May 1, 2013
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Contact: Robyn Truslow
410-535-0291
Calvert Library will soon be opening their expanded southern location. The last day open at their current Lusby location will be Saturday, May 4. The move will take place from Monday, May 6 through Monday, May 20. Customers who have placed holds on library materials that become available in that time-frame will be able to pick them up at the Prince Frederick location or another convenient branch. Library events scheduled during the move, such as Storytime and book discussions, will be held at the Southern Community Center. The ribbon-cutting and Grand Opening at the Interim Southern Branch in Solomons is scheduled for 3pm on Tuesday, May 21 and all are welcome to celebrate this exciting milestone.
The Southern Branch is currently located in the Community Center in Lusby and is about 3000 overcrowded square feet. Most library events and workshops have had to happen outside the library. The move to the Patuxent Plaza at 13920 HG Trueman Road in Solomons will triple their space and allow for a meeting room, a group study room and two tutoring rooms for quiet study that can be reserved online. The new location will also boast double the number of public computers. Branch Manager Colleen Cano reveals, “We already have big plans for offering more events and workshops. Customers have been asking for this for years and we will finally be able to accommodate the request.” Lusby resident Susan Jones thinks the longer drive will be well worth the improvements. “I keep my grandson and we are looking forward to spending more time at the library. In the current location, there just isn’t the space to enjoy the library. Having an actual children’s area will be so much better. And we need a place at the southern end of the county to be a cultural center accessible to everyone…where we can have reading groups and movie discussions and just be around books like at the Prince Frederick location. We go there sometimes but that’s 20 minutes away, the new location will only be five minutes!” Ms. Jones has demonstrated her excitement about the new library by purchasing comfortable seating for the children’s area that she plans to make good use of.
Some of the proposed new events can be sampled the first week the new location opens. There will be an Evening Storytime on Tuesday, May 21 followed by an opportunity to meet a Superhero. On Wednesday, there will be a musical performance by Public Services Librarian Joe Ruff and his band, followed by a gardening workshop hosted by Master Gardener and Public Services Librarian Nancy Radcliffe. Thursday features a morning movie for the little ones, an afternoon community conversation where attendees are invited to share their memories about the library of their youth, and an evening of family events to include stories, music, crafts and games. Friday offers a special treat in the form of the recently released film featuring Daniel Day-Lewis as President Lincoln.
In addition to these events, Cano expects to offer Mahjongg workshops, teen events, book groups and more at the new location. And of course, there is the beautiful new space. There will be a wifi bar, a living room with comfortable seating, twenty-five computer stations, a copy center, study tables, a teen area with computers, and more. One of the most exciting areas will be the Children’s area which will feature what Cano calls the “Imagination Station.” This area has interactive and imaginative play opportunities in the form of puppets, games, toys and manipulatives to build early motor skills, math and science skills, creativity, social skills and more. Youth Services Coordinator Beverly Allyn Izzi explains that playing is how children learn, especially in those preschool years. “‘Playing house’ develops cognitive skills like executive function. Stacking blocks develops motor skills and teaches gravity and balance. And any kind of verbal interaction with parents or other children builds an understanding of the power of language and leads into literacy.” The Friends of Calvert Library funded the purchase of the Imagination Station.
The architect for the renovation project is Gant Brunnett Architects and W.M. Davis, Inc. is the contractor doing the work. The renovation work cost $833,000 and the Calvert Foundation has raised and committed $239,000 to the project for furnishings, shelving, computers, carpeting, windows and other necessities. There have been a number of large donors including Friends of Calvert Library, Dominion, Martha Grahame, Patuxent Plaza Shopping Center, SMECO, Kip Hine, Kip and Patti At Lee, Carl and Babs Buchheister, Garrett Music Academy, Keep it Simple Computer Training, Comcast, the family of Donald K. Smith, Rene Cunningham and Gerry Van De Velde, and the children of Judith Coleman Glascock. Southern Branch and the other libraries have done bake sales, yard sales and other fundraisers. The success of these events shows how many community members want to contribute to the project. According to Cano, every few days someone else will leave a donation on her desk saying, “This is for the new building.” Library Director Patricia Hofmann is looking forward to the opening. “The Southern Branch is a very busy location. There is quite a concentrated population at the southern end of the county and they needed a larger library. We are grateful to the Commissioners and the county for providing this space and making it ready for the lifelong learning and community-building that will take place there. Everyone is so excited about the new opening.” For more information, call the Calvert Library Prince Frederick at 410-535-0291 or 301-855-1862 or check the website at calvert.lib.md.us.
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Robyn Truslow
Public Relations Coordinator
Calvert Library
850 Costley Way
Prince Frederick, MD 20678
Phone 410-535-0291
Fax 410-535-3022
Calvert Library…your destination for imagination, information and inspiration!
