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Library Features
  The New Monroe Community Library will contain a number of features which will enable it to better serve its patrons.  A few of these components will be highlighted here:

Integrating the Existing Train Depot: Constructed around 1912-1913 and originally the baggage depot for the Monroe train station, this building has since been relocated to the site of the New Monroe Community Library.  It will house the community meeting rooms, a kitchenette, and storage space.  Instead of simply being torn down and shipped off to a landfill, this historic structure will be re purposed and continue to serve the community of Monroe.

Use of Active & Passive Solar:   The main axis of the structure is oriented east-west, enabling the majority of the building to take full advantage of the sun.  There will be an array of solar panels mounted on the roof (active solar), which will convert energy from the sun into electricity which will help to reduce not only the power bill, but also use less of our earth's natural resources.  There are also large south facing windows to allow the sun's rays to penetrate deep into the building, helping to heat the building during the cooler winter months, while simultaneously eliminating the need for extensive fluorescent lighting.  During the warmer summer months (when the sun is high in the sky), the building's roof overhangs & deciduous plantings will block the sun, reducing the need for mechanized cooling.

Reduced Energy Consumption:  The design of the new library incorporates higher than required insulation values throughout the project.  This will reduce the demand for mechanized heating and cooling throughout the year.  In addition to the increased insulation values, we will be installing a heat recovery ventilator, which will recover heat from the building's exhaust air, air that otherwise would of simply been expelled from the building.  By combining these two technologies, we will dramatically reduce our demand on both heating and cooling equipment, allowing for smaller (and thus cost-saving) mechanical systems.

Increased Seating/Reading Areas:  The New Monroe Community Library have approximately 32 seats where people can read, browse the Internet on their laptops, and converse.  The existing Monroe Library currently has about 9 seats where people can sit and read.  In addition to the increase in seating, the new library will also have special designated areas for teens, children, and adults, each having access to their own computers and work areas.

Increased Community Connectivity:  There will be two community conference rooms located in the existing train depot.  These spaces will be available to members of the community for various gatherings, functions, and assemblies.  In addition to these two conference rooms, there will also be a small kitchen space which is accessible by either conference room.  These conference rooms open up to either the Community Hall or to the new "depot platform", an exterior platform which is not only reminiscent of the structure's original function, but also connects the main thoroughfare of Monroe to the pedestrian scale.  

Parking:  There will be a paved parking lot to the south of the new library that will hold at least 25 cars. This parking lot will serve both the patrons of the library during operating hours, as well as being surplus parking for school sporting events when the library is not in use.