On Aug. 29 Ilsley Public Library reopened its doors after 18 months of renovation. The new library, which cost around 17 million dollars, welcomed over 3,700 people on the very first day alone.
Dana Hart, the director of the Ilsley Public Library, has worked there for the past nine years. During her tenure, most of her job has been focused on the renovation and expansion of the library.
“I was hired with the understanding that this was going to be a big project that I was expected to work on. I would say we really started working on this iteration in earnest around five years ago,” Hart explained in an interview with The Campus.
This project has been a long time coming, with the greater Addison County dreaming up renovations for the past two decades.
“The community has been talking about it for close to 20 years. There was a previous effort to try and get a renovation and expansion project underway in 2016, but for a variety of reasons it didn’t move forward at that time,” Hart said.
The new library mixes the original structure with new architecture. While the old main entrance, with its grand staircase, is no longer in use, the original marble building is at the heart of the new construction. Now, visitors can enter through side doors or a new ramp leading in from Main Street.
Accessibility was top of mind for Hart and the architects of the project.
“We wanted it to be more welcoming and accessible in every sense of the word. So we wanted it to be much easier for people with mobility challenges to get in and out of the building and navigate the spaces,” Hart explained.
Improving spaces for children and families was also a priority, given that the old children’s section was in the basement.
“While a lot of people have really great memories, and, you know, we ran a wonderful children’s room out of that space, it really wasn’t a great space. We’ve doubled the space for youth services with this project,” Hart explained.
The new children’s space downstairs is spacious, with a ‘wiggle room’ for children five and under to explore and room for parents to mingle.
Lynn Goldsmith, a staff member in the youth department, has seen firsthand the joy the new space creates. “It's a happy place,” she explained. “Everybody here is happy. The staff is happy. People come in here, and their faces light up, and they wander around just in amazement. So it feels like a happy place.”
Hart noted the importance of preserving the history of the library within the reconstruction efforts. “Restoring the historic library was an important part of the project, and for a lot of people to walk back into that space and see what’s been restored and sort of given a facelift and made to really shine, basically, is very emotional and uplifting to them,” Hart reflected.
Downstairs, a door from the old library is engraved with a piece of a poem by Vermont poet Ted Scheu reading: “The library is where I got to launch myself / and fly / I swoop and loop / above the earth / a thousand stories high.”
“He didn’t write it for the library, but he might as well have,” Goldsmith said in an interview with The Campus.
Upstairs, the middle school and high school sections are separated, giving each age range its own space. Large open windows, skylights, and plush chairs create an inviting atmosphere. Additionally, a sweeping balcony looks over Otter Creek and the Green Mountains, making a perfect space for library programming.
The library has also committed itself to providing for the larger community, designing spaces that are now available after hours. Community members are welcome to reserve the spaces, check out a key, and then host a meeting or event at the library.
New spaces for art were also added. In the front entrance, one of the two gallery walls exhibits art from the Middlebury Studio School, a nonprofit organization in town dedicated to promoting art and community with people of all ages.
Beyond just art, Hart hopes the new space will entice even more college students to visit or study.
“We work with a number of Middlebury College work-study students, and we love them. The library is the place where everyone in Middlebury mixes and mingles, all income levels, all ages, all races. This is kind of the real, true civic spot, you know; it is the town square,” Hart described. “And so we would love for more college students to come in and just be here. We know that community members would like to interact more with college students, and college students probably want to get off campus every once in a while.”
Helen Moak ’29 is one college student who was attracted to the library’s new renovations. She was drawn in by one of the library’s book sales, which take place on the first Saturday of every month.
“They had books for sale for one or two dollars— so very affordable. And actually, one of my friends had forgotten to bring cash with her, and a local lady bought the book for her, which was just so sweet. And so the library is a great place for Middlebury College students and Middlebury town residents to interact and have more town-gown relationships,” Moak said, who plans on signing up for a library card soon.
Fulfilling Hart’s hopes for the library, Moak explained how she loves the possibilities of the new space.
“I could definitely see myself studying in the new library. The second floor is probably where there are ideal spaces for college students – especially when we get tired of the Davis Library and are looking for new study spots,” Moak said.
