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History of Paoli Library Paoli Library was founded in 1910. William Shippen Roney formed and chaired the Town Association Library Committee, donating books from his own and his friends’ libraries. This early library was housed in the Paoli Town Hall, formerly a chapel of Paoli Presbyterian Church. In 1920, the group of people from Tredyffrin and Willistown townships who had been supporting the library for 10 years formed the Paoli Library Association. These incorporators, known as subscribers and directors, undertook “to maintain and support a library … in the village of Paoli, Tredyffrin Township, County of Chester, State of Pennsylvania,” and donated funds. Books were gifts and were not catalogued for many years; bills were met by a membership fee of $1.00 per year and the contributions of association members. The building was improved gradually to include more shelving for books, tables, and sections for programs. In the mid-1950s a part-time professional librarian was hired to catalogue the collection, among other library tasks. For years, Paoli Library functioned on a very small budget; and as a private library it was not eligible for state funding. Book sales and other fundraising efforts supplemented the membership fees, which had risen to $2.00 per year. By 1974, Tredyffrin Township had begun to contribute funds to Paoli Library and the membership fees ended. Chester County also began limited aid to Paoli Library in the 1970s. In 1965, efforts to ally Paoli Library with the newly formed Tredyffrin Township Library in Strafford began. In 1980, a merger was approved and Paoli Library became a branch of the Tredyffrin Township Libraries. This was done through an agreement between the Paoli Library Association and Tredyffrin Township. In addition, an agreement between Tredyffrin and Willistown townships provided additional support to Paoli Library. In 1986, Tredyffrin Township and Meridian Bank purchased the Paoli Library property to be used as road access and public parking. The quaint old building was scheduled for demolition, but was saved by popular subscription and moved to the Paoli Presbyterian Church grounds, where it again became a chapel as it had been before it was the town hall and library. In return, the bank provided space adjacent to its new addition as a new home for Paoli Library. This shell was finished and furnished by funds from the Paoli Library Association and stocked with the collections of the old library. These quarters have been provided under a 30-year lease, which expires in 2016, between the bank and Tredyffrin Township, with the Paoli Library Association as a signatory. The Paoli Library Association, assuring its aim of keeping a library in Paoli, disbanded in 1980 after investing its remaining funds in an annuity to purchase books for the library. History of Tredyffrin Public Library On April 17, 1966, Tredyffrin Public Library opened its doors in a temporary room in Valley Forge Junior High School on Walker Road in Wayne. Then in the summer of 1967, the library moved to the old Strafford School building, located at Upper Gulph and West Valley roads where Woodlynde School now stands. There, Tredyffrin Public Library became the largest community library in Chester County. The old Strafford School building, built in 1885, was less than ideal. Pigeons roosted in the attic and bees built a hive—complete with dripping honey in the walls. Circulation staff conducted business in a freezing lower hallway, while the rest of the staff sweltered above. The weight of books on the old structure became a concern. Library Director Marian Stevens, along with the library board, developed a long-range plan for Tredyffrin Public Library and searched for a more satisfying location. Several sites were reviewed including property in Chesterbrook. On December 3, 1973, with a nod from the Tredyffrin Township Supervisors, Strafford Park was chosen as the best available option. Six architectural firms were invited to bid, and a majority of the architectural selection committee favored Mitchell/Giurgola Architects. In June 1974 the committee made its recommendation and hired the award-winning Philadelphia firm. On May 10, 1975 a formal groundbreaking took place; and a year and a half of construction ensued before the doors of the iconic Tredyffrin Public Library opened in October of 1976. Books were transported in cars and station wagons and put on the shelves by volunteers. Tredyffrin Public Library is listed on the Great Buildings website, www.greatbuildings.com, one of only 22 recognized sites in Pennsylvania. In 1980, Paoli Library became a branch of Tredyffrin Public Library. Both libraries belonged then, and still do today, to the Chester County Library System, through which it is even more possible to offer a wide scope of information and service to the public. As the Tredyffrin community continued to grow, Tredyffrin Public Library underwent yet another construction event in 1990 when a new Children’s Library was created on the lower level in previously unfinished space. The library’s commitment to an ever-changing community continued when plans were finalized in 2004 to renovate and expand the entire Tredyffrin Public Library. In September 2007, Tredyffrin Public Library broke ground for its $6 million renovation and expansion. Hundreds attended the festive groundbreaking celebration, which featured live music, children’s entertainment, book signings with local authors, and more. In January 2008, Marian Stevens retired after 37 years, and the following April Joseph Sherwood replaced her as director of the ever-growing community treasure. The library remained open through much of construction, shifting services and materials from one side of the building to the other and setting up temporary offices to accommodate the construction. On January 31, 2009, the entire expanded building was open to the public for the first time. A ribbon-cutting ceremony was held and retired Director Marian Stevens and current Director Joseph Sherwood cut the ribbon. A month of events for donors, adults, teens and children ensued with robust attendance and generous coverage by the local newspaper Suburban and Wayne Times. A Visual Timeline of Tredyffrin Public Library's 2008 Renovation and Expansion... In April 2008, Blasz Construction, LLC won the Interior Finish Contractors Association (IFCA) drywall finishing award for their work at Tredyffrin Public Library. View the award- winning drywall here.
