Bayfield’s Lavenia McCoy Public Library isn’t even a decade old, and already it’s bursting at the seams.

“It seems remarkable that we’ve outgrown this building in such a short time,” Library Director Donnalee Baxstrom said. “But we’ve been feeling rather cramped for space for a while.”

The situation has spurred the library’s board of trustees to give the go-ahead for the 7-year-old library to start exploring the idea of expansion. Last month, Baxstrom sent out a request for proposal to create a plan for expansion and expects to choose an architectural company by September. The request document estimated the project will cost $1.5 to $2 million.

The library’s biggest priority for the remodel is improving and increasing child and teen programming and technology access, said board member Cheryl Clay. The problem right now is a lack of meeting space for those programs, Baxstrom said. The library’s lone meeting room, which can accomodate 60 people, many times isn’t big enough, she said. This summer’s reading program events, for example, have been so well attended that the library moved some outside.

Between 2004 and 2010, the number of library patrons doubled, and the number of programs offered increased by 95 percent, according to data provided by the library. During that time, the number of people who attended those programs jumped from 380 to 5,785.

Population in the area has played a role in the usage increase, Baxstrom said. Between 2000 and 2010, Bayfield’s population increased by about 50 percent, according to the U.S. Census Bureau.

Some of motivation for expansion came from feedback to a community survey the library distributed last winter, Baxstrom said. Through the proposal process, the library will determine exactly how much extra space it needs to meet the community needs, Clay said. Once a plan is complete, library staff and board members will solicit grants and donations to fund it, Baxstrom said. She said she didn’t anticipate the library asking voters to fund the remodel through a tax increase.

ecowan@durangoherald.com