EASTHAMPTON — Emily Williston Memorial Library reopened Tuesday after months of much-needed renovations to the building’s foundation, and a new look to the youth section.
Since mid-September, the library at 9 Park St. has operated out of a space at Eastworks. Director Nora Blake said there were holes in the library building’s foundation that needed to be fixed immediately.
A trench was dug around the building and the walls on the basement level were insulated and waterproofed. The construction took over four months and cost more than $400,000.
“The building has a lot of issues,” Blake said, adding that new a heating and cooling system will be needed in the future.
The entire basement level was renovated, adding a desk area for staff as well as a new sandy-colored wood floor. Walls were brightened up with a light blue coat of paint. The space has an ocean theme, Blake said — the basement being underground creates a parallel with being underwater.
Some of the new bookshelves are on wheels, making the space more efficient, Blake said. A separate, and more private section for young adults is now in the basement. Blake said she has ordered lounge chairs for the space.
On Thursday, the basement level was bustling with children and parents for story time.
While her 4-year-old grandson Daegon played with a train set, Kathy Tabaka looked at books on the shelf.
She said the renovated space feels more open and spacious.
“They did a wonderful job,” she said.
Kate D’Onofrio took her daughter Lyla, who is about to turn 2, to story hour at the library. D’Onofrio often takes Lyla and her 8-year-old son to the library for programs like story time.
“It’s unbelievable,” she said. “Everything is so different.”
A grand opening is set for 10 a.m. to noon Saturday, with a ribbon-cutting and a scavenger hunt designed to navigate through the new space in the basement level.
Blake said the library association took out a loan to pay for the renovations. But while the construction was costly, Blake said there was a lot of help from the community, such as donated space at Eastworks for the temporary location, storage units and trucks during the moving process.
Blake said 60 percent of the library’s operating budget is covered by the city. That means the nonprofit Public Library Association of Easthampton, which owns the library, needs to come up with $130,000 a year just to operate the library, she said. While the association uses money from investments to fund the library, Blake said it’s never enough.
“We have to fundraise every year to make up that money,” Blake said.
The next fundraiser is “Party for a Purpose” on March 2 at the Log Cabin, 500 Easthampton Road in Holyoke. The proceeds will benefit the library as well as the Easthampton Learning Foundation.
Caitlin Ashworth can be reached at cashworth@gazettenet.com.