Grayslake library lobby to be named for 42-year board member Kent Rich

For the late-Kent Rich, the Grayslake Area Public Library was an integral part of his life.

Rich, whose family was among the Grayslake area's first settlers, served 42 years on the library board. He also was considered one of the library's most frequent users and enjoyed chatting with friends and neighbors in a drafty lobby area where voices echoed.

Now, the lobby area where he used to hang out has been renovated and will be called Kent's Place in his honor. A dedication ceremony will be 2 to 4 p.m. Sunday at the library at 100 Library Lane.

Kent's Place will feature oversized chairs, tables, a bulletin board, a new ceiling and lights, etched glass, a tile floor, and plenty of electrical outlets and USB ports. As part of the project, the library's offices and a children's computer laboratory were moved to the second floor.

Library Director Roberta Thomas said the space is meant to be a place to relax, read a book, chat or use electronic devices.

"We want people just to feel comfortable here," Thomas said.

Grayslake library board President Philip Howe will lead Sunday's ceremony that's open to the public and will include Rich's family and local and state officials.

He said naming the refreshed lobby for Rich is appropriate.

"We were looking for something," Howe said. "He liked to read and liked to come to the library and talk to the patrons."

Rich was a lifelong Grayslake village resident, and the houses he owned during his life all were within a three-block radius.

Born Arthur Kent Rich, but commonly known by his middle name, he was 81 when he died in 2012 after a three-year fight with cancer.

He worked his entire career at Buffalo Grove-based Kildeer Countryside Elementary District 96.

He was a teacher, principal and director of facilities and transportation.

Rich's widow, Karen, will attend the ceremony with the couple's children, Kathe and Kent, and granddaughter Annie.

Karen Rich said her husband would have enjoyed the redone lobby, particularly because the couple visited the library often and socialized in the drafty section of the building where voices echoed.

"We would walk over there about every other day or take our bicycles there," she said Thursday.

Rich's family dates to 1836 in the Grayslake area. They came from Alleghany County, New York, and started a settlement called Alleghany Road, according to the book "Grayslake: A Historical Portrait."

Kent Rich was remembered for being involved in the construction of the current two-story library building that opened 18 years ago after moving from a storefront location on Center Street.

Thomas said Rich, whose family was in building and carpentry in Grayslake in the early 1900s, and his wife were at the Library Lane construction site every day in all kinds of weather.

Thomas said the lobby renovation project cost $307,000 and came in $65,000 under budget.

She said Rich would have been pleased with the final cost of the project carrying his name.

"No wasting money for him," Thomas said. "He trained us well."