Archive: Around Town

When construction started on the Lansing Community Library Center (LCLC) last year the optimistic estimate was that the $385,000 renovation project would be completed in the Fall.  As with all construction projects, it doesn't do to be overly optimistic about the schedule.  But when the library officially reopens on February 28th it will have been well worth waiting for.  The original thought was to have a 'soft opening' before the grand opening, but the library board has decided to wait and use the time to put everything in order. "This library is such a wonderful gift to the community," says publicity chairwoman Bobbi Wasenko.  "We want the gift to look beautiful before we present it."


The grand reopening will be a public open house from 6 - 8 pm on the 28th, after which the library will resume regular hours.  The event is open to everyone, and will celebrate the renovations as well as the community with the theme, "The Mad Hatters of Lansing."  That is also the theme of the first exhibit in the new art exhibit room which will feature nine historical photographs of Lansing and hats that are similar to those in the pictures.  We got an exclusive preview tour this week so that Star readers can have a peek inside before the opening.

The rear of the building was a boxy brick structure that has been transformed into a majestic entryway featuring a stairway leading to the second floor main lobby.  Wings were added on either end of the new main lobby to house the children's reading room, a checkout area, board room and book processing.

The most obvious thing about the new library is that it has been turned around -- what was the front entrance is now the back.  A majestic stairway leads to a double door that faces the Town Hall.  This helps create a Town square around the parking lot that includes the Town Hall, the historical Field School House, the new Town historical records building, a newly planted rain garden, and the Community Center. 

The outer stairway leads to a double door into the main lobby.  The checkout desk is shown at left on the west side The children's reading room is on the east side of the lobby The walls and skylight framing are painted in Lazure style using transparent washes of color that warms up the library A cozy reading nook next to the children's reading room is placed in the northeast corner of the lobby

A handicap accessible entrance is located on the west side of the building.  To enter you ring a doorbell, and a volunteer will let you in and help you use the lift at the end of the hall.  Adding the handicap accessible door alone would have doubled the available space, as it qualifies the lower floor for public access.  The plan is to have at least two volunteers manning the library at all times now that both floors are open to the public.

Looking in the handicapped accessible entry, the lift is at the end of the hall.  To the left is the office and art exhibit room, to the right the new board room, storage, and book processing room

The children's reading room

On the second floor, the lift leads to the main lobby that the front stairs also bring you to.  As you enter a large window on the right frames the counter where you will check out and return books.  On the left a door opens on the children's reading room.  Target donated money for furnishings for the room, which features low book shelves so that kids can reach all the books.  Also in the lobby is a small seating area, one of many that provide an inviting place to sit and read.

While it doesn't seem like the windows are any better you notice right away that the library is brighter and more cheerful.  Anyone who remembers the building as the old Town Hall will be surprised as it is a startling contrast to its previously gloomy incarnation.  A skylight brightens the lobby, which has been painted with transparent washes of color by Lazure artist Andrea Staffeld.  The peach tones lend a warm feeling to the entrance.  A large archway leads to the main stacks.

The wall between the two main book rooms has been removed, and with the old check-out desk gone, there is quite a bit more room for books.  The collection has been enlarged since the library closed, and there is more space downstairs to expand it further.  Although the shelving units are second-hand, they seem to fit in the enlarged space.  The stacks don't seem as crowded together with the wall open.  

Originally planned for a computer room, this downstairs area may become a reading area or periodicals room

You can see wireless Internet antennae above the stacks.  Public access computers are currently in the checkout area.  After the library has been open for three months the placement will be reevaluated.  They may end up in the main lobby, or in the stacks room.  In fact many areas will be evaluated as the library is used to see how the flow works and where best to put things.  

Originally the plan was to place them in a special room downstairs, but Fingerlakes Library System Executive Director Karen Creenan advised against it.  "It's because of the distance of the room from the checkout desk," Wasenko says.  "They feel that computers need to be out in the open so that there can be some quiet surveillance of people and their activities on the Internet.  We felt we should follow those guidelines, but that is one of the things we are going to be evaluating in this three month period after we open."

The art exhibit room will feature regular exhibits, and stacks may expand here in the future

So the room may end up being a quiet reading room or a periodical room.  A couple of overstuffed chairs have been placed there, creating a cozy space similar to that in the lobby.  This room is off of the large art exhibit room, painted a cheery yellow with copper columns reinforcing the stacks rooms above.  This room has been painted with metallic paint so that magnets can be used to hold up pictures on display instead of nailing into the wall or covering it with sticky goop.  It is spacious and open, with double doors leading to the old board meeting room to the east.

The old board room was crowded -- it may become a resource or study room. The new board room has more space

That room was a bit crowded once you sat people around the large board table, so the plan is to make it a reading or study room, or perhaps a resource room.  Wasenko says that the room may be made available to groups for special meetings once a policy has been established.  Behind that room is an office that may some day belong to a professional librarian if the community votes to charter the library, possibly later this year. 

The office is already being used for book keeping

To the south is the hallway with the lift and off of that hallway are a new board room in the new west wing and a book processing room in the eastern side.  The latter features desks to be used a stations for the various things that must be done to a book before it is ready to be put onto the shelves.  Next to the book processing room is a storage area where donated books and videos are kept either to be processed and included in the collection, or, in the case of duplicates, stored for the next book sale.

The book processing room in the southeast corner

The entire project is paid for with donations and grants.  $100,000 was a state grant secured by Senator Nazzolio, and grants from the John Ben Snow Foundation for the handicapped accessible lift, Target for the children's book room furnishings, and others.  The rest was donated by businesses and individuals.  "We didn't borrow a penny from anyone," Wasenko says.  

She looks forward to the official opening when the building will again be shared with the public.  "This really is a gift when you think about all the time and money that went into it," Wasenko says.  "As well as the fact that it didn't cost the taxpayers any money.  It's a wonderful gift."


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