New $2.5M library to open Monday

The Leetonia library will have its 75th anniversary in 2010.

LEETONIA — Librarian Andrew Smith said Monday’s scheduled opening of the new library was “51‚Ñ2 years in the making.”

And it was well worth it.

The new $2.5 million facility at 181 Walnut St. is on one floor with high ceilings and windows that give it a bright and spacious feeling.

“We’re going to be ready for the most part,” he said Thursday, adding that 98 percent of the work was done.

The construction replaces the former library at 24 Walnut St. that was overcrowded, Smith said.

The opening of the new library will be followed in 2010 with the 75th anniversary of the library.

When it came to construction, Smith said, “the main goal was access.”

Since everything is on the ground floor, Smith said, “We can manage from a central area.”

At the southern end of the building is a community room that can be used for meetings or activities. Leetonia doesn’t have a large meeting place.

The building was also created with a drive-through window for easy return of books and other materials.

The number of computers has doubled for Internet use by adults. Children will also have access to computers for educational materials, but they can’t get to the Web and its potential dangers.

The library even has a bathtub.

Former Leetonia schools Kindergarten teacher Sue Olmstead had used a big cast iron bathtub with birds painted on one side as part of her activities. The tub is now in the children’s area.

“Kids play in it and sit in it and read,” Smith said.

Kids can also use a LeapPad, which allows them to run a pen over text, which the device then reads aloud. There are also areas where adults can sit and read in quiet.

Smith said that the layout was also designed so people can actually see the collections of books, music and movies without having to hunt for them.

The library will reopen at 9 a.m. Monday and remain on its regular summer hours: 9 a.m. to 8 p.m. Monday through Wednesday and 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Thursday through Saturday. The library is closed Sundays.

There will be a formal dedication later involving the U.S. Department of Agriculture, which helped to fund the work.

The bad news is that the library lost about 21 percent of its state funding for this year because of the poor economy. The library is expecting additional cuts in funding in 2010. The library has a total of seven full- and part-time workers.

Smith said the library had been able to maintain operations by tightening its spending on materials.