Dream Come True: New North Webster Library opens with a ribbon-cutting
July 14, 2020 at 1:28 a.m.
Dream Come True: New North Webster Library opens with a ribbon-cutting
By David [email protected]
A ribbon-cutting ceremony for the library’s new building was held, just 18 days shy of one year after the groundbreaking ceremony. On Monday, the library also reopened to the public after being closed for four months due to the COVID-19 pandemic – except for curbside service the last few weeks – with patrons being able to visit the new facilities for the first time. There’s still work to shelving and furniture to be put in place, but the patrons were impressed with the end result and how spacious the library felt.
Before the ribbon-cutting, Library Board of Trustees President Phil Metcalf provided some remarks to those gathered for the ceremony.
“This is a realization of a dream that the board and staff and everyone has had since a long time ago,” he said.
He noted the groundbreaking ceremony was July 31, 2019, at about the same spot he was speaking on.
“We’re 18 days short of a year, and we’ve got a library for the community and you to enjoy for years to come,” Metcalf said.
He shared a story of a little boy that came into the library Monday morning with his mom. “He and his mom came in and they checked in, and he started to walk over there and he said, ‘We’re open!’ That was the best thing I’ve ever heard anyone ever say,” Metcalf said to laughter of those gathered.
It took a “village” of people to make the library come to fruition, he said, and he recognized the various groups that aided in the process.
“First of all, I want to thank the board,” he said. “We worked long and hard. We worked over five years to decide what was the best thing to do with the public money, funds we were given by the state, the government. Did we redesign what we had? Did we add to? Did we build to? And we went through all kinds of scenarios and we finally made a decision – with the blessing of the (North Webster) Community Center who said, ‘We’ll sell you this old school if you’ll tear it down.’ So we did. And we helped not only the Community Center ... we got rid of an eyesore.”
He said the new library building was a great one to replace the old part of the former North Webster Elementary School.
“So the board with their vision decided, let’s build a new building and we want to do it right. So in order to do it right, you had to hire an architectural firm. MKM was the architectural firm that created this,” Metcalf said, adding that they got it right. “Thank you, guys, this is a fantastic building.”
Next, Metcalf recognized the library staff.
“Helen (Leinbach), our head librarian, and all of our staff have worked tirelessly – and I mean tirelessly – to move from one building to another and get it all set up and ready as quickly as we could. Again, we just can’t thank the staff enough for the hours and time that you spent to make this happen,” Metcalf said.
He also thanked the Friends of the Library, who funded the sign out front of the library.
MKS, a construction management company, built the library, who Metcalf thanked next.
“So, from the architect to the builders to the staff and the board, and then finally to all of you. A lot of you donated and you’re going to see your names eventually on the donation wall. ... The community supported this library. The community has supported this library, even when we were in the old building, to the old Community Center to the new Community Center and now to our building. So we just want to thank all of you. This is a dream come true. This is something that we’re going to leave for future generations in the community. We’ve changed the face of North Webster forever, so we want to thank you for wanting to be a part of this and wanting to be a part of today,” Metcalf said.
Public Relations Coordinator Terri Ritter provided a tour of the new building before the ceremony. The library staff are still working on finishing touches, like shelving and furniture, etc.
When a patron steps inside the door from the parking lot, they enter a spacious lounge area. To the left will be the donors wall, and to the right is a large meeting room. The meeting room has a sound-proof divider so two events can occur simultaneously, and there’s a full-service kitchen for possible cooking demonstrations.
Past the lobby to the on the right is the youth adult (teen) readers section, and then the children’s area that has greatly been expanded, Ritter said. More book shelves are coming to fill the room.
In the back of the children’s section is a mother’s room/visitation room. It has a rocking chair, tables and chairs, as well as a sink and microwave.
At the far end of the lobby area is the work and break areas for library staff. Then to the left of that is the adult section. The adult section not only includes the book collection, but also a lounge area with a fireplace, public computers, the large print books, study rooms and the adult services director’s office.
The genealogy room has lots of local history, including local families’ histories. There’s genealogy resources and public computer access to ancestory.com.
A nice-sized conference room can hold meetings or smaller programs and events.
