New Library Features
“Checked Out”
by Jerry Hostetler
To use Young Adult
Librarian Michelle Blank’s
“word of the week”, there are
a “plethora” of changes with the
completion of the LaGrange County Library’s remodeling project. The
excitement and enthusiasm resonated
in Michelle’s voice as she led me on a
tour of the “new” library. I say “new”
because it’s very difficult to recognize
what still remains from the former
Carnegie Library on Detroit Street.
The tour began in the Young Adult
(ages 12-19) section on the second
floor. Previously, one wall of reference
material was dedicated to this section.
Now, the Young Adult area consists of
an entire room, with a “plethora” of
shelves filled with books suited for the
young adult crowd. This section also
features two study rooms, which add a
new touch to the library. Study rooms
were not a part of the original library.
Moving up one floor, we entered
the Adult section, where Amanda
Wisler serves as the Adult Librarian.
Once again, we find a wide expanse of
shelves filled with books, but also we
find expanded seating areas. There are
many study tables equipped with electrical outlets for laptops. There are also
other more comfortable chairs that can
be utilized. The most notable aspect
of the Adult section is the beautiful
fireplace that adorns the third floor.
Directly in front of the fireplace is a
cozy seating area where library patrons
can curl up with a good book in front
of the fire. On the same floor, visitors
will find two more study rooms and the
new computer lab containing fifteen
workstations. According to Michelle,
the lab may be reserved for groups that
require multiple workstations to serve
their needs.
The Genealogy section, located on
the second floor of the library is another area that has been greatly expanded.
Formerly, it was located in the basement where patrons had access to just
two computers. Its new home is located
in part of the origin ??'&'?v?W&P??B?ffW'2?V?F??R6??WFW"v?&?7F6??F??VVB???W?BvP????F?'?Fv?'??W ??&?fS???V?r&VFW'2????F?&?Vv?F?R&???2??F?P?6???G&V?( ?26V7F???GW&??rF?R?V???W6R??&V??s?F?R?Wrg&??BV?G&?6R?bF?R?'&'????F?'??W7F??vV?v?W???F?R???WF?v?G&V7W&R +r?7B?( ? +rrP??