Fleschner Memorial Library

The Valley Library Consortium is a Michigan private non-profit corporation dedicated to empowering libraries in the greater Saginaw Valley Community by providing access to shared library and information resources through automated services. With a focus on collaboration, the consortium enables member libraries to reduce costs and share resources through an integrated library management system. Members benefit from a shared bibliographic database that includes over 826,000 titles and more than 1.9 million copies, facilitating interlibrary loans among participating libraries. The commitment to maintaining high standards and procedures ensures a consistent and portable database for future system migrations. Generated from the website

Answer: We have known for some time that our current facility is too small. The, insufficient space for programming and technology, inadequate storage, and the lack of staff work space are just some symptoms of our need to grow. With a population of approximately 8, 000 people, our building should be approximately 8, 700 square feet, according to industry standards and comparisons to other libraries serving similar populations. The current building is 3, 200 square feet. Projecting the population growth over the next 20 years, the building should be approximately 9, 900 square feet. This indicates that the current building is only approximately one third of the size that it should be. Initially, we are going to build a 7, 200 square foot building that we can be expanded to meet future needs.Question: Why does a new library have to be built? Couldn't an addition be built on to the current library?Answer: Cracked walls and broken cement blocks undermine the structural integrity of the current building, especially when considering expansion. In addition, the library is located in a flood plain, which accounts for the nearly two feet of water that damaged the building in 1986. A new facility, by code, would have to be built at the 100-year flood plain level, effectively eliminating future flooding concerns. Adding on to the current building with the structural problems that it currently has could lead to a continual repair project.