Indian Valley Public Library Director Linda Beck says the Board of Trustees looked at several options before starting an expansion project that was completed recently, and instead of adding book and computer space, they decided to add people space. “We didn’t add shelf space.  We didn’t add library space per se.  We added space for the community, so we have five glassed-in study rooms and a beautiful larger Community Room with lots of glass, lots of windows.”

She says the new section, which adds 15 feet to the rear of the building, has a “green” roof.

“Plants were planted up there, and there’s a special way to do a “green” roof.  I don’t believe they’re visible yet, but as the years go by you’ll see them growing up there, cooling the building better in the summer, helping to preserve the heat in the winter, and providing good things for the environment.”

She says they also replaced the old heating, ventilating and air conditioning system, and while that project was going on, they made the nonfiction collection more user-friendly.

“We decided that instead of long rows of nonfiction, going from the number zero to 999, we would divide it up more like a bookstore model, which people love.”

She says they divided the books into several major categories.

“Civil War, Science/Nature, Job Hunting, Personal Finance, Aging, Religion, Sports, Football, Cooking, and we divided it up leaving the Dewey Decimal System there, but adding a category on top of it, so now it’s much better for browsers.”

Beck says it was all done at no cost to the taxpayers.  She says all capital improvements at the Indian Valley Public Library are paid for with private donations and fundraising campaigns.  She appeared Monday on the WNPV talk program Indian Valley Live.