Louis Latzer Library in Highland getting makeover while going retro for patrons
When the Louis Latzer Library in Highland reopens to the public, there will be some new features for patrons to enjoy that should remind them of the library’s history.
The main library was constructed in 1929 with an addition constructed in 1972. When the library shut down for COVID-19, the staff took the opportunity to overhaul the entire library, including some much-delayed renovations.
Library director Angela Kim said they’ve replaced all the flooring on the main level with a durable wood laminate that won’t be as loud, but restored a marble-look flooring through the center that is reminiscent of the original black and white tile.
“We really wanted to give a nod to the 1929 look,” Kim said.
The library needed to come into compliance with the Americans With Disabilities Act, improving the rear entrance with new railings and eliminating carpet that had a tendency to wrinkle into a tripping hazard.
The entire main library was painted, with plaster repair and electrical rewiring — even fresh lemon oil for the oldest wood.
“No more duct tape or plants hiding the electrical outlets,” Kim said.
And with the new smooth floors, it will be easier for people in wheelchairs and walkers, as well as staff pushing the book carts, she said.
But it was a major focus of the project to respect and highlight the library’s history. At the rear entrance, they are installing a stained-glass window from the former Hope Lutheran Church, which used to sit on an adjacent plot that is now a parking lot after the church was demolished in 1999. Kim said a resident had it in storage after purchasing two windows that his family had funded at the church.
“We were really working to make it aesthetically pleasing, to keep the historic features intact and even enhanced, to get us up to date to where we need to be with technology, and still look classic and modern at the same time,” Kim said.
For example, one piece of the project that has yet to be installed is the new railing at the ADA entrance. It will meet modern standards for accessibility, but is designed to look like the 1929 iron railing.
Cost of renovation
The library also will incorporate three panels of 1950s art glass that came from St. Paul Catholic Church of Highland, and a sculpture installation in the young-adult room that came from art students at Highland Middle School.
“Hopefully that will bring them back, with a connection to (the library),” Kim said. She is hoping to add a gallery room to display local artists in the library, with open houses and events centered on Highland’s artistic heritage in conjunction with the Highland Arts Council.
The renovation cost approximately $150,000, of which one-third came from a Live and Learn grant through the Illinois State Library. The city of Highland provided $15,000 toward the project, and much of the remainder came from private donations such as the Highland Rotary.
More about updates to library
Not all the changes are aesthetic. The library staff has taken advantage of the long closures during the pandemic to inventory and re-label the entire inventory, which has been recatalogued many times over the years. “They all make sense now,” Kim said. “That’s one of the positives ... We had a lot of time to clean and make this place shine.”
Of course, services have continued during previous closures and the current curbside-only system. The Latzer Library offers a lot of electronic resources and downloads, and provides curbside orders for those wishing to take out books — and more. “More than books” is the library’s motto, she said, and there are many more items than the traditional books and DVDs that they offer.
“We have record players, telescopes — even a ukulele,” Kim said. “Things are evolving and changing, and we’re looking forward to pushing through this current phase.”
