APPLETON, WI (WTAQ-WLUK) — Saturday marked the official grand re-opening of the Appleton public library after an 18-month-long, $40.4 million renovation.
“Today we mark a generational accomplishment for our community, one that’s 17 years in the making,” said Appleton Mayor Jake Woodford.
The project has been in the works for 17 years.
During Saturday’s pre-ribbon cutting ceremony, in a room of hundreds of community members, Mayor Woodford thanked the library staff who have waited years for this day and helped make it a reality.
“They have persevered with positivity and endurance. They have taught us time and again, that great libraries are actually not about buildings at all. They are great because of the people within them. Starting today, they now have a vessel that lives up to their excellence.”
Appleton city council President and library board trustee Katie Van Zeeland marked the city’s historic day, too.
“To all who contributed, whether through advocacy, donations, or volunteerism, this building is a lasting symbol of your commitment and hard work,” she said.
While several generations of council members have discussed and overseen the project, Van Zeeland touted the current council’s accomplishment of getting the project across the finish line and within budget.
“We remained steadfast in our commitment to create a library that not only met statutory requirements but also serves the diverse and growing needs of Appleton. This is a space for everyone. Children discovering the magic of books, students seeking a quiet place to learn, job seekers, entrepreneurs, lifelong learners, and so many others.”
Saturday’s ceremony included a dedication presented and read by Appleton state senator Kristin Dassler-Alfehim, and signed by Appleton’s representatives.
Despite the winter storms, hundreds of Appleton community members arrived for the grand re-opening.
“I was concerned it would impact people’s ability to get here and get here safely but people have come in droves,” says Appleton Library director Colleen Rortvedt. “This was a packed house. . . it’s really touching to see that, people bringing back their bags of books, two hands with very full bags of books, that’s been awesome too.”
Rortvedt has been a key part of the new library and says she and her staff are ready to serve the public.
“We’ll be doing a lot of programs, offering our services in-house, but one of the things we know the community has been missing since we’ve been in temporary spaces, and even back to the pandemic, is our meeting spaces,” she says.
“Before the pandemic, we hosted over 5,000 programs and events in a year in the previous library so we imagine that the demand has done nothing but grow and we can’t wait to see what the library, as kind of an invisible structure of support for all these community organizations, what can happen here because this space is now available to them.”
