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Last week, I wrote about how much bigger the adult book collection section will be now with these new renovations at the Mifflin County Library. I hope you enjoy reading about the construction updates. I'm sure you know how thrilled all of the library staff are.
When MCL was renovated in 2024, my Sentinel column focused on the history of the Mifflin County Library with renovation updates mixed in. I don't want to repeat all of the history stuff, but I feel certain that all of our former directors and staff would love the look of us now.
We will be reinstalling the original 1973-1974 plaque from when the library building on Wayne Street opened in 1975. The commissioners at the time were Charles McNitt, E. Russell Ward and Donald French. This plaque includes the names of the solicitor, Harry Thatcher, and the chief clerk, Dorothy Beward.
The architect who designed the original building was Gerald Rishel. The contractors included Richard Marker, Fosselmans, Inc., J.L. Beckwith plumbing and heating, and Lewistown Electrical Co., Inc.
The plaque also includes the name of Carola Stuckenrath, the librarian and library director, who spearheaded the project. The plaque will return to the foyer where it had been for the last 50 years.
Now that it's October, we are seeing the light at the end of the tunnel. Renovations, especially for the inside part of the building, will soon be completed. According to the grant for this project, the library must have almost complete "occupancy" by Dec. 31. Unlike the Phase 1 renovation project, this project has an expiration date. And not just an expiration date, this project has an occupancy date. The library "should" occupy the North Wing (the new part of the library) by the end of the year.
So what does that mean? Furniture should be in the North Wing, but more importantly, book cases need to be in the North WIng. Because the North Wing is now larger than it was before and because the bookcases were 50 years old, the library board approved purchasing new book cases. Their reasoning is that now is the time.
The new bookcases will be purchased in memory of Betty Biddle, who passed away in 2023 at the age of 97. A passionate reader, Betty frequently visited the library and cherished it deeply, even leaving a bequest to support its mission. The library board is utilizing her generous contribution as a lasting tribute to her legacy with these new bookcases.
When the bookcases are installed, the goal is to move the roughly 14,000 adult fiction books to this new North Wing area. And we are going to need lots of help. If you would like to join our "great moving party," please keep checking my column or keep an eye out for press releases. Please follow Mifflin County Library on Facebook for updates and announcements. Or subscribe to the library's newsletter found on www.mifflincountylibrary.org. This way, we can also email you directly.
There will be multiple moving parties. If one date doesn't suit your schedule and you really want to help, there will be other chances. If you belong to a group (church group, or other charitable group), we would value and welcome your help. More details will follow as the scheduled completion date becomes more concrete.
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Susan Miriello is the Executive Director of the Mifflin County Library. You can call the library at (717) 242-2391. Kish Library's phone number is (717) 935-2880. Visit the library website at www.mifflincountylibrary.org.