Olney Library Marks Grand Opening
About 100 people filtered through the doors of the newly renovated Olney Community Library and Arts Center on Sunday afternoon, Feb. 15, stepping into a space that looked familiar — and entirely new at the same time.
For two hours, library patrons and the curious moved through the refreshed interior, admiring new white shelving, textured blue-gray carpet tiles made from recycled plastic bottles, and updated furnishings designed to make the nearly 50-year-old building feel open and inviting.
Though the look has changed, patrons will still find the same core services. Newspapers, DVDs, and audiobooks remain in the main room, with large-print books on the west side. Fiction titles are shelved in the center, nonfiction on the east side, and computer stations — including the Texas Workforce Commission computer — remain in their previous locations.
New features in the central space include three bright berry-colored study carrels designed for privacy, along with colorful chairs and small tables arranged for casual seating. The study cubicles proved especially popular on Sunday, with visitors testing the enveloping workspaces.
Brayson Betts, a fifth-grader at Olney Elementary School, said the cubicles were his favorite feature.
He quickly added another: the children’s library.
The children’s wing, first opened in 1979, received new flooring, paint, furniture, and shelving, along with a reconfiguration that separates it from the main public area by a glass wall and doors. Those doors will remain closed during school hours and open when school is not in session.
The reconfigured children’s wing was renamed the Linda Daws Center for Young Readers, honoring the longtime children’s aide who served Olney students for 29 years.
Linda Daws’ son, Keith Daws of Olney, and daughter, Amy Fisher of Lubbock, attended the grand opening. Ms. Fisher toured the new children’s library with her mother’s friend, Suzie Davis Shepard, and grew tearful as she looked around.
“She would be honored and overwhelmed, and think that she didn’t deserve it. She did it for the love of the community,” Ms. Fisher said. “You don’t realize how many people you touch until you’re gone. It’s an honor.”
Mrs. Shepard called the renovation “just unbelievable.”
“It was wonderful before when she was at the desk,” she said. The renovation, part of a roughly $300,000 project funded through grant money and private donations — including a transformation grant from the Tocker Foundation — caps nearly two years of upgrades throughout the building. During that time, the library remodeled restrooms to meet Americans With Disabilities Act standards, upgraded lighting, installed new computers and television monitors, and added a virtual reality set.
The library originally closed in November for renovations and reopened after installation delays pushed the timeline back about two weeks. Public computer access resumed first, followed by a full reopening once shelves and furnishings were in place.
Elsewhere in the building, the Texas Room remains in its original location, while the former Cub Den has been repurposed as the War Room. The space now houses memorabilia related to Medal of Honor recipient George D. Keathley, along with military books and artifacts, and will host a local Veterans Affairs representative who meets monthly with area veterans.
The former World War II room has been converted into a Teen Room, featuring two eggshaped chairs that swivel and rock. In the conference room, new gray metal tables and black plastic chairs create a flexible space for classes, receptions or private rentals. Staff work areas behind the scenes received new cabinetry and desks, and the checkout desk has been replaced with three separate desks.
School board trustee Hannah Stewart called the renovations “beautiful.”
Penny Schlegel Kelly, a retired teacher who splits her time between Carrollton and Olney, said she was impressed.
“I’m really proud for Olney,” she said, adding that she has already checked out new books. “I love to read.”