Granville Public Library
The Granville Public Library is located at 217 East Broadway in Granville, Ohio, on property that was donated by a Clara Sinnett White in 1923.[1] On the land stood her old home, known today as the Sinnett House, which was moved to a location behind the library[2], and later to 122 South Prospect St. in Granville. In dedication of Clara Sinnett White, a meeting room in the recently improved Granville Library was named after her.[3]
The Granville Public Library has catered to Licking County for decades. Prior to 1989, the library was only a single floor, and it very seldom received any renovations or improvements, severely limiting the amount of resources the library could hold. On September 24, 1989, a $260,000 renovation project was completed, adding a second floor to allow for an increase of shelving capacity and active work space.[4]
In the following years, the library has been involved in several city improvement campaigns. In 1991, the library teamed with neighboring Robbins Hunter Museum to improve the alley area surrounding them by turning it into a courtyard. They made plans to pave the area and to replace curbs and gutters with flowers, comfortable benches, and low-level lighting making the area attractive and safe in the evening and at night.[5]
In 2001, plans were released to double the size of the Granville Public Library in order to provide more seating, expand access to computers, and add more meeting rooms. The expansion would also restore the original entrance off of East Broadway and add a central stairwell, allowing visitors to view all three floors.[6] The expansion was not very easy to receive money for; the library had to win the voters’ favor to accept a one-million-dollar property tax increase. In addition to the money, the library and the village wanted to find a way to move the Sinnett House, since it was in the path of the expansion.[7]
December 12, 2007 marked the day that the newly expanded library opened its doors to the public. The renovation and expansion cost $5.2 million to complete.[8] In the six months following the expansion, the number of registered borrowers increased by 50 percent, and the computer usage increased by 90 percent compared to 2006. The numbers were not compared to 2007, the prior year, because the expansion had interrupted the business flow.[9]
M.J.
References
- ↑ Brian Miller, “Granville shows off new, bigger public library,” Granville Sentinel, December 20, 2007.
- ↑ Brian Miller, “Historic Sinnett House might be saved,” The Advocate, February 18, 2005.
- ↑ Brian Miller, “Granville Public Library to be dedicated officially,” The Advocate, January 12, 2008.
- ↑ Kevin House, “Granville library sports new look,” The Advocate, October 1, 1989.
- ↑ “Library, museum to kick off alley project,” Granville Sentinel, September 12, 1991.
- ↑ Brian Miller, “Granville seeking to double library’s size,” The Advocate, June 21, 2001.
- ↑ Brian Miller, “Granville asks voters to help library,” The Advocate, October 14, 2004.
- ↑ Brian Miller, “Granville shows off new, bigger public library,” Granville Sentinel, December 20, 2007.
- ↑ Brian Miller, “Library expansion a hit,” Granville Sentinel, August 7, 2008.
