ARCOLA - For several years, the Arcola Public Library board wanted to do upgrades to the space, and this went forward when Kyla Vanderhulst was hired as the librarian.
Wanting to have more time with her school-aged daughters, Vanderhulst took on the position one year ago. The hours allowed Vanderhulst to bring her daughters to school in the mornings. After school, they come to the library and read or do their homework.
Vanderhulst loves her job, and the hours are perfect for her family.
The Arcola Public Library was built in 1991 and has seen many guests come through the doors. The original carpet had the wear and tear of many feet.
Vanderhulst brought the idea for the Kingston Midstream grant to the board and Marla Schlenker, chairperson of the library board, began the process for the grant that covered the flooring, new paint, furniture and other equipment.
She said the process was incredibly detailed, but they felt it was worth the challenging work filling out the application. Vanderhulst, Schlenker and the board began to look for more ways to gain funds for the project.
They were excited to learn that Kingston Midstream donated the cost to cover the $12,160 expense of a new floor.
The work began for the library board and many from the town and community to prepare the library for the new floor. All the books, shelving and furniture needed to be removed from the space, and hauled into the town office next door and a storage shed out back.
The library during this time needed to be closed for a week to allow the work to be completed. The Floor Store in Carlyle came out, removed the carpets and replaced the flooring with commercial-grade linoleum.
More donations came in as well, including the Arcola Co-op for $2,842 through a barbecue that was held last year. The Arcola Optimist Club donated $1,548 to cover the cost of the water system and the reverse osmosis. The Town of Arcola donated $4,000 to help cover the cost of paint and modern furniture.
Vanessa Dahl and Cathy Burton came in and volunteered their time to paint all the walls.
A new desk, cabinet and chairs were purchased with the remaining funds.
The task of replacing the shelving and placing the books went well with all hands on deck to help.
A new smart TV was installed along with two new reading areas.
They also try to purchase new books. They prefer hardcovers as they last longer but also come at a higher price than the softcover books.
A grand re-opening of the library was held on Feb. 13. In attendance from Kingston Midstream were operations east superintendent Kerry Sawyer, Carlyle foreman Jeff Lees, and public awareness community investments co-ordinator Dena Bachorcik.
Many members of the board and community came out to enjoy the new interior of the library.
Libraries are not the way they used to be with only books. Today they hold video games, movies, games and puzzles. There are also several apps and can be accessible with a library card.
If a person does not see the book they wish to read, they simply need to ask for it, and the librarian will gladly order it in from another library.
The Carlyle District Food Bank donates snacks for after-school programing, while the library holds coffee time for seniors on a regular basis.
Evening programs are also set up with one that just concluded for linocuts, and the end of life wishes.
The Arcola Daycare comes on a regular basis for the children to enjoy the activities offered.
“So many programs are offered at libraries,” said Vanderhulst.
These programs are offered at the lowest rate possible or free to the public, and they usually fill up quickly.
Books that are taken home may also be returned to any southeast library for convenience.
The library board would like to thank everyone for their generous support and for coming out to make this a moment in history.
