Written by Hello all!
I was absolutely honored as a member of the Elk Rapids District Library Board to attend our groundbreaking last Tuesday and also say a few words about what the new library will offer to our community. I thought I would share my remarks. I went off script a couple of times, as I do. At one point I said: “I have worked in libraries since 1991, and this is one of the coolest things I have ever been a part of.”
Here’s the full text of my remarks during the speeches inside of the soon-to-be new library with 130 or so members of the community gathered for interest.
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It is a real joy to stand here with you today at this moment of beginning. It is about a community saying, together, “We believe in what comes next.” And that feels especially true when the building we are beginning is a library.
For a long time, people have thought of libraries as places that hold books. And of course, they still are. Books still matter. Reading matters. Stories matter. But the library of today is also something larger, more active, and more alive.
It is a learning center. A place where a child discovers a favorite story, where a student finds the quiet and support they need, where someone learns a new skill, asks a new question, or follows a curiosity that might change the direction of their life.
It is a technology hub. A place where access is not limited by what someone can afford at home. A place where people connect, create, apply for jobs, learn new tools, and participate more fully in the world around them.
It is a gathering place. And I think that may be one of the most important things a library can be right now. In a time when people can feel disconnected, the library says: come in – you are welcome here. Bring your questions. Bring your whole self.
And it is an innovation space, not only because of equipment or technology, but because of possibility. Innovation happens when people have room to think, room to try, room to make, room to talk, and room to imagine something better.
That is what this new library promises.
The community room will be more than a room. It will be a place for civic life, celebration, conversation, and learning together. And during the day, when it may not be scheduled for a program or meeting, it can become something else our community needs: a co-working space, a place where remote workers, entrepreneurs, and neighbors can bring a laptop, settle in, and feel connected while they work.
These flexible learning spaces will allow the library to change as the community changes. What serves us today may not be exactly what serves the next generation, and that is the beauty of thoughtful library design. It does not lock us into one version of the future. It gives us the capacity to meet the future with openness and care.
I can already picture it. Children coming through the doors for storytime. Families finding a place that belongs to them. Seniors gathering for programs and connection. Students working together after school. Neighbors finding a meeting, a class, a conversation, or simply a quiet corner on a hard day.
That is the heart of this project. Not just brick and glass and furniture, but belonging. Not just a new building, but a new invitation.
The best libraries are built for what we know people need now, and for what we cannot yet imagine they will need later. They are promises we make to one another: that learning matters, access matters, community matters, and every person deserves a place to grow.
And so today we celebrate more than construction. We celebrate care. We celebrate vision. We celebrate the people who worked so hard to bring us to this moment, and the people who will walk through these doors for years to come.
This is so cool! What an honor to be a part of that occasion. I’ve been to a surprising amount of ground breaking type events in the past few years (like 4 in the past 2.5 years and had never witnessed anything such as that before then) and I always really like what the board members and community has to say when there is new infrastructure going in, especially since in my area construction causes a lot of interruptions and is constant all over the city. Your remarks seem very astute and appropriate for the moment and I’m glad you were able to get a lot out of the moment. Libraries forever!! Congrats!
@ssolares thank you so much for reading my remarks and for your thoughts on groundbreakings!
I love the banner, “A Library for Everybody.”! I really appreciated your heartfelt words and I think going off script is usually a good move! Congratulations to the Elk Rapids community. I have never attended a ground breaking, but I imagine it is a very hopeful and special moment. Access does matter!
@carahuttinger I appreciate that slogan too, and that originated with the library staff. The library has been in that old house on the island in Elk Rapids for years and years, and what has happened is it is no longer really accessible for some people, so this slogan really addressed that. One of the people that spoke at the groundbreaking was the village president, and he spelled it out that there were certain people who had disabilities, etc., who could not come to the library as it is now. The new library will be accessible to everyone. And the whole broader idea of a library for everyone is just so beautiful that all are welcome.
Amazing. It is essential that universal design continues to be a priority for information organizations and all spaces – thanks for sharing this hope-inspiring event and example!
“The best libraries are built for what we know people need now, and for what we cannot yet imagine they will need later. They are promises we make to one another: that learning matters, access matters, community matters, and every person deserves a place to grow.” 🥹🥹🥹