Information Center: Proposed Levy & New Library Branch Building
Pickerington Public Library is planning for the community’s future with a proposed levy and the construction of a new library branch. This page is your source for information about the proposed levy, the new branch, what the plans include, how the project will benefit the community, and where things stand as the process moves forward. Explore the details, follow project updates, and stay informed about the future of library services in the Pickerington community.
A Message From the Director
For every $1 of funding, library services free up $4.45 that residents save. We call that The $4.45 Difference.
This November, voters will consider a proposed 1.5-mill continuing levy to support the Library’s future operations and facility needs.
For the past eight years, we have worked to make the funding voters entrusted to us go as far as possible. Since our last levy in 2018, we have deferred projects when necessary, preserved and invested resources carefully, addressed major facility needs, and planned for the future. We have now reached a point where maintaining the level of library service our community expects while preparing for continued growth requires additional support.
Part of that future is a new, larger location for our branch, an investment of approximately $25 million in construction that will expand our ability to serve a growing community. The Library Board also recognized that responsible planning cannot stop with constructing a building. We must have the resources to operate and maintain our entire library system for the years ahead.
That is why the Board chose to ask voters for a continuing levy. The long-term financing needed for the new, larger branch location requires a stable source of local revenue, while the levy will also help sustain library operations throughout our system. For a home valued at $300,000, total property-tax support for the Library, including the levy approved in 2018, would be approximately $17.75 per month.
We recognize that asking our community for additional support is significant, and we believe you deserve clear information about why we are asking and how those resources would be used. I encourage you to explore the information on this page, ask questions, and learn more about what this levy means for you and for the future of your Library.
For generations, this community has invested in its public library. Those investments created the Library we have today. This levy is about caring for what previous generations built for us and creating what the next generation will need from us.
That is what the $4.45 Difference represents: the value that comes back to our community when we invest in our public library. Because a strong library builds a strong community.
Tony Howard, CPL, MLIS
Director
Pickerington Public Library
About the New Library Branch Building
Location: The new branch is planned for Refugee Road between Milnor Road and the Springcreek Drive intersection. The site is centrally located in the northern part of our service area and provides greater visibility, improved access, additional parking, and room for future growth compared to the current location.
Size: The new branch is planned for approximately 28,000 square feet across two floors, allowing for more collections, services, programs, study space, and opportunities for community use.
Timeline:
- Community Input Sessions: 2025
- Facilities Master Plan: View the Facilities Master Plan
- Design: Now through 2026
- Construction: Spring 2027
- Opening: Summer 2028
Amenities: The new, larger branch location is being designed with space that supports learning, creativity, collaboration, and community connection, including:
- Maker Space – Designed for hands-on learning, creating, and making.
- Sensory Room – Designed to provide a supportive environment for community members with sensory needs.
- Dedicated Teen Space – Designed specifically for teens to gather, read, and use library resources.
- Large and Small Community Meeting Spaces – Designed for programming, collaboration, study, and work.
- Community Stair – Designed to serve as theatre-style seating for larger programs while also providing informal space for reading, working, and gathering.
- Outdoor Terrace – Designed for customers to gather, read, and work.
Cost: $25,000,000
Proposed Levy - Fall 2026
The Pickerington Public Library proposes a 1.5-mill continuing levy on the November 3, 2026 ballot.
What Does the Levy Support?
The levy would support library operations, services, staffing, collections, technology, facilities, and long-term sustainability. It would also help meet future facility needs, including the planned new branch library, and provide the stable funding needed for long-term financing through the Public Library Fund.
Why Now?
The levy is the result of several years of planning, facility evaluations, community feedback, and financial analysis. The goal is to address future needs proactively and ensure the library can continue meeting the needs of a growing community.
How Will the Levy Funds Be Used?
The proposed levy would provide additional local revenue to support ongoing Library operations, including services, collections, technology, staffing, facility maintenance, capital projects, and costs associated with financing planned facility improvements.
How Much Will the Proposed Levy Cost?
The proposed levy would cost approximately $53 per year for every $100,000 of market value.
For a $300,000 home: $13.25/month | $159/year
What Would My Total Library Levy Cost Be?
The Library currently has an existing levy approved by voters in 2018. If the proposed 1.5-mill levy is approved, the combined cost of both Library levies for a home valued at $300,000 would be approximately $17.75 per month, or $213 per year.
Total Library Property Tax*:
*Example is based on a home with a market value of $300,000.
| Per Month | Per Year | |
|---|---|---|
| Existing 2018 Levy | $ 4.50 | $ 54 |
| New 1.5-mill Levy | $ 13.25 | $ 159 |
| Total Library Property Tax | $ 17.75 | $ 213 |
Did You Know?
Statewide, public libraries account for approximately 2.5% of all property taxes collected in Ohio. Property tax levies are one of the only two primary sources of funding for Ohio’s public libraries, along with state funding through the Public Library Fund.
