Library grant will spring major expansion in Cloquet

Supporters of the Cloquet Public Library are anxiously awaiting an early Christmas present this month. Library director Beth Sorenson said she expects to hear from the Minnesota Department of education any day now about the status of a request for a $1 million grant that would go toward a $2.3 million expansion of the 31-year-old library on 14th Street.

The city of Cloquet supported the application for the grant in October. The city would be responsible for $1 million of the expansion, which would increase the size of the library from 12,000 square feet to 19,000.

The Cloquet Shaw Memorial Public Library Foundation has pledged another $275,000 and has begun a funding campaign for more money to furnish the new space.

Sorenson said public reaction to the expansion has been "enthusiastic" after studies showed a need for more space. The expansion will include several elements:

• More space for the collections

• A quiet study space

• Reduced noise levels

• More meeting room space

• More computers

• Separate, child-friendly space

• Adherence to American With Disabilities Act requirements

The needs at the library fall in line with the Department of Education's own State Library Services Division study of statewide library needs as it set a five-year plan through 2022. Technology and access top the list when it comes to facilities across the state.

The Cloquet library opened in 1987 after decades in the Carnegie Library on Cloquet Avenue that now houses the Carlton County Historical Society. It was constructed through an $800,000 bond referendum accepted by city voters and a $200,000 federal grant. Another $250,000 came in from business and private donations.

The foundation's capital campaign hits on the needs at the library.

"There are increased public expectations for the 21st-century public library," the foundation notes in its calls for library support. "Not only do we fulfill people's need for reading material, we also need to fill demands for access to new technology and serve as a meeting place for people of all ages."

The state generally announces construction grants in the middle of December. If Cloquet gets the grant, construction could begin late next year.

One 2014 study of the library space needs cited solid building and site planning in the late 1980s that allows for a seamless expansion. The planned expansion is designed for 20 to 25 years of use.

The $1 million state grant requires match on the local level, which will be city funds and donations through the foundation.