SPOKANE, Wash — The Shadle Park Library will start a new chapter with the reopening of the renovated facility on Wednesday.
Staff at the library spent Tuesday hurriedly cleaning and setting up books to try to get everything perfect for the public grand opening.
According to the Spokane Public Library, the Shadle Park Library is the second-busiest branch and its renovations should help handle the traffic.
“We have doubled the size of the current Shadle library and it's been closed for over a year, so we're so excited to finally be able to share this new location,” Spokane Public Library marketing and communications manager Alina Murcar said.
Voters and community partners passed a $77 million bond back in 2018 for the remodeling of four library locations and the opening of three new ones.
Now with about 30,000 square feet of space, new features at the library include meeting rooms, a demonstration kitchen, a discovery garden, a quiet reading room and a new children's play space.
Murcar said library staff are focused on their virtual programs and events, but they're really looking forward to being able to host in-person events again soon.
Murcar said libraries are not only a place to gain knowledge, but to also connect with others.
"We've really built them into a place where people can gather, people can learn and people can become the best versions of themselves,” Murcar said.
There will be a ribbon cutting ceremony on Wednesday at 12 p.m. for the Shadle Park Library. It officially opens to the public later in the afternoon at 2 p.m.