Monticello library, Renaissance Center celebrate 15 years

     The Monticello Renaissance Center and Ross & Elizabeth Baty Public Library will soon celebrate their 15^th anniversary in downtown Monticello.

     The Renaissance Center houses the Monticello City Council Chambers and Media Center, as well as the Monticello AmVets and American Legion.

     To honor this special milestone, the Monticello Public Library is hosting an open house event on Thursday, June 10, from 4:30 to 7 p.m. The public is welcome to come into the library and check out the new layout and furniture.

     “Inside the library you will notice some additions and changes,” Library Director Michelle Turnis highlighted. “Prior to COVID, we had been planning to rearrange the library and update a variety of furniture.

     In addition to new furnishings, the interior windows were removed east of the front checkout desk, and turned into a full wall with shelving on both sides for storage and display use.

     There will also be activities for families outside the library during the celebration: Free ice cream from the Jones County Dairy Promoters, free water from Culligan Total Water, chalk art, bubble stations, and a paint your own tic-tac-toe game.

     Turnis said while the new furniture arrived in May and June of 2020, most of it sat in storage due to public health measures in place during the pandemic.

     In July, library staff and volunteers helped to rearrange the shelving in the children and teen areas. The newspapers and magazines were also relocated.

     “We are very excited to have the majority of the furniture out in the library and available for us now by the public,” offered Turnis.

     She’s especially proud of the new tables in the children and teen area.

     “They have tops that can flip up and are on wheels to make for easy movement and storage, depending on our needs in that area,” elaborated Turnis. She also highlighted the L-shaped seating piece with shelves on the back for the kids and families, and the lounge seating with power options where patrons can plug in their cell phones or tablets while inside the library.

     Looking back, the groundbreaking for the Renaissance Center and library took place on May 7, 2005. Then, on June 10, 2006, after years of planning and fundraising, and almost a year of construction, the Mary Lovell LeVan Renaissance Center and Ross & Elizabeth Baty Public Library opened to the public. A ribbon-cutting ceremony also took place on June 10, with about 750 people in attendance, including former Iowa First Lady Christie Vilsack who remarked that libraries are “the soul of our communities.”

     Turnis said while so many people think of a library as a place for just books, they are much more today.

     “Libraries are ever-evolving,” she said, “to provide access to the information and services the public desires.”

     While books continue to be popular items, there are now many different forms of books: books on CD, audio books, and e-books.

     The library also offers DVDs, magazines and newspapers, as well as services such as copies, faxing, wi-fi and so much more.

     “Libraries also provides programs for all ages on a variety of topics both educational and entertaining,” said Turnis. “Most importantly, libraries are a free public space where you are welcome to come and spend time and use all we have to offer with no need to purchase anything.”

     In the last five years since the 10^th anniversary of the library, so many services and programs have been added: a Teen Advisory Board, home-delivery services, a homeschool group, a StoryWalk along Willow Trail and more.

     This downtown asset to the community would not have been possible without the following people: Teri Keleher, Tom Yeoman, Connie Byers, Nancy Digmann, Michael Felton, Denny Folken, Suzy Gilkerson, Dena Himes, Jon Husman, Phil and LaVonne Owen, Dave Tobiason, Marilyn Wilbricht, and Harlan and Sally Hawker.

     Today’s library board roster includes: Don Tapken, Kim Brooks, Joey Ellison, Ellen Strittmatter, Elizabeth Douglas, and Lisa Stevens.

     The staff who make it all possible are: Michelle Turnis, director; Penny Schmit, youth services, outreach and programming; and Molli Hunter, technology, adult and teen services.

     The total project cost $2.9 million. The capital campaign committee was able to bond for $486,000, with the rest coming from donations and grants.

     The Renaissance Center encompasses a total of 16,000 square feet, with more than 8,700 square feet inside the library.

     Major project donors at the time included: George LeVan and Ruth Bison, the children of George E. and Mary Lovell LeVan; John Baty, son of Ross and Elizabeth Baty; Cliff and Gladys Wears; and the Friends of the Monticello Public Library.

     “It does not seem like it’s been 15 years,” remarked Turnis, who started working at the library in January 2005. “At that time, plans were well underway for this location. I worked in the Carnegie Library for 18 months and then we moved here. In the 15 years here, we have made so many changes and improvements to keep up with the ever-changing ways people use our space and access information.”