Marion librarian presents program at Tabor
At a Retirement in Learning program Thursday at Tabor College, Janet Marler, Marion librarian, gave a graphic presentation of the renovation of a former depot into the new public library.
The $700,000 project was funded by a $600,000 federal grant and $150,000 in local contributions.
Renovation was completed in June and the library opened in July.
Marler's slide show depicted "before" and "after" scenes of the exterior and interior of the former depot, as well as scenes during renovation.
She described the changes that have been made.
The City of Marion installed a new street and sidewalk along the north side of the building. The street is named Library Street. The area around the building has been landscaped with trees, grass, and a walk.
The 4,200 sq. ft. renovated building is double the size of the former library, which was housed in the city building. Marler described the new facility as "light and airy."
All shelving as well as the check-out counter comes from the former library. The counter has a new marble top.
"You'll notice that some shelves aren't full," Marler said. "That's good. It gives us room for expansion."
As much of the original structure as possible has been retained including ceilings and many windows. Some windows were stripped, removed, and sent away to be restored while retaining their architectural originality.
The entrance is on the east side of the building.
The large baggage and freight room at the south end now holds adult books. The main waiting room at the north end is the children's room. A smaller waiting room just down the hall is a reading room. The ticket agent's room, on the west side, next to the old railroad bed, features a large semi-circular window and large side windows and now serves as the Kansas Genealogy Room.
The floor of a boiler room pit was elevated to ground level during renovation, and the room is the library's office. Next to it, in the former freight-weighing area, is the roomy check-out area. In addition to the check-out counter, it contains reference books and computers for public use.
The library has 20,000 books, 700 videos, and 100 audio-tapes. It also has micro-film of the Marion County Record newspaper dating back to its beginning in 1874.
Weekly hours are from 10 a.m. to 8 p.m. Monday and Thursday, 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Tuesday, Wednesday, and Friday, and 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. Saturday.
"You're welcome to stop in and see the library for yourself," Marler concluded.
