Major updates underway at Martin Library in York before July grand reopening celebration

Paul Kuehnel, York Daily Record
·3 min read

Closed for renovation since December 2021, Martin Library in York is about to start a new chapter as a July grand reopening celebration draws near.

“Time-wise, construction is almost complete, and the library is waiting on furniture and the main desk to arrive,” York County Libraries Community Relations Director Deb Sullivan said.

Completion was expected in January, but coronavirus-related delays prolonged the project, Library Director Mina Edmondson said.

Many construction projects over the years have added to the original footprint of the library, located at Market and Queen streets since 1935, most notably the addition of the 1866 brownstone building that involved an $8.7 million expansion beginning in 2003, according to Sullivan.

The most current renovation project was a “human-centered design” that started with the staff walking through the existing building identifying things that needed to be changed and saved, according to Edmondson.

Public seating will occupy the space of the old main desk sat on the first floor. The new main desk will be moved out into the center of the room so visitors can see it when they enter the library.
Public seating will occupy the space of the old main desk sat on the first floor. The new main desk will be moved out into the center of the room so visitors can see it when they enter the library.

The first change the public will notice upon entering the old foyer from the front of the building is that the new main desk will be visible through the arched entryway in the room at left. The area that the main desk previously occupied is now public seating in front of the grand windows facing East Market Street. The room will be surrounded with shelves holding the library's newest materials.

The single first-floor bathroom has been moved and enlarged into separate restrooms. Glass-walled study rooms were added and a new security office was added where the old single restroom was located.
The single first-floor bathroom has been moved and enlarged into separate restrooms. Glass-walled study rooms were added and a new security office was added where the old single restroom was located.

Entering the multi-story atrium, the first floor has new, expanded restrooms, new glass-fronted study rooms and a new security office.

Check out this view that was once a hallway on the second floor of Martin Library. It now opens up to reveal the non-fiction collection after recent renovations.
Check out this view that was once a hallway on the second floor of Martin Library. It now opens up to reveal the non-fiction collection after recent renovations.

Heading up the staircase, the visitor passes a glass wall to the left that once shared a wall with a hallway for staff offices. That hallway was opened up into a huge room with many racks of non-fiction books. The offices were moved to the basement.

A 'Solver Space' in the new Teens area of Martin Library will take the concept of maker space to a new level, inviting members of the community in to share their talents.
A 'Solver Space' in the new Teens area of Martin Library will take the concept of maker space to a new level, inviting members of the community in to share their talents.

Straight ahead on the second floor is Martin's drastically enlarged area for youth, called Teens. With a lounge area, gaming room, sound studios, computer pods and a "Solver Space." Edmondson describes that space as like a maker space only “taking things to the next step − to use the things you create to make a change.”

Library Director Mina Edmondson looks back at what will become sound studios in the Teens area of Martin Library.
Library Director Mina Edmondson looks back at what will become sound studios in the Teens area of Martin Library.

Previously, the teen space was in the basement of the complex with a low ceiling. “You fit three teenage boys in the space, and it was full,” Edmondson said.

Even the Sensory Garden has been rejuvenated with a second doorway connection, now linking the children’s area. More hardscape area can accommodate more people at a time for programs. The Sensory Garden was curated and will be maintained by the Garden Club of York.

Plants in the Sensory Garden are marked with tags at Martin Library.
Plants in the Sensory Garden are marked with tags at Martin Library.

The iconic, lofty Quiet Reading Room remains mostly as people will remember it with its balcony of books and large windows. A new retractable projection screen from the ceiling adds utility for large group showings.

The cost of the project was $6 million raised through capital campaign, according to Sullivan.

Check this out:Lorann Jacobs’ sculpture of a little girl holding flowers shares space in Martin Library’s Sensory Garden

Read Comings and Goings:New forum for business owners - and a new library for eastern York County

Also of interest:Cradle grave gardens are brought back to life by the Garden Club of York at Prospect Hill

“Being part of the planning and idea phase and looking at things on paper… actually seeing it happen, the things we envisioned… It’s exciting, and every time a space is finished (it’s) even more so,” Edmondson said.

Martin Library is planning a grand reopening celebration July 11-17. The week kicks off with the ribbon-cutting at 9 a.m. on July 11 in front of the library and ends with a block party on Queen Street from 12:30 to 3 p.m. on July 17.

For more information as planning for the celebration solidifies, visit yorklibraries.org.

I have captured life through the lens since 1983, and am currently a visual journalist with the USAToday Network. You can reach me at pkuehnel@ydr.com.

This article originally appeared on York Daily Record: See major updates Martin Library before July grand reopening teen space