It is no secret that the Central Library expansion in Indianapolis has had its challenges.

Originally scheduled for completion this year, the $104.7 million project came to a halt early in 2004 when library officials discovered construction problems - significant cracks in beams and columns within the parking garage structure.

Colleen Obergfell of the Indianapolis-Marion County Public Library is serving as the Project Manager. Obergfell is the key person responsible for the overall project, though the construction portion is managed by external contractors.

"Among the greatest challenges is that this is a huge, public project. Everything we do is in the public eye. It's a challenge to keep up enthusiasm when there is a 16-month delay," Obergfell said.

Also in the public eye is the increased cost incurred as a result of the construction issues. Additional costs include ongoing investigation into the cause of the problems as well as the costs associated with litigation to recoup taxpayer money. Further, there are approximately 40 different prime contractors involved in the Central Library project. After a lengthy delay, some f the original agreements needed to be re-negotiated to reflect up-to-date costs.

Now scheduled for completion in spring 2008, the library is making notable progress.

"From this point forward, the most critical element to this project's staying on track is funding. While we were on time and on budget, the repairs and litigation will now cost an additional $40 to $45 million," Obergfell said." Also critical is keeping investigation and repairs moving ahead of construction and not finding more issues."

While the construction and related issues have captured the lion's share of related media attention, the library expansion is about much more than construction.

One of the techniques the library project team used in the project planning stage is "Open Space Planning." Team members from throughout the library - as well as the public - met to discuss all elements of the new library, and the topics were posted on the wall. The meetings included a moderator and a scribe, and the entire group discussed what should happen in the new Central Library. From these discussions, 20 teams were formed, and staff were able to self-select teams on which to participate. Subjects examined by the teams include parking, meeting rooms, adult programs, children's programs, business services and more. Each team developed a charter, and the deliverable was a binder that detailed every piece of information relevant to the topic undertaken.

Moving the library to a temporary location was a project in its own right. The Central Library has been in its present location since 1917, and currently houses some 800,000 items. One of the first priorities was to find a temporary venue with flooring that can accommodate the immense weight of the books. The former State Museum building was selected. Once the library movers (a specialist in this type of move is required) were selected and the move began, new checkouts and holds were discontinued. The moving process took weeks.

Currently, the Library has 394,060 registered borrowers, and there were over 5.4 million patron visits in 2005 - a 5.5% increase from 2.4. The original Central building was built in 1917, had 90-93 parking spaces and only one set of public restrooms. The building also presented infrastructure challenges in terms of HVAC, wiring and technology. In the new library, 4,000 guests per day are expected, though after the first year the guest count is expected to level to 3,000. Guests come to utilize the technology, conduct research and utilize meeting space. These services are provided free.

"The most important thing is to keep your eye on the prize. I believe in the end product," Obergfell said.