The new address for the library is 110 E. North St., North Webster, and the website can be found at www.nweb.lib.in.us.
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A ribbon-cutting ceremony for the library’s new building was held, just 18 days shy of one year after the groundbreaking ceremony. On Monday, the library also reopened to the public after being closed for four months due to the COVID-19 pandemic – except for curbside service the last few weeks – with patrons being able to visit the new facilities for the first time. There’s still work to shelving and furniture to be put in place, but the patrons were impressed with the end result and how spacious the library felt.
Before the ribbon-cutting, Library Board of Trustees President Phil Metcalf provided some remarks to those gathered for the ceremony.
“This is a realization of a dream that the board and staff and everyone has had since a long time ago,” he said.
He noted the groundbreaking ceremony was July 31, 2019, at about the same spot he was speaking on.
“We’re 18 days short of a year, and we’ve got a library for the community and you to enjoy for years to come,” Metcalf said.
He shared a story of a little boy that came into the library Monday morning with his mom. “He and his mom came in and they checked in, and he started to walk over there and he said, ‘We’re open!’ That was the best thing I’ve ever heard anyone ever say,” Metcalf said to laughter of those gathered.
It took a “village” of people to make the library come to fruition, he said, and he recognized the various groups that aided in the process.
“First of all, I want to thank the board,” he said. “We worked long and hard. We worked over five years to decide what was the best thing to do with the public money, funds we were given by the state, the government. Did we redesign what we had? Did we add to? Did we build to? And we went through all kinds of scenarios and we finally made a decision – with the blessing of the (North Webster) Community Center who said, ‘We’ll sell you this old school if you’ll tear it down.’ So we did. And we helped not only the Community Center ... we got rid of an eyesore.”
He said the new library building was a great one to replace the old part of the former North Webster Elementary School.
“So the board with their vision decided, let’s build a new building and we want to do it right. So in order to do it right, you had to hire an architectural firm. MKM was the architectural firm that created this,” Metcalf said, adding that they got it right. “Thank you, guys, this is a fantastic building.”
Next, Metcalf recognized the library staff.
“Helen (Leinbach), our head librarian, and all of our staff have worked tirelessly – and I mean tirelessly – to move from one building to another and get it all set up and ready as quickly as we could. Again, we just can’t thank the staff enough for the hours and time that you spent to make this happen,” Metcalf said.
He also thanked the Friends of the Library, who funded the sign out front of the library.
MKS, a construction management company, built the library, who Metcalf thanked next.
“So, from the architect to the builders to the staff and the board, and then finally to all of you. A lot of you donated and you’re going to see your names eventually on the donation wall. ... The community supported this library. The community has supported this library, even when we were in the old building, to the old Community Center to the new Community Center and now to our building. So we just want to thank all of you. This is a dream come true. This is something that we’re going to leave for future generations in the community. We’ve changed the face of North Webster forever, so we want to thank you for wanting to be a part of this and wanting to be a part of today,” Metcalf said.
Public Relations Coordinator Terri Ritter provided a tour of the new building before the ceremony. The library staff are still working on finishing touches, like shelving and furniture, etc.
When a patron steps inside the door from the parking lot, they enter a spacious lounge area. To the left will be the donors wall, and to the right is a large meeting room. The meeting room has a sound-proof divider so two events can occur simultaneously, and there’s a full-service kitchen for possible cooking demonstrations.
Past the lobby to the on the right is the youth adult (teen) readers section, and then the children’s area that has greatly been expanded, Ritter said. More book shelves are coming to fill the room.
In the back of the children’s section is a mother’s room/visitation room. It has a rocking chair, tables and chairs, as well as a sink and microwave.
At the far end of the lobby area is the work and break areas for library staff. Then to the left of that is the adult section. The adult section not only includes the book collection, but also a lounge area with a fireplace, public computers, the large print books, study rooms and the adult services director’s office.
The genealogy room has lots of local history, including local families’ histories. There’s genealogy resources and public computer access to ancestory.com.
A nice-sized conference room can hold meetings or smaller programs and events.
The new address for the library is 110 E. North St., North Webster, and the website can be found at www.nweb.lib.in.us.
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