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ARDEN HILLS CITY COUNCIL—February 22, 2010 2 2.A. Discussion of the Future of the Ramsey County Library in Arden Hills (continued) Councilmember Holden clarified that in North St. Paul the library was moved into a City owned building and Arden Hills does not own the building the current Library is in. -- Mr. Nemitz stated this was correct. Ramsey County had sold a building they had owned then constructed an addition to a building that was owned by the City of North St. Paul. They also worked out a generous lease agreement for that Library. She outlined the basic needs for the Arden Hills Library including the building size, parking, and preferred locations. She discussed the ideas that the Library has for potential partners, their strategies, and what the City of Arden Hills could do to potentially help the Library which included economic development, Staff assistance and connections, and resources. Councilmember Holden asked if Bethel University or The Baptist Conference had any ideas for the current location or on their sites. Ms. Nemitz clarified that the Baptist Conference owns two acres adjacent to the Library. They have also recently gone through a merger with the Iowa Baptist Conference and they need to determine what their space needs are and if their was a way for them to work with the Library to develop a building that would serve all the needs of both parties. She clarified if the Library partnered with the Baptist Conference this partnership would be a legal/business partnership. The conversation with Bethel University revolved around potential classroom needs they could bring to the Library site. Councilmember Holden stated that the Library is "Seeking a plan to reinvent the Library into a sustainable 21 St century library in 201 L" She asked for clarification on what this meant. Ms. Nemitz stated that the Library's master plan is to move to either portal/gateway or regional libraries. A 21 St century library would be making the transition to a technology-based library, which changes the service model of the library. These community-based libraries will be different based on the needs of the communities that they service. Councilmember Grant asked how Presbyterian Homes had responded to partnering with the Library. Ms. Nemitz stated Presbyterian Homes had been very receptive. The Stafford Library in Woodbury is next to a Presbyterian Homes and has a skyway from the library to the home site. This has been perceived by Presbyterian Homes as a nice selling point for them. Councilmember Grant stated if Arden Hills loses the library, the area would be under-served and it would be a negative for the community. The Library does a good job in its current location and is well utilized by the community. Councilmember Holmes stated the Council wants to see the Library stay in the community but the Library would not be able to be combined with any City owned buildings at this time. She clarified that the current location for the Library would be the best.