The Ridgetown branch of the Chatham-Kent Public Library is officially open to the public again after undergoing some renovations.
After two months of construction, a ribbon-cutting ceremony was held on Tuesday morning to celebrate the grand re-opening.
Tania Sharpe, CEO of Chatham-Kent Public Library, said the goal was to make the space more inviting and welcoming for community members.
"A community hub, it's a meeting place, it's a place where people can come and socialize with other people," she said. "Folks will often meet a friend here to connect, we have our community navigators come in and assist people, where our staff will help connect people to community information resources or recreational reading. It's a centre of a community, it's a heartbeat of a community."
Some of the upgrades include a more modern and open concept, new ceilings and lighting, new flooring, accessible washrooms and more comfortable settings for patrons. Sharpe said they also made sure to keep some of the classic accents including wood panelling from the 1960s.
When addressing the crowd, Sharpe said it was an emotional day for her to finally see the renovations come to fruition.
"I've been a manager with the [Chatham-Kent Public Library] for about 16 years. When I first came on board, we knew this space needed regenerating," explained Sharpe. "About five years ago we started talking with the community to see if we could create a community hub...to see if we could involve more people in the hub and it just didn't pan out. Then I said to our facilities and executive management team, 'it's time, the community deserves it.'"
The Ridgetown Branch will be running a "Welcome Back" contest until April 30. Patrons can visit the library and earn ballots for weekly draws featuring a variety of prizes.