On the Move
Trimble
library to open
in late September following move
New
building more than
doubles size of previous location
By
Helen E. McKinney
Contributing Writer
BEDFORD, Ky. (September 2011) – The staff of
the Trimble County Public Library is on the brink of moving into a new
building that will hold a variety of updated amenities for the community
to enjoy and explore. Two years in the making, the new building will
be a welcome sight for many who rely on it.
“The actual building project will be completed by Aug. 31,”
said Assistant Director Betsy Tweedy. The library will be closed Aug.
25 to Sept. 24 to move and set up materials and equipment at the new
location on 35 Equity Rd., just south of Bedford. A grand opening is
scheduled from 10 a.m. to noon on Sept. 24.
To make the move as convenient as possible for library patrons, the
Bookmobile will continue to make Tuesday Community Stops as scheduled.
An additional Tuesday Community Stop will be added outside the new library
building.
In addition to the Library Director, the new library will have a staff
of three full-time librarians and three part-time support librarians,
two of whom have been newly hired in anticipation of the new library,
said Tweedy.
She is filling the position of Acting Director for a month. The previous
director, Kathy McKown, had to resign because her husband took a new
job in Tennessee. New Library Director Lisa Wegner, originally from
Wisconsin, is expected to fill the position by Sept. 8.
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Photo by DeAnna Mavrick The
newly built Trimble County Public |
“Our past director did all the hard work on the building
project for the past few years,” said Tweedy. “We received
a Community Development Block Grant for a third of the project. We have
a Rural Development loan for the final third of the project, and the
library has committed the first third of the project with funds of their
own. This includes the purchase of the land.”
The old building on Hwy. 42 in downtown Bedford was 4,000 square feet
and had 23,618 volumes. The new library has more than doubled in size
to 10,500 square feet.
New amenities include a complete children’s library with activity
room, fireplace, reading garden, study room, teen area, multipurpose
meeting room, 18 new or upgraded public computers, Wi-Fi and increased
shelving space
A Kentucky Resource Room has been added to house the library’s
genealogy collection and Kentucky-authored books. This room will showcase
some special collectables and paintings, such as a Harlan Hubbard painting
and artwork by local artists.
Architect Brad Noe, with the 5253 Design Group in Louisville, Ky., designed
the new building. While there are no specific “green” features
to the new library, some economical devises have been installed: smaller
water heaters, thermostats set to come on and off to reflect building
occupancy, lights that automatically turn off when no movement is detected
in a room.
There are several beautiful features inside that emphasis Trimble County,
said Tweedy. These include the use of reclaimed barn wood and flooring
and a 100-year-old tobacco press. EH Construction of Brooks, Ky., built
the new library.
A barn was dismantled to make room for the library. “It was an
old tobacco barn in days past, when Trimble County was a tobacco producing
county,” said Steve Tharp, president of the library Board of Directors.
“It was well over 100 years old.”
Tharp said some of the barn materials have been saved in order to become
incorporated into the new structure. Timbers once used for support will
be used in an aesthetically pleasing way to enhance the library’s
interior design. “We could not save as much from the barn as we
would have liked to do,” said Tharp, but the idea of reclaiming
the barn wood does honor Trimble County’s farming culture.
He says the community will greatly benefit from the new building. One
problem with the existing structure was parking. “We hold lots
of children’s programs that are popular and well attended,”
Tharp said. “Parking was a major issue.” Parking was also
difficult when the Trimble County Courthouse across the street was busy.
The new building will have ample places to park.
The Board of Directors had quite a bit of input on the new building.
“We consulted with the architect and interior designers, and have
been actively involved from the beginning,” said Tharp.
As to the previous library, “We have had some interest in the old
building,” Tweedy said. “There were several bids offered in
July. No decision has been made at this time.”