Welcome back to the "new" Narberth Library
By Richard Ilgenfritz
The Main Line Times
For decades, the renovation of the Narberth Library has been in the "one of these days we're going to get to it" phase.
Now, after years of raising money and planning for the job, the renovations of the building are complete. Last week, the newer and larger building reopened for the first time to wide acclaim.
"I love it," Borough Council President Mary Jo Pauxtis said as she looked around the new facility Saturday morning. "When you look at it and realize how many years of planning, talking and thinking about it went into this project&133;"Library officials have been considering a major renovation of the building since the 1980s, officials have said. At that time, a temporary trailer had been placed behind the library. The trailer was meant to last about five years. The trailer had been used primarily as storage space for paperwork and wasn't open to the general public.
In recent years, the trailer began leaking during rainstorms and was considered an eyesore by many. Now the trailer is gone and the space has been replaced by a much larger children's section.
The newly renovated library opened for the first time last Monday morning, July 9, in what officials were calling a "soft opening" to allow patrons to see the newly renovated building for the first time. Saturday, the library board held a ribbon cutting ceremony on the front steps of the building. Officials say they've observed construction as is was being done, but the end result surpassed their expectations.
"I had a chance to see it at all stages, but I haven't seen the furniture, the comfortable chairs, the tables, the computer stations," said Harold Shalon, vice president of the Library Board. "I was thrilled to see how great it looks."
Visitors to the library will see a much different building than they were used to in recent decades. When the library was first constructed, a fireplace faced the front doors. At some point, the circulation desk covered the fireplace. Now the circulation desk has been moved, the fireplace reopened and the entire area converted into a reading area with comfortable chairs.
The children's section in the rear of the library has been expanded; a large window that faces the tennis courts behind the library has been added.
"This allows you to enjoy the open space. It really opens the building up," Borough Council Vice President Nancy Lotz said as she looked from the window in the children's section.
Although many of the improvements in the library can be seen with ease, some of the changes are much more a difficult to detect.
"The building was 80 years old. It had no fire suppression system. It had an antiquatedÑalthough maintainedÑelectrical system," Borough Manger Bill martin said.
Now the building has been upgraded with the newest technologies, including air conditioning throughout, a new electrical system and sprinklers.
The structure commonly referred to as the Narberth Library building is actually called the Narberth Community building. Besides the library, the building consists of two large side rooms. One side has housed the Narberth American Legion Post 3576. To the right is the Girl Scout wing.
Officials say these areas have also been improved with a new air conditioning system and a new roof.
"What you have here is an ADA approved, 12-month-of-the-year community building," martin said. "Activities that before had to be curtailed because we didn't have the space can now be done in these rooms."
The total renovation of the building is expected to run about $900,000, Martin said.
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