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Glen Ellyn library celebrating new cafe, renovated lobby

Dawn Bussey was walking into the staff entrance of the Glen Ellyn Public Library when she noticed a sweet aroma that might just be better than the scent of an antique book.

"I'm like, 'I smell Snickerdoodles,'" the library director thought.

The source? A new cafe that bakes its confections on the premises of the library at Duane Street and Prospect Avenue.

The 3/7 Pathway Café has quickly become a favorite destination in a renovated library lobby welcoming patrons with its bright lighting, comfy furniture and ease of access.

The cafe's concessionaires are two Glen Ellyn men, Brian Duffy and Danny Sronkoski, and they are expanding their weekend hours starting this Sunday for visitors who want a quick bite or a light lunch.

"People are raving about the tomato basil soup, and they make it from scratch," Bussey said. "That's the soup I happen to know a couple of people carried quarts of to take home with them because they like it so well."

The $1.81 million redesign of the lobby and circulation area marks the third and final phase of a multiyear, interior remodeling. Bussey and other library leaders will celebrate the new-look lobby and consolidated circulation areas with a formal unveiling at 11 a.m. Saturday, Jan. 12.

The project's costs came in slightly under budget, Bussey said. The Glen Ellyn Library Foundation's Jungle Book Ball also raised $50,000 for the build out of the cafe just outside a youth department that reopened in 2015 after a major transformation.

The lobby is equally unrecognizable. Gone are the five separate work areas for circulation department employees and the disorienting, octagonal layout. Through an entry now facing Duane Street instead of the parking lot, patrons find an inviting space with new carpeting and wood accents.

"I've had people comment that coming in now, it just feels a little bit cozier or homier," Bussey said. "I honestly think some of it is because they bake in the cafe."

The circulation department now serves a central desk, staff offices and a new drive-through window on the west side of the building.

"It's made them much more efficient in the work that they do for us," Bussey said.

Traffic flow in the parking lot already lent itself to the drive-through since visitors pull up to the library with the driver's side of the vehicle facing the building. At the window, patrons can drop off books, pay overdue fines, get a Museum Adventure Pass or pick up items placed on hold in the library's catalog after receiving a text message or email notice.

Patrons previously had to interact with a library employee to check out on-hold items at the circulation desk. They now can access those items on their own from shelving installed between the cafe and desk. They also have the option of self-checkout.

"Many people really like that idea of not having to stand in line and wait," Bussey said. "They step up, they grab their own item, they check it out and they're on their way. What that has done is freed up the staff at the desk so they can provide this higher level, this sort of concierge-level service at the desk now."

Patrons, though, still may have to wait in line at the popular cafe that opened Dec. 3, especially if they get a waft of the Snickerdoodles or chocolate croissants snapped up by high school students who studied at the library in record crowds before holiday break. Roughly 200 students visited each evening leading up to final exams, Bussey said.

Across the cafe is new countertop seating with outlets to plug in devices.

"So many people enjoy that sort of coffee shop atmosphere," Bussey said, "that between the bar with the seating and then the cool tables that we built in the book sale corner, I feel like we really have created that cafe or coffee bar feeling."

The cafe hours are 9 a.m. to 8 p.m. Monday through Thursdays; 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Fridays and Saturdays; and 1 to 5 p.m. Sundays.

  Penny Restaino, a 3-year-old from Wheaton, eyes some baked goods Thursday morning in a new cafe at the Glen Ellyn Public Library. Bev Horne/bhorne@dailyherald.com
  Brighter colors and more lighting are the hallmarks of a renovated Glen Ellyn Public Library lobby that leads to the entrance of a youth department that reopened in 2015 after a major remodel. Bev Horne/bhorne@dailyherald.com
  A new drive-through window lets Glen Ellyn Public Library patrons drop off or pick up items on-the-go. Bev Horne/bhorne@dailyherald.com
  Patrons can now access their on-hold books next to the circulation desk in a renovated lobby at the Glen Ellyn Public Library. Bev Horne/bhorne@dailyherald.com
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