Publication select ▼
HARRISON TOWNSHIP — Plans are developing for a refresh of the Harrison Township Public Library and a few township offices, adding more space to the library.
Harrison Township Library Director Melissa Goins said they originally started with plans for an expansion on the library.
“We learned that the township was also planning their own construction project,” Goins said. “When we realized that we could both get more for a joint construction project.”
As it stands, the township and the library plan to build square footage onto the library, pushing it out to the edge of the parking lot about 10 or 12 feet. Goins said the joint construction project will connect the existing library to the engineering building in the same area.
“We’re basically building from the library across the parking lot and that will be the joint space,” Goins said.
The library is still in the schematic phase with no fine details yet.
“We’re still in the planning process,” Goins said. “We know there are certain things that we both need like public bathrooms and public meeting space.”
Goins said there are library-specific things they would like to have including a makerspace, more meeting space, upgrades in technology and more.
“That’s one of the functions of a modern library is to not only provide technology equipment but to help people use technological equipment,” Goins said.
She added they also need to update the electrical infrastructure in the library by adding more outlets for people to use.
Goins said all of this started with a feasibility study. She knows they need more room for their 30,000 materials, computers, tables and other things.
“It’s too much stuff in a small square footage,” Goins said.
She also said they can’t conduct storytime in their library because it is such a small space and they don’t want to disturb those who may be working on the nearby computers.
The library has a lot of foot traffic and conducts more programs than the state average. Goins said their summer reading program was a hit with record numbers. She said even though their space is small, they do a good job of inviting the community in.
Goins said at the beginning, they thought they had all the funding they needed. But further investigation showed a rising cost of materials, and she is looking for areas they can walk back and plan later. This includes things like furniture, a fireplace and bigger projects like an outdoor storytime space.
“We may have to walk that back,” Goins said about the outdoor space.
Goins said she is looking for grants as well as completing community outreach. She said they’d love to commemorate family members or businesses in the community in the library features.
She said the hopeful date to break ground is in spring of 2026.
“But I will say that’s an aggressive timeline,” Goins said. “So I don’t know if that will actually happen.”
Nothing had gone out to bid at press time.
Regular meetings are conducted with Harrison Township Supervisor Kenneth Verkest and the library architect.
Verkest said previously the board looked at reconfiguring the campus, coming up with three options: complete upgrades, knocking down the administration building and adding to the engineering space or leaving the campus and relocating. He said at the time the board decided to knock down the building, but the architect for the library suggested connecting the library and the engineering building.
“It’s really just a refreshing of the entire campus for the township and the library,” Verkest said.
Verkest said through a series of phases, the library and township will make plans to find grants starting with things related to energy.
