Welcome to '21st century:' Long-awaited Rittman library branch celebrates grand opening

Christmas came early for staff and patrons of the new Rittman branch of the Wayne County Public Library.

They celebrated its official opening Saturday.

Long-time board member Francey Morris, who has watched the plans for a new library in Rittman slowly evolve since she joined the board, called it "a great Christmas present for the city of Rittman."

Concrete planning for it began as early as 2015.

'It is a beautiful gem in the necklace of the (library) branches," Morris said.

About 100 people, including area government officials, attended the ceremony and toured the $5.9 million, 14,123-square-foot, fully accessible building featuring an open floor plan, adult reading area, special space for children and teens and an outdoor reading garden.

Community has been waiting 'anxiously' for doors to open

Local library patrons were enthusiastic about the new branch, relocated from its significantly smaller, more crowded conditions at the old building  on Ohio Street.

"We've been anxiously awaiting it and driving past daily," said Katie Terhorst. "We've loved watching the building grow."

Calling the library "the formative part of my childhood," Terhorst said "the community is only as strong as its library."

She added her 6-year-old daughter, Cora, "loves the library and loves to read."

While Lisa Hale may miss living across the street from the old library, she will now live across from City Hall.

The city, which once attempted to collaborate with the Wayne County Library for a combined facility, switched properties.

The new library is located on the site of the old middle school.

"This (new building) is so beautiful," Hale said, grateful for more space. "I love the open concept, for sure.

"This brings our library up to the 21st century," she said.

Open floor plan attractive to visitors

Ninth-grade student Emily Snyder liked going to the upstairs area of the old library, always looking forward to book sales, and is now enjoying "seeing all the books" across the wide open space of the new library.

Brian Pleska said, "This is good for (the children)," as he watched his young niece play with interactive toys in the children's section.

Pleska pointed out adults could browse books and music while keeping an eye on children entertaining themselves.

"Safety is the biggest thing for me," he said.

"We were excited to come here," said Brooke Mueller, whose 5 1/2 year-old daughter, Emma, was part of a large group of children helped cut one of a series of ribbons in the indoor ceremony.

Howard Morris said his wife, Francey, was a librarian for 36 years, working in Rittman schools on the site of the new library.

'It is a beautiful building, a gorgeous library," he said.

Opening a new library is 'as good as it gets'

"As the child of a librarian," said board President Peter Abramo in introductory remarks, "opening a new library is as good as it gets."

Abramo praised the amount of work and effort on the part of so many to bring it to fruition.

"Thank you for your perseverance," said Rittman Mayor Bill Robertson.

The new library has a distinctly Rittman flavor, highlighted by the use of wood from a vintage oak tree that could not be saved when the building was constructed.

While losing it was heartbreaking, said library Director Jennifer Shatzer in an interview, it has been incorporated in the building with a burnished piece of it mounted on the wall adjacent to the outdoor tiered garden. Additionally, parts of it are being used by Dave Tenney, operations coordinator, for tables and shelving.

In the foyer of the Rittman Library is a stunning stained glass mural made by Robertson and his wife, Donna, reflecting the city's natural beauty, including its birch trees and weeping willows and its William J. Robertson Nature Preserve.

In an interview Shatzer highlighted other attributes of the Rittman branch − "floating lights" and open ceiling, window seats with bins underneath for games or other materials, technology space, a drive-up service window and two book drops with accessible heights, and 24/7 pick-up lockers.

The Rittman branch also is the site of the delivery area for the entire library system and has a garage for storing lawn equipment and maintenance vehicles. The facilities manager workshop, previously in the basement of the library's Operations Center in Wooster, is now housed at the Rittman branch, allowing the space in the Operations Center to be used as a genealogy annex.

"I can't believe we're finally here," Shatzer said Saturday.

This article originally appeared on The Daily Record: Wayne opens brand-new library branch in Rittman; community celebrates