From left, Kerry Yost and Harry South play during the Peter White Public Library’s celebration of its capital improvement project completion Friday afternoon in Marquette. Attendees of the celebration were able to enjoy library tours, music, refreshments and hear from Marquette Mayor Fred Stonehouse and PWPL Board of Directors President Anne Donohue. (Journal photo by Cecilia Brown)

MARQUETTE — Area residents, officials, library staff and patrons gathered together Friday at the Peter White Public Library to celebrate the completion of the library’s $4.2 million dollar capital improvement project after multiple years of extensive work on the library’s interior and exterior.

Library tours, refreshments and music by Kerry Yost and Harry South were all available for attendees to enjoy throughout the afternoon, with speakers Mayor Fred Stonehouse and PWPL Board of Directors President Anne Donohue kicking off the event at 1 p.m.

“This renovation project — which included restoration of the historic building, improved efficiencies, updated safety technology and furnishings, as well as space reorganization — has put a new sparkle on this gem of a library,” Donohue told attendees. “It is my sincere hope that we have positioned the library to serve our community well for many years to come.”

The library, which was constructed in 1903 and got its start with a donation of 10,000 books from Peter White — who also helped ensure Presque Isle Park became a recreation area — has been a significant local resource for over 100 years, Stonehouse said.

“While Presque Isle may have given our citizens outdoor recreation, and a wonderful place just to come for nature and to relax and recreate, it was this building that opened their minds,” Stonehouse said. “It was this building that gave them the key to other worlds, other places and other times .. literally, the key to knowledge came from this building. And that too, we get from Peter White.”

The project stems from an August 2017 vote by Marquette city residents to approve a $4.4 million dollar capital improvement bond with an estimated 0.4796 mill, library officials said.

“This institution is a treasured part of the Marquette community, which was readily apparent when the bond issued for capital improvements passed overwhelmingly in August of 2017,” Donohue said. “It’s hard to believe it’s almost two years ago now. It’s been a busy two years.”

The multiyear project involved the expansion of the youth services area in the library’s lower level, including the addition of a new tween area featuring tree benches donated in memory of Shirley Taccolini and Carolyn Piirala, as well as the new youth programming room, which can be accessed through doors in the youth services area.

“It’s a great space, we’re really happy with it,” PWPL Director Andrea Ingmire said, noting the new youth programming room also offers greater comfort and energy efficiency.

The library also added a new centralized service desk, with the youth area’s former boat desk upcycled into an interactive play area, complete with a ship’s wheel and portholes, Ingmire said.

The youth services area was temporarily relocated to the Westwood Mall during the six-month long reconstruction of the library’s lower level, Donohue said, noting she was grateful for the hard work and patience from library staff during the project.

In addition to the work done in the youth services area, the Marquette Arts and Culture Center, which is across the hall in the library’s lower level, had its office spaces and galleries renovated, as well as the much-requested soundproofing measures between the MACC and the library’s community room, Ingmire said.

A reception/gathering area was also added on the outside of the community room, youth services and MACC, housing tables and artwork.

Over the last winter, the library’s carpet was replaced, as well as lighting fixtures, wiring and technology being updated and upgraded.

Furthermore, three new group study rooms were constructed on the upper level, a new local history research room was created where a computer lab once stood, and all collections were relocated, opening up more window views for patrons to enjoy.

“We decided that our best view was here and we were hiding it behind all of this shelving — so we opened it all up,” Ingmire said.

A new reference desk was also added, as retired librarians started a fundraising campaign to add it, raising $14,000 for the project, organizers said.

In addition to these changes, a new vending and eating area was added on the library’s main level, where patrons can grab a sandwich, snack or drink to enjoy at one of the seating areas, Ingmire said.

The library also added new soft seating on each level, performed a complete overhaul of the elevator, added self check-out machines to Youth Services and the main level and installed a new book drop inside the parking lot entrance doors.

A great deal of work was also done on the library’s exterior, as a large crack on the library’s historic 1904 facade was repaired throughout the summer and fall of 2018.

The original library stairs facing Front Street were also rebuilt after inspections revealed the structure was failing, Ingmire said. In addition to this work, the roof was repaired, windows were resealed and a new chiller was installed.

With the major project finally completed, library and city officials said they are grateful to many, including the library’s staff, board, patrons and the community as a whole.

“The library wouldn’t be what it is without the incredible community support we enjoy,” Donohue said.

The Peter White Public Library is located at 217 N. Front St. in Marquette. For more information about the library, call 906-228-9510 or visit www.uproc.lib.mi.us/pwplinfo.

Cecilia Brown can be reached at 906-228-2500, ext. 248. Her email address is cbrown@miningjournal.net.