Dedicating "The People's Library" at Alma!

On June 1st Alma Public Library dedicated their renovated and greatly expanded facility. I was honored to be part of the program which featured the board president and dedicated supporter, Ruth Lyon, and director, Bryan Dinwoody, who has aptly called for the library to be known as "The People's Library." The two of them are shown above with me just before the ceremony began.

Built right on the river at the east end of town, the building and the services the library provides are treasured by the community that made the expansion project a reality with their support. It's no surprise that hundreds of residents took a whole morning to attend the event. The centerpiece of the interior is the  spectacular fireplace and chimney. Above, with Bryan looking on, Ruth and Mayor Melvin Nyman cut the ribbon as a finale to the program. Deputy director and children's services manager, Tina Leonard, also spoke at the celebration, highlighting how much traffic the new library and its expanded services are experiencing. Refreshments following the program were served by the friends group in the spacious new community center. It was a lovely event, and a reminder that, even in the face of budgetary unknowns, support for library service in Michigan marches on. Congratulations to Bryan and his staff and the Alma community!