After eight months, the Walbrook Library, a branch of the Enoch Pratt Free Library system, opened its doors again with a ribbon cutting that celebrated its new renovations.
A new HVAC system was installed, along with converting what was once a computer lab into a “creation station” for teens and the rest of the community that includes video games, sewing machines and other activities of interest.
New furniture and a coat of paint made the inside look refreshed Monday, and this was combined with trenching the floors to add electricity so an individual workspace could be created rather than a long computer bank.
“The idea is that everybody deserves access to individual technology spaces, like high-end coworking spaces, without having to pay top dollar for them, which people have to do now,” Meghan McCorkell, chief of marketing, communications and strategy, said Tuesday.
Creating spaces for teens has long been a part of Pratt Library history, with librarian Margaret Edwards leading the charge in creating Young Adult sections in libraries through her persistent work in 1932.
“One thing that people I think don’t really realize when they move to Baltimore is the Baltimore City Library system is a national jewel,” McCorkell said. “People look at what we do nationally all the time. So, we’re consistently sort of ahead of the curve and we always have been.”
The Walbrook branch is the first of library branch to reopen after renovations, and it is a strong indicator to see how the community uses the space and what should be done differently in the different branches. McCorkell says not to worry if one branch is taking longer to open than another, because the timing varies based on the size and type of renovation needed per library.
Pratt Libraries’ funding comes from three areas: general city, state and private funds.
Private support and American Rescue plan funding through the Mayor’s Office of Recovery Programs helped these renovations take place. There was only $375,000 able to be allocated to the renovations to this branch, which guided the limited infrastructure changes.
While managing buildings that were not even built in this century can seem insurmountable, McCorkell reiterates the library’s mission to serve communities in Baltimore.
“I think Pratt library is really uniquely positioned to make every dollar count and we do, she said. “But we’re always looking with the eye towards the future of how do we give our communities state of the art facilities”
Zshekinah Collier is the children’s resource and program specialist for the Walbrook library and was working at the library when she learned they were closing for renovations. Although she was initially sad when the branch closed because of the benefits to the community, she has been excited for the reopening.
“But to see what they’ve done, it was definitely obviously worth it,” Collier said. “I’m actually working on programming now and I was able to think about, oh, what can we do now that the space looks different and how can we really utilize the space and all the resources that we gained from this reopening.”
