LIBRARY EXPANSION

Our community is growing. When HMMPL held community conversations in 2019 to help form our most recent strategic plan, residents voiced a clear demand for Library services in the western portion of our service area. At that time, HMMPL served only Eagle and Union Townships, leaving many residents in the western part of Zionsville and neighboring Whitestown without access to library services. HMMPL Board members began discussing how to meet the needs of unserved residents, which included implementing contractual bookmobile service within Perry and Worth Townships sometime in 2021. The goal was to provide increased access in the short term, while preparing for a new branch in the longer term. Planning was accelerated in June 2020 when HMMPL board members and staff attended a Worth Township Advisory Board meeting where residents expressed a strong sentiment to move forward with a library branch as soon as possible. The Worth Township Advisory Board accepted Hussey-Mayfield’s service proposal July 21 and took a final vote on the full resolution August 10, 2020. The plan calls for HMMPL to provide permanent Library services to all township residents and build a branch in the area.

Expanding our services will strengthen our entire community. Studies show that students with access to a local library excel academically. Plus, our new Worth Township branch will provide added space for public use, like meeting and study rooms, as well as more capacity for programming and services. This branch will be accessible to ALL of our cardholders, many of whom might find it conveniently located near popular shopping centers, schools, and their daily commute.

HMMPL hopes to expand our service area to include Perry Township residents in the future. Currently, each resident is able to enjoy full library services by purchasing a discounted Library card. Please contact our Circulation staff at 317-873-8340 for more information.

Worth Township has been officially added to the HMMPL service area and residents may obtain a Library card and begin using all of the existing Library services. A new book drop in Worth Township and bookmobile services could begin as soon as mid-2021. The process to build a new branch in Worth Township is now underway with plans to open by winter 2022/2023. A Worth Township Advisory group, comprised of local residents, has been formed to help provide direction and to determine needs and timing. For updates on our branch, click here.

The branch will be a full-service branch with added options depending on the size and needs expressed by the community. The one-story building will be nearly 25,000 square feet.

We are currently working with the Worth Branch Advisory Group, comprised of area residents and Library Board members, to determine branch features which will determine the final cost. A new branch will create additional staffing and operating cost.  Therefore, the size of the branch will dictate the estimated cost of the expansion.  Using the building size options listed below, you can see the associated cost comparisons.

The Library and Board are committed to providing the same outstanding Library services that it currently offers Library district taxpayers. General cost fund estimates, estimated levies, and estimated tax rates are listed in the table below. General fund costs are the operational costs of the Library, like personnel, supplies, and materials.

¹ Cost of a Library that is approximately 20,000 square feet.

² Cost of a Library that is approximately 30,000 square feet.

³ Tax rate is derived from dividing that levy by the proposed expanded net assessed value and multiplied by 100.

⁴ The 2020 debt service rate of the Library is estimated to fund approximately between a $6 and $8 million debt issuance.

Worth Township property owners will see a tax rate of $0.0554 to $0.0686 per $100 of adjusted assessed value for Library services. The final rate will be determined by the size of the Library branch selected. The mid-range rate of 0.0686 would translate into a $61.01* annual Library tax for those with a $200,000 home.

Property owners in Eagle and Union Townships will not see any changes to their taxes until 2023, when the Library’s current bond expires and the new bond takes effect. Eagle and Union residents will see an approximate two-cent increase over what they are currently paying. For example, residents who own a home with an adjusted assessed value of $200,000 will see an increase between $5 and $15 annually.

Finally, homeowners in Worth, Eagle, and Union Townships who have already met their tax cap will not see an overall increase in their property taxes. Some of their tax dollars paid will be redistributed from other taxing agencies.

*All included tax examples assume the following mortgage deductions have been applied: homestead deduction, supplemental homestead deduction and mortgage deduction. The annual Library tax is then calculated based on the resulting net assessed home value.

The new branch will be located at 6310 E. Albert S. White Drive, Whitestown, IN, currently the home of Walker Park and Nature Trail. Made possible through a generous land donation by the Town of Whitestown, the site is a central, visible location that meets all of the top location and accessibility needs identified by the community.

Residents may bring their ID, listing their current home address, to the Library to get a card for themselves. If your
current ID does not list your address, please also bring an official document listing your name and current address, such
as a bank statement or utility bill. Online applications are also accepted at https://hmmpl.org/get-a-card/.

The new branch will be a full-service branch, with a variety of spaces, programs and services to meet expectations and needs identified by the community. A few highlights include:

Every member of the household in Worth Township can now obtain a HMMPL Library card and enjoy access to the full range of available Library services at the Zionsville location and through the Bookmobile.

The Library will be attending several Town of Whitestown events and will work with the schools and community organizations to provide special programming opportunities for residents. The new bookmobile also provides opportunities to borrow materials or attend programs during scheduled stops, homebound deliveries and offsite events in the area. Click here to see the most recent bookmobile schedule.

The new branch will be available for all Library cardholders and area visitors, regardless of where they reside.

Those with questions can always send us a message at askalib@hmmpl.org. You can also reach out to our Worth Branch Advisory Group by completing the form below.