Staff Writer
LIMESTONE — Staff of the newly renovated Robert A. Frost Memorial Library in Limestone will be hosting an Open House on Tuesday, Dec. 22 from 1-6 p.m. aimed to thank community members for their volunteerism and generosity in addition to highlighting the drastically improved facility. Aside from the aesthetic improvement and increased functionality of the expanded space, the renovations have also brought the library into a new era of handicap accessibility with a brand new elevator to transport patrons from one level to the other. Librarian Rea Caldwell and assistant librarian Joanne Worthen have began to undertake the process of transporting around 10,000 volumes of books, periodicals and other media from the basement to the first floor, where they will be permanently kept.
Space in the basement, including a program room, will be used for library services and community events. One group of individuals has already reserved some space weekly in the program room for a location to gather and play bridge, which is one of the intended uses for the room. Caldwell and Worthen also organize a library program for youths each month, and the additional space will go a long way with the implementation of the events.
With a beautifully renovated facility to house the books, friends and staff of the library are currently looking for adequate shelving to properly display the books in a way that Dewy and his Decimal System would be pleased with. They are also looking for an appropriate means of furniture to appropriately utilize the three computers generously donated to the library.
“We still have a wish list,” Caldwell said, “and we still need to raise about $30,000 [to cover expansion expenses].”
Though the undertaking of the expansion and renovations were relatively lengthy, the library was only closed for two of its regularly scheduled days. The official dedication ceremony of the library will be held during the Fourth of July festivities in 2010, but the Open House is an invitation for curious individuals to tour the facility and enjoy some cookies, punch and celebrate the season.
Many library regulars and curious citizens have already taken a peek at the new library, expressing their enthusiastic approval for the project.
Interested individuals are encouraged to attend the open house to view the aesthetic and spatial improvements, peruse through various mediums offered and enjoy that new-library smell — all made possible through the dedication and hard work of volunteers and community members.
“This is one library that depends on its volunteers,” Caldwell said. To date, the capital campaign to fund renovations has reached just over $590,000.
Accompanying the renovated changes, library patrons are encouraged to use the Church Street entrance to the building and not park on Main street, as the main entrance is now located off of the parking lot.
Individuals interested in additional information about the library or community members hoping to utilize the program room are encouraged to contact Caldwell or Worthen at 325-4706. The Robert. A Frost Memorial Library is located at 42 Main Street in Limestone.
