Washington County Enterprise-Leader
New Lincoln Public Library Opens With Ribbon Cutting Ceremony
MANY RESIDENTS ATTENDED GRAND OPENING, TOURED NEW FACILITY
Agrand opening was held Sunday afternoon for the Lincoln Public Library, located on the downtown square. Despite the March snowfall and near freezing temperatures, 150 residents attended the event.
People stood shoulder to shoulder in the lounge and coffee area at the front of the new facility as Mayor Rob Hulse cut a ribbon at the top of the few steps leading from the lounge to the main part of the library.
After the ribbon cutting, Hulse held a dedication ceremony honoring a past librarian and a couple who was instrumental in starting the first public library in the city.
Hulse dedicated the large conference room to Frank and Violet Holt. That room holds a 91-inch television, which was playing the latest release of a Star Trek movie. Several rows of chairs were lined up facing the television. At the back of the room is a modern kitchen for cooking demonstrations.
“They started the first public library here with their own money,” Hulse said about the Holts. The couple started the first library in the 1940s.
The smaller meeting room with a 36-inch television and tables with plug-ins for laptops was dedicated to Glynne Richey. She worked at the library for 47 years.
“She was an icon here,” Hulse said, adding she was librarian for “many, many” years. “She devoted so much of her time to the community.” Family members of the Holts and Richey attended the event and were “very pleased” and touched by the honor given their families.
After the dedication ceremony, residents toured the 10,000 square-foot facility with its new computers, a new computerized card system, plenty of books for children, youth and adults, movie DVDs, plus the two conference rooms. “It was a great day,” Hulse said about the grand opening. “I’m proud the voters put their faith in this administration and our vision,” Hulse said. “Today they saw the final product and were amazed.”
Hulse said it was a “humbling experience” and one of his proudest moments as mayor.
“People were very impressed with the IT system,” Hulse said, adding the library is set up with cameras and an alarm system that will notify police if something isn’t right.
Al Videtto, city information technology director, explained the library is set up with the latest technology.
“We can have real time videos,” Videtto said about the large TV in the Holt room. “The television in the Richey room can be used to make Power Points if a meeting is held there.” WiFi is available at the library.
“Cox Cable has been a partner in this,” Videtto said. “The city just received a $15,000 grant from Cox for use on more technology for the library.”
New computers are set up in the children and youth spaces, which are set for age-appropriate use.
At the wide-curved check-out counter adult computers fill a portion of the space and two computers are set up in the genealogy space located beyond a spacious area with shelves filled with adult books and movie DVDs. Ancestry. com will be available to Lincoln library patrons. In all, 20 new computers are available at the library.
Videtto said all computers are programmed to cut on and off at the times the library is open and closes.
“We want to continue adding to the library and encourage community involvement,” Hulse said. Dianna Payne, librarian, said the grand opening was “fun.” “It was wonderful,” Payne said. “Everybody loved it and expressed such a sense of pride for our community. It made us feel really proud.”
The phone number is 479-824-3294 for the library; hours are 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. on Monday, Wednesday and Saturday; noon to 8 p.m. on Tuesday and Thursday; 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. on Friday.
“I’m proud the voters put their faith in this administration and our vision.”
Rob Hulse Lincoln mayor