Shelving returns from storage.
Renovating the new Teen Area and the Children's Library.
December 2008: Finishing touches are made to the renovated reference area.
The green roof plantings.
November 2008: The green roof is planted.
Shelves are erected in the new stack area (above left). Beautiful new windows will fill the new stack area with natural light (above right).
Shelves for the new stacks were also delivered in August (above).
Glass was delivered in August (above) for new windows that will line the new wing .
August 2008: The new staff workroom gets painted (above left) and a new book processing area is constructed in the staff workroom (above right). The construction schedule (below) now hangs on the community bulletin board.
The construction schedule.
Staff began packing their offices for a move in August to their permanent space on the upper level.
Books were wrapped up as work began on the south end of the building. In August all books and materials on the premises will be moved to the new wing of the building.
Work began on the new entrance in July. Pictured above are the exterior view (above left) and the interior view (above right).
Construction began on the skylights in the new meeting room (above left) and space is made for the installation of the circulation desk.
July 2008: The Children's Library packed up books and computers for their move to the upper level. Upstairs, they will occupy the future meeting room just off the main entrance while the lower level is renovated. In the fall, children's programs will begin in the temporary space.
Cone-shaped frames will be used for the skylights in the new meeting room (above left). New stacks will fill the space (above right) when the library reopens in August.
The new reading area on the western corner of the new wing gets some external work during June.
June 2008: Construction crew members takes a break for lunch (above left). Curved walls are featured throughout the new building mimicking the original crescent shape design of the library built in 1976. Conestoga High School intern Samantha Abrams took a tour of the renovation and expansion taking place at Tredyffrin Public Library along with her camera. See what's happening behind the construction fences with her collection of photographs.
The new community conference room will have lots of natural light.
New stacks will fill the space pictured above.
The photo at left is the new meeting room space and pictured at right is the new cafe seating.
New lighting was installed in the main library. Thank you, Sam for the beautiful photographs.
May 2008: Photo courtesy of Brigham Keehner, Architect for Bohlin Cywinski Jackson.
New HVAC equipment was installed in April and construction crews framed interior walls leading to and including the public restrooms to be located adjacent to the new main lobby.
Leading the expansion and renovation project are George Bowman, Project Superintendent for Newport Construction and Brigham Keehner, Architect for Bohlin Cywinski Jackson (above left photo pictured left to right). The expansion continues (top right photo) on the northwest corner of the building where new stacks and a large conference room will be located.
April 2008: A full shipment of steel has allowed crews to start framing the structure that will house state-of-the-art meeting rooms.
March 2008: Remember to be extremely cautious when entering and exiting the library. Construction activity is occurring right along side Upper Gulph Road and the library entrance.
It took two backhoes, a jackhammer attachment and a lot of noise to demolish the old stairs in order to make way for the new main entrance.
February 2008: Despite the bitter cold, work continues outside as the crew lays new electrical lines and the outer wall along Upper Gulph Road takes shape.
Plans begin to take hold inside the library as walls are framed in what will be the new lobby.
January 2008: The new wall on the northwest side of the building was erected in January.
December 2007: Work began on the construction of the front entrance (above left) and the walls of the new basement are forming (above right). And inside, progress began on what will become the new main entrance (below).
The library was closed from Monday, November 26 through Friday, November 30 in order to move the current transformer powering the building.
November 2007: Cement is pumped into the orange forms (photographed above left) in order to create the walls of the new basement. The construction foreman (pictured at left in the above right-hand photo) and her crew are now familiar faces at the library.
November 2007: Crews work in the "pit", constructing wall for the new basement, which will be located under the new addition.
October 2007: Marian Stevens, October 2007: Construction crews began Library Director, surveys the interior excavation on the 10,000 square foot addition work progressing on the upper level. to the library.
September 2007: Work is in full swing! August 2007: With a construction trailer and fences in place, we're officially a "Construction Zone"!
May 2007: The new parking lot is March 2007: The work continues stormwater retention system. This project, and the addition of a new parking lot, will be completed by Tredyffrin Township this spring.
February 2007: The excavation January 2007: Tredyffrin Public Library. begins behind the library.
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Tredyffrin Public Library • 582 Upper Gulph Road • Strafford, PA 19087-2052 • 610-688-7092 Paoli Library • 18 Darby Road • Paoli, PA 19301 • 610-296-7996 |
