As you pull into the parking lot of Bainbridge Township’s new library, you cannot help but notice the massive size of the building.
As you pull into the parking lot of Bainbridge Township’s new library, you cannot help but notice the massive size of the building.
The roughly $12 million dollar, one-floor structure is a 30,000 square-foot space that will not
only provide the community with everything a traditional library has to offer, but much more, as well.
In a tight-knit community such as Bainbridge, it may come as no surprise the Geauga County Public Library received a lot of opinions and ideas from township residents on the new building at 17222 Synder Road.
Their input came in various stages dating back to the end of 2017 — when it was decided a new
library building would be built — and was a key factor and high priority in helping design the new facility, said GCPL Director Ed Worso during a recent tour of the facility.
However, due to the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic, discussions about details, some as small as
what kind of door knobs should go on what kinds of doors, took precedence.
Back in the spring, when it was still unclear how long COVID-19 particles lasted on hard surfaces, Worso said, “Hand to God, we did a six-hour meeting on just door knobs, latches, locks, from room to room to room” in order to ensure safety for both the library’s staff and community members.
Due to the novel coronavirus, the library is only offering curbside services for the time being.
There is a drive-thru available near the front of the building and even though Worso said they are in contact with Gov. Mike DeWine’s office, the Ohio Department of Health and the
Geauga County Public Health every week, the exact opening date to the public remains unclear.
However, there is high hope the library will be open to the public fairly soon with a cap on the amount of people allowed inside, he said.
When the new branch was set in motion, GCPL board members decided it would also serve as a community center of sorts, as well.
Large seating areas with sectionals built into the floors along with matching sets of tables and
chairs are spread throughout the library, providing a lounge-like feeling.
Right by the first seating area is the makerspace room. It has various pieces of technology, including a large format printer, a 3D printer and a Cricut machine. Technology trainer Mary Crotty, who wanted the library to have up-to-date equipment and software, helped ensure the branch was able to gain these pieces of equipment to set them apart from others.
In addition to the makerspace room, there will also be a “messy programs space,” which is next to the children’s section of the library. This room will be used by kids of all ages, where they will be able to perform a wide array of activities, such as puppet shows and arts and crafts, Worso said.
The events will be run by the GCPL Youth Services Department and will be held once it is deemed safe by state and county health officials, he said.
The library will have two outdoor patios — one in the front of the library, where some picnic tables will be set up outside for families to enjoy time together, Worso said. The second patio will be in the back of the library, which overlooks the trees.
Once you re-enter the library from the back patio, there are a number of rooms along the outer
wall, including the periodicals room, which has a gas fireplace that changes color when in use.
The other rooms can fit anywhere from four to 24 people and can be used for “just about anything you can imagine,” said Becki Gierman, executive director of the Geauga County Public Library Foundation.
The library also has a large media room that can hold up to 200 people, with two large monitors on each wall, as well. It has a divider down the middle to split the room into two smaller spaces.
