PORT TOWNSEND — The Port Townsend Public Library building has to expand.

That was the majority opinion of the 50 people at a meeting last week in the children’s area of the Lawrence Street library.

The question is: How to add another 4,000 square feet to the now-8,000-square-foot building?

This wouldn’t be the first time changes have been made to the 1913 Carnegie Library building.

In 1990, the children’s reading room was built.

And, one idea presented by Jim Cary, a Seattle architect, was to add a second floor above that room.

This option wouldn’t demand much structural change to the first floor because it is the most modern portion of the building, he said.

“One of the more obvious ways to add on is to add a second floor, but we’ll be looking at many options as we move forward,” said Cary, who led the Thursday meeting.

Cary is with Cardwell Architects, which has been hired to study expansion plans.

Another idea Cary offered was to expand out to the parking area.

Some pointed out that parking is already sparse around the library.

Cary suggested building a community parking lot nearby, encouraging bike riding by providing more space to lock up bikes, or having more bus runs to the library.

Wayne Shaver, a library volunteer, said he wants to see more places to sit down to read.

“The town would appreciate a good-sized reading room where you can stretch out and relax,” he said

Early stages

Whatever happens won’t be quickly.

The library is in the early stages of planning, said Theresa Percy, library director, and nothing will materialize for three to five years.

Percy said it’s too early discuss how the work would be paid for.

Instead, she invited the audience to brainstorm what they want from their community library.

“What if everyone in this room was asked to write an essay about what the library means to me,” Percy said to begin the meeting.

“A public library is more than a building and physical structure. The building is the stage on which the library performs.”