Board to represent us on this task force.
NA members asked about preventing more “cottage clusters” without parking. Lynn explained there is no way to outlaw those type of developments but “we can create criteria within the RFP intent that whatever is built must meet characteristics of the First Addition neighborhood.”
The other task force is just being formed and will focus on creating a vision for the future library.
Lynn shared the library has $5 million - $3 million from years of not using the 15% contingency from their budget which rolls over each year and another $2 million in donations from Friends of the Library.
The new library can be funded through many sources: an estimated $10 million bond (“5 years away” Lynn thought), endowments, selling the existing land, and donations.
She said the impressive new Gresham Library was funded by a county bond for five libraries.
There was a lot of discussion among the NCC members with Lynn about why a new library was needed. Lynn explained it is 40 years old and suggested we invite Melissa, the Library Director, to come meet with us. She said Melissa has been touring libraries and gathering ideas about what's possible. Lynn said the Library team asked for a library that is approximately 20% larger and centrally located.
The City Council feels two libraries (updating the existing one in First Addition and adding a second location across town) is not feasible because it would be more expensive in staffing and other costs.
What I'm Wondering About...
Will the task force be considering ALL the different ways people can "get books" now and in the future? It may not need to be one central library?
Before Lake Oswego spends millions of dollars deciding what a library building should be, can we start with understanding what library services residents actually use and what their "unmet needs" are? And then learn what's possible? And determine what they may need 10, 20 and 30 years from now? And then how we can meet those needs most cost-effectively short-term, near-term and longer term?
We have an opportunity to think outside the box, to use our existing public resources more creatively and perhaps provide more services to more residents for less money.
We already have libraries throughout LO in each school. Could those be made available to neighbors?
The library has a roving van. Perhaps you've seen it up at the entrance to LORAC this summer. How is this working? Could this program be expanded to get books to people in all parts of the City at far less cost?
Our library cards allow us to go to other libraries.
The West Linn library off of 43 is quite modern. You can reserve rooms and pods there as well as check out books. One of our neighbors works there. She said they do something my book club wished LO did: Book Club Bundles | Our Book Club Bundles make it easy to organize your own group!
Tualatin also has a library: https://library.tualatinoregon.gov/
Could the BOOKtique's two locations be considered libraries? Maybe a scholarship program for people who can't afford to buy their used/low cost books? https://www.thebooktique.org/
One location is downtown LO under City Hall
The other is across town at 4 Monroe Parkway across from the DMV
Their website is like an online store to buy books at low cost
Many neighborhoods have "little libraries", boxes that neighbors put books in for others to take for free. Could these be expanded?
There's a new locally owned bookstore in LO called Thirsty Caterpillar. They have a bookstore, play garden and a cafe. You can also order books online. located at 4200 Mercantile Drive in Suite 720 off Kruse Way and Boones Ferry Road.
Many people don't go to the library in person. They access books and magazines online through the library to read on their phones and Kindle devices. So do we really need a bigger library? What's it going to be like 20 or 30 years from now?
Do all of the other services people say they want from a modern library like quiet workspaces, meeting rooms, maker spaces, teen areas and other community uses all need to be housed under one roof? Could some of those needs be met at LORAC, the Adult Community Center, City Hall, the Parks building or other public facilities?
Could Children's story hours be done across town to make them more accessible for parents at schools, LORAC, other public buildings?
People buy books online from many places because it's often a long wait to get a current book from the library.
There are MANY different places people go now in person and online to get books. Maybe it's "Old fashioned" to think a library is the primary place where people get books?
I’m not arguing against libraries → I’m asking whether we’re defining “library” too narrowly → technology and community resources have changed → there may be less expensive ways to deliver more services → let’s find out what residents actually want before committing to a building.
I think we need to "think outside of the box"
for how to do more with the budget we have.
We also need to really figure out ALL the possible funding sources.
Many universities have buildings funded by wealthy individuals or companies that have their name on the building. Have people in this wealth category been approached about doing this for LO to build a new Library on the other side of town? Then the City could spend our tax money on remodeling the library in First Addition.
ACTION RECOMMENDATION:
The City should hire a credible, independent, and objective market research firm to conduct a statistically representative survey of Lake Oswego taxpayers.
The purpose would be to better understand what taxpayers want—and do not want—in library services, as well as what level of increased taxation, if any, they would be willing to support to fund those services.
The survey should specifically focus on Lake Oswego taxpayers, because they are the residents who are currently funding—and will ultimately be responsible for funding—whatever library services and expenditures are approved by the City Council.
I believe "we are better together" so I want to hear from you about your thoughts and ideas. Send that here and I'll update this blog with reader comments/suggestions.
Blog Update August 20:
WOW, I just learned about this website created by LO neighbors specifically about renovating the library. https://www.friendsoffirstaddition.com/
From this website
Comments I've received from blog post readers
From Bridget Smith
"Lake Oswego's library was the first stop I made when moving here in 2011. Having spent a better portion of my life in civic and school libraries, I immediately loved LO's for its PNW charm and welcoming environment. In my opinion, we don't need a new library at an exorbitant price situated on the west end of town. That rift between LO and Lake Grove businesses/communities amid accusations of what's "fair" between the two sides of town has existed for quite some time. That aside, a small branch in Lake Grove would make sense. After all, a branch is not unheard of in many communities of a certain size. As for staffing, operations, and other issues related to a branch location, I argue it's still more affordable and fiscally responsible than a multi-million-dollar behemoth. City leaders need to get creative and look at other more viable solutions that do NOT require fiscally irresponsible solutions. What would happen to our beautiful existing building? Would it become a professional office complex? Or another commercial eyesore, empty and devoid of use. Somehow, I think we owe it to Brian Doyle to preserve this well-loved treasure in this special place we call home."
From Deborah Linke
"Hi Derrith, I couldn't believe it when I saw your blog post. You are thinking and asking questions almost identical to what we are! Check us out at FriendsofFirstAddition.com"
From Sarah Callahan
SAVE THE LO LIBRARY: Please add me to the list of people who support renovation, not relocation of the Lake Oswego Library. It is an irreplaceable anchor asset to our community.
Comments from people who saw the post on Nextdoor and commented there
What do the people across town think and want?
It really seems like a credible, objective market research survey with a large sample of Lake Oswego taxpayers needs to be conducted by a professional unbiased market research firm to help guide what taxpayers want and don't. And I think it should be taxpayers because we are the ones who are and will be funding whatever is decided by the City Council.
Update August 26, 2026
The Library Visioning Team responded with detailed information when I sent them this blog post. And, of course, their answers led to more questions I have about the process.
So I wrote a new blog post:
Lake Oswego’s Future Library: Let's Please Start With Our Needs, Not the Building
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