Because Nelle Larson was able to print her name when she was 4 years old, she earned a library card from the Locke branch of the Toledo-Lucas County Public Library in East Toledo.
And for the past 83 years, the lifelong East Toledo resident visited the same building at 806 Main St. whenever she wanted to borrow a book to read.
But a year from now, Ms. Larson will have to travel a bit farther from her home on Valleywood Drive to visit the Locke branch after it's been rebuilt on the riverfront in the same neighborhood.
"I have mixed emotions for giving up the old building," said Ms. Larson, a member of the Locke Friends of the Library. "It's just been a large part of my life, but it needs more space for today's society."
Plans for Locke represent the last project library officials will undertake with funds from a 10-year, $38.6 million capital improvements levy Lucas County voters passed in 1995.
"We saved the best for last," said Lucas County Commissioner Pete Gerken at last week's ground-breaking ceremony.
The Main Library and all 18 branches have been renovated, expanded, or rebuilt over the past decade because they have been seeing an increase in usage and were running out of space, said Charlie Oswanski, the library system's superintendent of facilities and operations.
He said the bulk of the improvements focused on expanding room for collections, additional parking spaces, accommodating the latest technology, protecting the collections with a stable building environment, and ensuring there were spaces designated for children, teenagers, and studying.
"Space was something we lacked in most of the smaller facilities," he said. "And a large part of it was creating facilities that were capable of taking good care of the collections."
Other library branches that were completely rebuilt within the same neighborhood are the Lagrange, Point Place, Sanger, and South branches.
"I always like to say it's the community's best gift for itself," said Toledo-Lucas County Public Library Director Clyde Scoles.
Library authorities started on smaller projects in 1996 while they were creating plans for the Main Library. A three-year endeavor to renovate the Main Library began in 1998 amid improvements to each of the branches, ending with the Locke branch this year.
The Locke library first opened its doors on Dec. 5, 1917. It was enlarged by 75 percent in 1935 and was remodeled 27 years later. A rear parking lot was purchased in 1979. But because extra room is scarce, a 10,000-square-foot library is to be built on Miami Street just south of Jay Street, which will more than double the size of the library.
Because the front of the library will be overlooking the Maumee River, architects decided to design a building with a water theme, said William R. Steele, principal of Spring Valley Architects in Maumee.
He said blue awnings and blue carpet will accentuate the mostly-brick building with a bay window facing the river. The top portion of the new library will have stucco on the outside of a peaked roof designed to blend in with the neighborhood, Mr. Steele said.
When Locke's construction is complete, the library will have greater accessibility, more space for print materials and computer resources, and a gathering space for the community, officials said.
It will feature an expanded children's area, a community room, a commons area for popular materials, a quiet study room, a teen area, and a children's section.
Authorities are also hoping to plant an outdoor reading garden with benches for those who would like a quiet, shady area to read their favorite books.
Library board member George Tucker said he is looking forward to the ribbon-cutting ceremony for the branch in about a year.
"I think this is going to be one of the jewels for the east side," he said. Permanent Link
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