The Friends of the Library have done a wonderful job in refurbishing our fireside area as a cozy reading area. The fireplace is original to the library, and many of our older patrons have fond memories of listening to the librarian read them stories in front of a crackling fire. However, the fireplace had been covered for many years by bookshelves (space needs were pressing) until the new children's room opened across the hall. Now, as you can see, it's a wonderful spot to relax with the newspaper or a book or just chat with friends.
We started in 1998 by moving all the children's books across the hall into the children's room.
The fireplace corner in June of 1998 just after we had moved the children's section across the hall.
The fireplace in 1999 as we moved the area's purpose from study area to reading lounge.
Photo above and below taken by Deborah Sussex
The fireplace area as it looks today. Better lighting, new and refurbished furniture, and the Bookcase Quilt all combine to make a pleasant space.
A patron checks out the headlines from a local paper.
This set of chairs (as well as the low table pictured in the three photos above) was purchased from Bare Bones Studio in Ely with money that the Friends of the Library raised with their Bookcase Quilt.
This is one of two chairs (which are black in the 1999 photo above) that the Friends of the Library used Bookcase Quilt money to have Stahl's Carpet & Interior Design of Virginia clean, repair, and recover.