Ground broken on new public library in Harrington
HARRINGTON, Del.- The Harrington Public Library has called its current facility off Center St. home since the 1980’s. “We’ve taken over the whole funeral home and tried to make it the best we possibly could for our community,” Library Director Marlenna Scott said.
The library is actually the last in the state without a professional facility but that changed Wednesday. Delaware Governor John Carney, First Lady Tracey Quillen Carney, and several friends of the library broke ground on the new 15,000 square foot facility. “This is going to give them more space to be able to do all the things they and improve their quality of life in this area,” Scott said.
The project has a $11.9 million price tag supported by both state and federal dollars. That includes over $6.3 million in state bond bill funds and $5.6 million in federal American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA) funds.
The project also puts the Carney administration’s total investment in public libraries at $110 million. “It’s really introducing children to books, reading, and helping us get to our goal which is by 3rd grade all Delaware students can read proficiently,” Governor Carney said. “That’s the foundation of education for students in our state and these libraries are facilities that make that happen and bringing communities together.”
For residents like Cassidy Okonewski, the new library will help her find a sense of community. “I have so many friends who aren’t readers and I get to come here and meet a bunch of people who read all the time. We get the opportunity to geek out,” Okonewski said.
Scott says they’ll now be able to reach more readers, expand their computer literacy efforts, and invest in the future leaders of tomorrow. “That’s what we always hope is that we can raise our kids up right. We want to give them all the resources we can possibly give them so they can come here and not only help make our community better but make the whole world a better place,” Scott said.
Construction will start up in September and the library is expected to open its doors to the public by the end of 2024.
