A proposed Wasilla Library expansion makes space for staff, sorting machine
The expansion could go before the city council for approval as part of the budget process next spring.
What you need to know:
- A proposed Wasilla Public Library expansion would add 2,000 square feet to the facility, doubling staff space and making room for a new RFID book-sorting system that would automate check-ins.
- The project is estimated to cost about $3 million and could be approved by the City Council next year. It would likely be funded through a combination of grants, donations and taxpayer contributions.
- The Wasilla Public Library serves more than 100,000 visitors annually. The 24,000-square-foot facility opened in 2016.
WASILLA — The Wasilla Public Library could receive a building expansion and a new book-sorting machine under a plan presented to the Wasilla City Council this month.
The proposed addition, which will likely go before the council for approval and funding next year, would increase the 24,000-square-foot facility by about 2,000 square feet and double the staff space located to the left of the building’s entrance, architect Brian Meissner told the council during a July 14 meeting.
If approved, a new radio frequency identification, or RFID, machine will be installed in the expanded area to automatically sort and process material check-ins, Wasilla Library Director Zane Treesh said in an interview.
RFID uses flat identification tags placed inside library materials. Patrons can check out multiple tagged books at once by stacking them on a scanner kiosk, and a machine installed in the staff area scans and sorts returns, he said. The system, which could cost up to $300,000, can significantly reduce staff time by quickly processing materials, Treesh said.
While the Chugiak-Eagle River and Loussac libraries in Anchorage use similar systems, Wasilla would be the first to implement RFID technology in the Matanuska-Susitna Borough, he said.
The Wasilla Library serves about 105,000 visitors each year, he said, with most users coming from outside city limits. Wasilla’s population sits at about 10,000.
The library processes more than 250,000 annual checkouts handled by about a dozen staff members, with up to 80 new cards each week, he said. Some staff members currently share desks, and there is no space to add employees or reconfigure the area to accommodate the sorting machine, he said.
The proposed expansion would be the first update since the $16 million facility opened in 2016, officials said. It would likely cost about $3 million, Meissner said, though that figure could rise due to construction costs linked to tariffs.
When constructed, the library’s design prioritized space for patrons and the collection, but not staff, said Meissner, who also led the original planning process. The design did, however, include plans for a future staff area expansion, he said.
“From the exterior, (the proposed update) looks almost the same. And that’s because this was always planned to expand this way when needed,” he said. “Basically, just take the wall that’s there and pop it out by about 20 feet to allow this expansion to happen.”
For patrons, the expansion would bring one immediate improvement: the outdoor book return slot, currently exposed to weather, would be sheltered under an extended roof canopy.
“It’s not a dramatic change to the look or feel of the library, but it does change that experience,” Meissner said.
The $27,000 design process was included in the city’s fiscal 2025 budget, which ended in late June. Construction would likely be funded next year through a combination of grants, donations and taxpayer contributions, said Jeanne Troshynski, longtime president of the Friends of the Wasilla Public Library. If approved, work could begin next summer.
The current library on North Crusey Street replaced a facility on Main Street that housed the library from 1978 to 2016. The new building was funded primarily through a 1% city sales tax increase approved by voters in 2013. That tax expired in late 2015 after the project was fully funded.
Mayor Glenda Ledford said the expansion is necessary to meet the community’s needs.
“To be perfectly honest with you, we need it,” she said. “Not only is it a library, it’s like a cultural center. It exposes our community a lot of times to things otherwise they wouldn’t be exposed to, and I think that’s great. Our kids need to be exposed to all walks of life in a certain way.”
The Wasilla proposal comes as Palmer continues preparing to break ground on its new 20,000-square-foot library. The previous building, which workers fully demolished this month, had been closed since 2023, when its roof collapsed under heavy snow.
The Palmer Library is currently operating out of a small, temporary facility about a mile from its previous location, with a limited collection available. City officials hope to begin construction on the new $16 million facility later this summer. It will be funded through a combination of grants, donations, and voter-approved bond sales.