Just add furniture

By Charles Reynolds
MILFORD — As you walk up to the new library branch, you may notice the bluestone sidewalk under your feet. It's actually concrete, dyed to the color of bluestone and overlaid with a pattern imitating the look of bluestone, without the inherent problems caused by frost heaving.

On the porch sits “Goldie," one of the many bear mascots for the Black Bear Film Festival. Goldie was anonymously donated for the library to display.

“It is the first Black Bear Film Festival Bear the library has ever had," said Rob Rohner, president of the Pike County Public Library Board.

His wish, expressed half-jokingly, is that whoever wins Goldie at the festival's auction will permanently donate it to the library. It would be relocated to a spot near the new sign, itself was donated by the Historic Preservation Trust of Milford.

Inside the nearly completed building, one's first impression is of a warm and inviting atmosphere. To the right of the entrance, the Friends of the Pike County Public Library will have a permanent spot from which to sell books to raise money. Volunteers will no longer have to cart books in and out of the branch to for book sales. And patrons will no longer have to wait for a book sale to be scheduled.

Friends members can hardly wait to volunteer in the new store once the new branch opens, said Elspeth Goodin.

Directly ahead and on the right is the new circulation desk, designed and built by Ed Nikkles. The curve, aligned with the curved overhang above the desk, indents in the center. There, local artisans will display their work. The beautiful desk sits in front of the office space for library staff.

A place for children
The children's section will be located to the left of the entrance. Kirk Mackay, a library board member, pointed to the kid-sized furnishings in the bathroom off to the side.

“It's in the children's faces in the library where you will receive your thanks,” Mackay wrote in a letter to donors who had withdrawn pledges made at a 2007 fundraiser. Some said they had wanted their donations to be used to serve the library's young patrons.

Mackay said the board got responses from 20 percent of the donors who received his letter, which asked them to reconsider their decision now that their concerns have been addressed.

“Saying thank you cannot begin to express the gratitude of the board of directors and staff of our library,” said Mackay in his letter.

After browsing through the stacks on the main level, which are drenched in natural light from surrounding windows, patrons can head down to the lower level to the new community room. This spacious area includes seating for about 75 people, and will be used by non-profit and for profit groups alike. It will have a new 65-inch flat-screen TV, donated by the local Walmart, for video and presentations.

“Non-profits can use the room free of charge,” Mackay said. “There will be some sort of fee schedule for others to use it as well.”

The Black Bear Film Festival's Salon during the weekend of Oct. 18-20 will be held in the library's new community room. The Salon will showcase "cutting edge short films, student productions, documentaries and more," according to the festival's website. Guest speakers “will engage in lively discussions with audience members on the history and production process of select films."

September opening planned
The board hopes to announce a soft opening date for sometime in September. The board is still waiting for the library's furniture to be delivered from a manufacturer slowedby equipment problems. The building has a temporary certificate of occupancy, and the library board hopes to have the final certificate soon. The board must also wait for the sidewalk to be completed before the Pennsylvania Department of Transportation signs off on their permit, and before sidewalk lighting can be installed.

Two artists entered bids to create murals that will be prominent in the new branch. The board likes both artists and is considering asking one to do a mural honoring donors and the other a mural for the children's area.

Excitement — mixed with a bit of anxious frustration — is beginning to build up in the community. Many are eager to get into the new library branch, which has been so many years in the making.