I am so very excited about the new library!! This is an expansion of the historic Carnegie library,…read morewhich is still there right next door, and will be remodeled.
Located on Allegan's riverfront, the library stuns from both sides. From across the river, it looks like an origami book. From the road, it is also gorgeous, with broad windows, and stairs and a beautiful accessibility ramp.
Head inside, and you'll never want to leave. Besides the aforementioned windows, there are gorgeous lamps that look like book pages, plenty of space for the stacks, quiet study centers, a media lab, a teen space, and my favorite part, comfy seating all along the riverfront windows. Wow!
Downstairs (pass a wall of copper fish, quite appropriate for a waterfront location) will be a robotics lab and a friends of the library bookstore (yay!).
When finished, the historic Carnegie building will house staff offices and an expanded children's section.
I worked at the old library from middle school until summers in college. There was never enough space, even way back then. The staff workroom was cramped, and the rest of the library felt that way, too. I never could have imagined this beautifully designed, light-filled, welcoming to all ages space. Bravo, and thank you, Allegan, for investing in such an important community resource.