by Alex Brooks
On Wednesday, January 21, the Petersburgh Public Library held an Open House to unveil the recently completed renovations to the lower level and to celebrate the completion of their renovation project which has been going on for more than a decade.
The celebration was attended by about 100 people. There was a presentation of old pictures of Petersburgh that the Library has collected from a number of sources. Many were from the early 1900s from a collection given by Bill Reynolds, which people found especially interesting.
County Executive Kathy Jimino attended the gathering, and she presented a certificate
congratulating the Library on the completion of their extensive renovation project. The Library Board presented a special gift to Petersburgh architect Cynthia Peterson, who has been involved with the Library renovation project from the beginning and has donated a great deal of her time guiding the development of the project and advising on design issues. She was also the architect for some of the earlier renovations.
Refreshments were served by Dianne Mosher’s catering class at Berlin Central High School, a sumptuous offering of finger foods. Librarian Sharon Hodges said they produced “an amazing variety of food,” and said, “They did a wonderful job.”
Hodges said the Library is finished now and she has no plans for further renovations. The Library now has about five times as much space as they had when the Town Offices were in the building and the Library only occupied the back of the first floor.
The Library’s journey began in 1997 when the Town Offices moved to their present location and the space
they formerly occupied became available for the use of the Library. Planning and fund raising began in the summer of 1997, and the project has been going ever since then, almost 12 years. Hodges said very close to $300,000 has been spent, all told, and all of it was raised by donations, fund raisers and grants. Grants came from State Library construction funds, Rensselaer County funds, member items from the State Legislature and private foundations, including the Howard and Bush Foundation and the Troy Savings Bank Foundation. Petersburgh residents have given generously, as have many local businesses.
The work done to make the basement accessible included a small addition to accommodate a new staircase and a motorized lift which makes it fully handicapped-accessible. Hodges encourages everyone to stop by and see the finished building.