Mt. Prospect library expansion turns 10

This month marks the 10th anniversary of a project more than 15 years in the making - the expansion of the Mount Prospect Public Library.

After four unsuccessful tries dating back to 1987, the library received voter approval in 2002 for a $20.5 million expansion of the building.

The newly supersized library opened in September 2004. Boasting a brand-new second floor, the building offered more computers, more meeting rooms, a dedicated teen area and plenty of comfortable seating for patrons.

All told, the expansion project added roughly 50,000 square feet of space to the building at 10 S. Emerson St.

"It's hard to believe it's been 10 years," Library Executive Director Marilyn Genther said. "It still seems kind of new, to be honest. We still hear from people about how much they like the way the library looks, how they like coming here."

The library first opened on Emerson Street in 1976. It was essentially a one-story building then, with a small second floor used only to house the mechanical systems.

Library Trustee Dale Barbara Draznin moved to Mount Prospect in the early 1990s. By then, the library was already crowded, she said. After seeing expansion plans get rejected by voters in 1994 and 1995, she decided to join the library board.

"It was an important issue for me," said Draznin, who's been on the board since 1999. "I knew the need was there. And it was so exciting when the plan got approved. It felt good to see that the community was on our side."

Genther said the expanded building helped the library attract a teen following, which had been difficult to do previously. Two teen librarians were added to the staff members to serve that specific age group, Genther said.

Expansion also allowed the library to put adult and children's services on different floors, which in turn allowed for more programming to be offered for each - everything from hands-on computer classes to early literacy programs to open storytimes.

An equally important benefit of expansion has been flexibility, Genther said. The library board has decided to move forward with renovations that will add study and meeting space and improve the teen area on the second floor.

The changes - early estimates say they'll cost about $800,000 - will be relatively easy to make because of how the expansion was designed a decade ago, she said.

"Even since we expanded, libraries have gone through lots of change," she said. "We're called upon to provide more electronic resources, more sophisticated computer hardware, more programs.

"What makes me feel good about what we did with this building is that we have the ability to adapt to those changes."

Plans: Cost estimated around $800,000 for study, meeting space and teen area renovations