June 14, 2010

Mr. Tim Murley, SuperintendentWarren County Board of Education303 Lover's LaneBowling Green, KY 42103

Dear Mr. Murley:

The Warren Central High School Library Media Center is the largest Media Center in the district. The Media Center is utilized by many groups and organizations for district and regional professional development workshops, meetings and trainings.

Thirty years ago, the Media Center was considered to be state-of-the art--a show place and model for modern school facilities. Currently, the Media Center is one of the oldest and least attractive and inviting of the twenty-one Library Media Centers in the Warren County school district. Its furnishings and environment have not been updated since it was built in the late 1970's. It is difficult to provide modern services to faculty, staff, and students in its current condition.

Attached you will find a proposal for a renovation of the Warren Central High School Library Media Center.

Your attention and consideration of this request is very much appreciated.

Sincerely,

Marion NapierLibrary Media Specialist

Lisa HoodPrincipal

Proposal For

Warren Central High School

Library Media Center Renovation

559 Morgantown RoadBowling Green, KY 42101

June 15, 2010

Proposal for Warren Central High School

Library Media Center Renovation

Statement of Need:Warren Central's Library Media Center is the largest in the Warren County school district and, therefore, is often utilized for districtwide professional meetings and trainings, as well as playing host to Regional athletic tournament drawings.

1) The furnishings, carpet, light fixtures and windows in Warren Central's Library Media Center have not been updated since the library was built in the late 1970s.

a) There are three different kinds of carpet, which are stained to the point that it can no longer be cleaned. Tile is broken in transition areas.

b) The chairs’ and sofas’ upholstery is dirty, stained, and torn.

c) Furniture and doors are scarred and damaged from use.

d) Backs of free standing casing is separating. making it difficult for the shelving to stay in place. Shelves periodically slip and cause books to fall onto floor.

e) Carpeting is stained and peeling away from the concrete wall beneath the upper level railing.

f) Laminated surfaces on circulation desk and display cases are chipped.

g) Curtains are dirty and rotting from exposure to heat, cold, and moisture. The last time the curtains were cleaned they came back torn and frayed.

2) The Library Media Center is neither environmentally safe nor energy efficient.a) The central heat and air conditioning utilize outdated technology making it inefficient and costly compared to current heating and cooling systems.b) Heat and air conditioning units are unpredictable; the upper and lower areas of the library are inconsistent with the upper area being warmer and the lower area being cooler.c) Seals around the windows are broken, allowing cold air to enter the room in the winter, hot air in the summer, and moisture to collect between the double panes. This makes them counterproductive to Warren County’s initiative to reduce energy costs.

(Water stain on window sill.)

d) The 15 year-old roof leaks in several places, staining the ceiling tiles and creating an environment conducive to the growth of mold and mildew. This creates an unhealthy atmosphere for staff members and students prone to allergy and asthmatic attacks. In the spring of 2009, a driving rainstorm cause a major leak in the server room in the back of the library storage area. Water stood in the floor around Warren Central’s

main network server and seeped under the wall in the reference/computer lab area of the library.

3) Storage area is cramped and inconvenient for current needs. The Library Media Center is the only one in the district without a sink .

4) Students have to operare in a makeshift, temporary studio in the back of the library in order to produce a daily news program. Lighting is poor; equipment has to be left set up and out in the open exposing it to possible vandalism and theft.

Background:Warren Central High School's current Library Media Center was built in the late 1970s. Except for a size reduction in the office area when Warren Central was remodeled in 1997--and some minor cosmetic changes within the past six years--the facility has changed very little in the past 30 years. The library, a once state-of-the-art facility, has become outdated and is inefficient for current use. It is difficult to serve the school’s faculty, staff, and students in it’s present condition.

Listed below are the district libraries, year of construction, and the most recent dates of renovation:

Within the past 22 years, 17 new Library Media Centers have been constructed. Of the 17 new libraries, six (29%) have been renovated less than 20 years after original construction. Six of the eight oldest facilities in the Warren County school district (Alvaton Elementary, Bristow Elementary, Cumberland Trace Elementary, RichPond Elementary, Rockfield Elementary, and Warren Elementary) have received completely new or updated libraries within the past eight years. Two of the oldest Library Media Centers in the district have not had any updates within the past 30 years. These two Media Centers are Oakland Elementary and Warren Central High School.

Discussion has been ongoing with the Warren Central High School Administration since the fall of 2007 reagarding possible upgrades to the Library Media Center. A meeting was held with Robert Rogers from the Maintenance Department to discuss some needed changes in the current Library Media Center and to receive an estimate of anticipated costs.

Since that time, some additional concerns have presented themselves--both of them related to safety issues. During the spring of 2009, a driving rainstorm caused a major leak in the server room in the back of the library storage area. Water stood in the floor around the infrastructure’s main network server and seeped under the wall into the reference/computer lab area of the library. Mold and mildew became a concern. Then, in the fall of 2009, a female student fell down the steep, narrow steps leading into the lower area of the library injuring her foot.

The current Library Media Center is lacking in regards to many energy, environmental, safety and service needs.

Request:This is not a request for construction of a new Library Media Center at Warren Central. With the recommended guidelines for square footage per student population and office space, new construction would greatly reduce the size of the library and limit its availability for community and academic use. Instead, this request is for a remodel and renovation. of the current facility. With this purpose in mind, the following are being proposed:

1) Replace carpet so as to be uniform through out the entire Media Center;2) Replace broken tile;3) Replace rubber baseboard;4) Purchase new furniture; or refinish current tables, and book shelves as well as reupholster chairs and sofas ;5) Take down curtains;6) Replace windows with tinted, arched windows;7) Replace circulation desk with one more conducive to computer use;8) Install sink in office area; 9) Update heating and cooling system to one more energy efficient;10) Install new roof and ceiling tiles; 10) Reverse current circulation and storage areas;11) Enclose the back section of the library to create a separate room that could be used as a studio, meeting room, or extra storage.

Budget:Cost for this renovation is estimated to be approximately $250,000.00.