Lebanon Library Has A Home Away From Home

By Lisa Massicotte, The Chronicle

June 29, 2021

While awaiting a difficult renovation process, the Jonathan Trumbull Library has moved all of its services across the street to the Lebanon Community Center.

And it’s been a big hit with the public so far, according to Jonathan Trumbull Library Director Matthew Earls.

Lebanon’s public library began the moving process the first week of June and reopened to the public June 7 at its new, temporary location at the community center, which is located at 872 Trumbull Highway.

Library parking is by the entrance to the community pool.

On June 21, the library’s children’s section was bustling with kids and families playing together, getting their faces painted and gathering books to read for the kickoff to the library’s summer reading program.

“It looks nice, doesn’t it? They worked really hard on it,” said Lebanon mother Christine Hadyka, who was attending the summer reading kick-off event with her three children that Monday afternoon.

Jonathan Trumbull Library Child-ren’s Librarian Maggie Gaier said building the new space was quite a process, but, overall, the transition went pretty smoothly because of exceptional teamwork.

“Think of a giant, life-sized puzzle with many people moving the pieces where they need to go. We’re so lucky we have a great team to make this all happen,” Gaier said.

Earls said staffers were able to put out 40 percent of the library’s most popular books, movies and toys for public use, due to space constraints.

“I would certainly refer to the library now as cute and little,” he said.

Meanwhile, across the street, chain-link fencing surrounds the building the library hopes to eventually be able to call home again, following a multimillion-dollar rehab.

“They are removing the asbestos and the lead paint as we speak,” Earls said.

In September 2019, the New London Superior Court granted the Jonathan Trumbull Library ownership of 1.6 acres of the parcel. The court also granted a nearby church 2 acres, and gave the 14 land abutters ownership to their front lawns, which were originally part of territory in dispute.

That ruling also granted ownership of the green to the town, which starts at the flagpole in front of the library and continues to the end of the parcel.

It was, initially, hoped the court verdict would pave the way for the ongoing library renovation project.

Since that ruling, there have been several bumps in the road, including lawsuits with the Lebanon Historical Society, grant funding and, more recently, regulatory issues with the state Department of Transportation and the Connecticut State Historic Preservation Office.

“That definitely slowed us down and changed the parking plan, to put it succinctly,” Earls said.

As of now, Earls said operations have been smoothed out and the renovation and expansion groundbreaking is actually scheduled for Thursday, July 8, at 1:30 p.m.

Construction for the renovation and expansion of the library has been awarded to Wolcott-based J.A. Rosa Construction LLC, according to the Jonathan Trumbull Library Building Committee minutes.

The $1 million state library grant, which was previously in jeopardy, should now be going through to be received by the library.

The library building committee’s June 10 meeting minutes say once the state budget is passed, which it was, the library will receive a $1 million grant from the Department of Economic and Community Development.

The total cost of the library renovation project was approved at $5.9 million with a $1 million grant from the DECD and $1 million funded by the Hugh Trumbull Adams estate.

Lebanon Selectman Betsy Petrie, a former first selectman, said she doesn’t expect any more show stoppers on the horizon.

“I wouldn’t say smooth sailing, but I see very even sailing at this point. Early, early on when I was first selectman, I was really clear there were going to be a lot of hurdles on this project and we have to be willing to go through them. The previous board and the current board continued to work it out and we have a good resolution,” Petrie said.

For more information on programs and renovation updates at the Jonathan Trumbull Library, visit lebanonctlibrary.org.

Follow Lisa Massicotte on Twitter - @LMassicotteTC.

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