Although it is often overshadowed by its massive campus counterpart, Baker-Berry, Hanover's public library, the Howe Library, is undergoing major renovations to improve the building's collection and facilities for town residents.
On Friday, the Howe Library received a check from the Kresge Foundation for $250,000, a big step towards the building's capital campaign goal of $5.5 million. The library now plans to expand from 18,000 to 30,000 square feet, providing patrons with 60 percent more space.
The new wing of the library will offer children and teenagers space for a personalized collection and age-specific programs. An improved periodical area will bring together electronic and print media, and an art gallery, given to the library by Ledyard Bank, will showcase local artists.
The Howe Library has an ambitious mission statement that exceeds normal library functions. As Jere Nelson, the Howe Library development coordinator, said in an interview with The Dartmouth, the "library is a community meeting place in Hanover -- not just literally meetings, but a place for people to come and meet their friends".
The expansion plans for the library include additional seating areas and a small cafe where patrons can enjoy beverages and snacks.
The highlight of the expansion is a new area for children and teens. The children's area will include a space for story hour, creative activities and new books specifically directed toward younger readers.
The section designed for teenagers will include study rooms for students to do group projects and numerous public computer terminals. Books and CDs geared toward this age group will also be housed in the new space.
Nelson stressed the importance this space will have to the community.
"The library is a positive place [where] kids can spend their time after school until their parents pick them up," Nelson said.
The architectural firm who designed the original library, Shepley Bulfinch Richardson and Abbott , is also designing the expansion.The firm also designed Jones Media Center and the Dartmouth-Hitchcock Medical Center.
When asked if the remodeling process had caused any significant inconveniences, Nelson said the staff has made the transition easy for patrons by complimenting the staff in making the transition easy for patrons.
"The [library] staff is so gracious that we have made it easy for people to come here and do things," Nelson said, citing examples of staff cheerfully retrieving books from obscure storage locations. "It has been noisy; it bas been dusty, but I know it's all going to be worth it."
Fundraising for the expansion has taken the time and commitment of the entire community. Starting in 2000, the library launched an annual campaign to build up a donor base and, as Nelson stated, "figure out who is out there that would want to give us money."
The actual capital campaign began about two-and-a-half years ago.
With the help of 1800 families, the library has raised over $3.75 million. To illustrate the collaborative nature of the whole endeavor, Nelson recounted the library's final fundraising event. On a porch garden outside the children's wing, the fund grossed $117,000 by selling engraved bricks for $200 each.
"Obviously we have some very large donors that have given 100 to 200 thousand dollars, but it has really been a community effort", Nelson said.
The Kresge foundation, a well-known name on campus, provided the final grant to the library last Friday. This same foundation has been actively involved with Dartmouth, most recently awarding the College a $1 million grant to support the construction of Kemeny Hall, which will house the Mathematics Department.
The remaining $1.5 million was borrowed from the United States Department of Agriculture as a rural development loan.
"We would like to thank everyone who contributed and thank the community for making this possible," Nelson said, summing up the collaborative sentiment that has made this campaign possible.
Construction on the Howe Library should be complete by early fall. A public re-opening celebration is planned for Sunday, Oct. 23.
