The Friends of the Lake Cities Library organization is gearing up not only for another budget year, but also a fresh push to address the library’s undersized facilities.

Board member Cecil Carter presented the library’s request for expansion to the Shady Shores Town Council earlier this month and is making similar requests to the library’s other member cities — Lake Dallas, Corinth and Hickory Creek.

“The size of the building, on a per capita basis, is the lowest in Denton County,” Carter said.

The four cities have a combined population of more than 33,000, according to estimates from the North Central Texas Council of Governments.

To maintain its accreditation — and those resources and funding that require it — the library must employ one professional librarian. In addition, it must maintain a minimum of one unit in the collection — be it a book, magazine or movie — for each resident.

But the Texas State Library and Archives Commission “recommends two units,” Carter said. “We don’t have the capacity, in the size of building we have, for 75,000 units — and therein lies the problem.”

Denton County’s fast-growing cities of Lewisville, Denton, Flower Mound and The Colony all have built new or expanded their existing facilities recently.

The Lake Cities Library got an extreme makeover this spring, when its wood floors were replaced with carpet and it got a fresh coat of paint after a water fountain leaked.

Some residents with long memories have questioned Carter about the plans, since the group made a similar plea for expansion in 2002.

“That was shot down dramatically,” Carter said.

This year the group has several options, including expanding the existing facility, moving or doing nothing at all.

“We’ve talked to the Lake Dallas city manager about expanding, but we’d still have a parking problem,” Carter said.

In order to move, the library would have to lease space. Officials have looked at available space in Corinth and Hickory Creek. So far, Cornelius Town Center, behind Wal-Mart in Hickory Creek, looks the most promising, Carter said.

Hickory Creek officials have “been zealous in pushing that,” he said, acknowledging the potential politicking for the location change.

“Regardless of the politics of it, we’ve got to do what’s best for the library,” Carter said.

Having the library move to the shopping center would be good for Hickory Creek, even if it won’t bring additional sales tax revenue, City Council member Eric Wiser said.

“It will bring additional foot traffic to that area,” Wiser said. “It fits our vision for downtown.”

Wiser, who recently was appointed the town’s liaison to the library, has heard about the library’s struggle for more space from his wife, Kathryn Wiser, who serves on the library board.

“I know they’ve explored a partnership with the community college and have looked at property in Corinth, too,” Wiser said. “If they moved to Cornelius, I don’t know if the move would be temporary or permanent.”

But Wiser said he thought Cornelius, which is home to a tanning salon and a charter school, Vista Academy, was a “wonderful option” that could ultimately increase patronage of the library.

“Lots of people from all the Lake Cities already shop in that area,” he said.