Frequently Asked Questions
The Library’s current local levy was approved by voters in 2018. Since then, the community has grown, the cost of providing library services has increased, and the ways residents use the Library have continued to expand. The Library has also invested in maintaining its existing facilities while planning for a larger branch to serve the growing community. The proposed 1.5-mill levy would provide additional local revenue to support ongoing operations, services, collections, technology, staffing and facilities.
A continuing levy does not have a set expiration date and remains in effect unless changed through a future legal or voter-approved process. The Library is proposing a continuing levy because it provides a stable, predictable source of local revenue for ongoing operations and long-term financial planning. That stability is also important as the Library plans for the financing and operation of the new branch.
The proposed levy would support the Library’s overall financial capacity, including ongoing operations and the ability to finance and operate planned facilities. The new branch is part of the Library’s long-term facilities plan, but levy proceeds are not limited solely to construction of the new branch.
The Library Board of Trustees would reevaluate the new branch project, its timing and scope, and the Library’s future operating plans and service levels based on the funding available.
No. The new branch will replace the current Sycamore Plaza Library, which operates in leased space. The Main Library on Opportunity Way will remain open. Once the new branch opens, the Library plans to vacate the Sycamore Plaza location and return the space to the property owner.
The Sycamore Plaza Library has served the community well, but the leased space limits our ability to expand services, collections, programs, and community spaces. Because we lease the location, there are also limitations on how much we can modify the building to meet changing community needs.
The planned branch will be approximately 28,000 square feet and will provide additional space for collections and programs, study and meeting rooms, a dedicated teen area, a sensory room, a makerspace, an outdoor terrace, and other flexible spaces designed to serve the community now and into the future.
The new branch is an investment in a permanent Library facility that the community will own rather than continuing to invest in a leased location.
The new branch will be located on Refugee Road between Milnor Road and the Springcreek Drive intersection. The new branch is currently in the planning and design process. The Library’s current project schedule anticipates opening the new facility in the summer of 2028, although construction schedules and other project factors may affect the final opening date.
The planned approximately 28,000-square-foot facility will provide significantly more space than the current branch, allowing for expanded collections, programs, services, study and meeting spaces, and opportunities for community use. The building is also being designed with flexible spaces that can adapt as library services and community needs change over time. Customer navigation is being considered throughout the design, including signage, service points, and intuitive layouts.
Accessibility is an important part of the design process. The new facility will meet ADA requirements and is being designed to serve a wide range of customers and needs. Plans include accessible movement throughout the building, including elevator access between floors, along with family-friendly spaces and other customer-focused amenities.
Yes. The new branch is planned to include a dedicated nursing room, providing a private and comfortable space for nursing parents and caregivers.
Parking, traffic flow, and pedestrian access are being considered as part of the site design. The Library and its project partners are coordinating on roadway access, sidewalks, parking, and other site improvements intended to provide safe and accessible entry to the new facility.
The Library does not plan to charge customers simply to use makerspace equipment. The community’s investment in the Library makes equipment and technology available for everyone to use without having to purchase that equipment themselves.
The Library already follows a similar approach with several services. Customers pay for copies and for consumable materials used for services such as copying and printing, laminating, and 3D printing. These charges cover materials used by an individual customer rather than charging for access to the Library or its equipment.
We anticipate using the same approach in the new makerspace. For example, a customer using a 3D printer would pay for the material used to create their item. If equipment is available for creating custom t-shirts, a customer could provide their own shirt and would pay only for any Library-provided consumable materials used for the project.
Makerspaces are one way public libraries have expanded beyond traditional services to provide shared access to technology, tools, and hands-on learning opportunities that individuals might otherwise have to purchase equipment to use.
Based on the Library’s current operating costs and projected costs for staffing, collections, technology, programming, utilities, maintenance and other services, we estimate that operating a full-service Library location of approximately 25,000–28,000 square feet will cost about $3 million per year.
That does not mean the new branch will add $3 million to the Library’s current annual expenses. The new branch will replace the existing Sycamore Plaza Library, which the Library already pays to staff and operate.
Planning for the new branch has included not only the cost of constructing the building, but also the Library’s ability to operate and maintain it over the long term. The proposed levy would support the entire Library system, including both locations, staffing, collections, programs, technology, facilities, maintenance, and future capital needs.
No. Pickerington Public Library and Pickerington Local School District are two separate public entities, each with its own governing board, budget, employees, and operations.
Under Ohio law, Pickerington Public Library is a school district free public library. This means the Library’s service area follows the boundaries of the school district. It does not mean the Library is part of or operated by the school district.
The two organizations also have different purposes. The school district’s primary mission is educating students during their K–12 years. The Library serves the entire community throughout every stage of life, from early literacy and childhood learning to workforce development, technology access, lifelong learning, recreation, and services for older adults.
Both organizations provide important public services to the same community, but they do so independently and serve different roles.
The Library and school district will each have a separate issue on the November ballot. The Library levy supports Pickerington Public Library, while the school district’s issue supports Pickerington Local School District.
If you have a question that is not answered in the Information Center, you are welcome to contact Library Director Tony Howard directly at thoward@pickeringtonlibrary.org.
We appreciate our community asking questions and encourage everyone to learn more about the project and the proposed levy.