Your Library Connection
 

Abundantly Blessed…and a little stressed

It is the holiday season, and also a season of building.  It is a season of committees, meetings, and details.  As the library builds and the walls and roof and windows are taking shape at the building site, it is a happy time and also one that tends to be stressful…just like the holidays.  It is interesting how times of joy and happiness often coincide with stress, planning, and concerns. 

It is a thrill to see the building take shape with its three distinct areas…the carriage house (entrance area with cupola on top), the modern link (front area with lots of glass), and the barn area (long section in back with gabled roof).  The visible progress as of late has been exciting for many people throughout the community.  Library customers bring up this topic at least once a day at our current library.

The community looks forward to a library facility that will have room for sitting and relaxing in comfortable seating, space at a table to study or do research, or a place at a computer to search the Internet.  We will enjoy a community room where library programs will take place and where community groups can meet, study rooms that will be great places for small groups to work on projects or have a meeting.  The teen area and the children’s area will help to keep our young people coming back to the library again and again.  Some of the more unique features will be a cozy fireplace area, a colorful story time area, artwork showcasing the work of local artists, and television monitors that increase awareness of library opportunities as well as broadcast news and educational stations.

What has the staff and board been up to with the building?  We have been working on exterior colors and materials, interior colors and surfaces, shelving, electrical details,    Internet, phone, cable, and gas connections.  We have been going to construction meetings and meeting with our architect.  As with any building project, we hope to foresee problems and get the correct parties together for coordination before it’s too late.  There will undoubtedly be issues that come to light later that aren’t being considered now...as is true with any project of this magnitude.  In addition to attempting to be proactive and avoid problems, there are many decisions that have yet to be made and a current library that needs to continue offering services.

Change often brings with it additional time demands and stress during the period of transition.  I want to let you know that we are working hard to make the new facility a great library and community center, but I also want to let you know that we feel very blessed to be given the opportunity to be part of this change.  The size of the building itself is in the low range of the average size of new libraries in Iowa towns our size, but many of the things that we are planning to offer as part of the new facility are above average.  We can thank our architect, Tom Gardner, for a unique design that maximizes space, a staff that has given input and time throughout the process to make the facility better for the community, the library board for their instrumental involvement, and most of all, the community for their active support and generous financial gifts. 

So, are we stressed about all that is going on?  Yes…a little bit.  But, the overwhelming feeling is one of awe and anticipation for the future of the Independence Public Library.  Like the holidays, there are additional time commitments and some concerns that aren’t typically part of the daily routine.  But the two can also fill a person with hope and anticipation.  The holidays center around faith, family, and food.  The new library centers around a hope that something special is building that improves the educational infrastructure and the quality of life for those who live here.         
 

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