The designs are complete for a fully renovated library with three new additions as part of ongoing improvements to libraries within the Allegany County Library System.
LaVale Library, exterior rendering
Tens of thousands of books make their way through LaVale Library each year. As the distribution hub for the Allegany County Library System in Maryland, getting those materials out to patrons in a seamless, timely manner is a top priority.
The library, built in the 1980s, will soon add another priority to its list: becoming a modern, welcoming space for the community.
It’s the next branch in the system’s master plan to update libraries throughout the county.
Murphy & Dittenhafer Architects has finalized the renovation designs, complete with three new additions, which include a community room, a reading room, and a new entrance.
“Projects like these can become a sense of pride for a community like LaVale,” says Architect Todd Grove, who led the M&D design team for the library project. “Patron use often increases significantly, and those who visit the library find it’s not just about the books anymore. It’s about a sense of ownership in what a community can offer.”
Existing building
The modern library
LaVale Library is the second project within the Allegany County Library System that Murphy & Dittenhafer Architects has helped revive. The South Cumberland Library branch was fully renovated in the past few years, with the addition of natural daylighting combined with modern LED systems, state-of-the-art acoustic ceilings, new technologies and a reimagined children’s area.
The original 9,300 square feet of LaVale Library will follow a similar update, with renovations that include: removing some of the dated finish materials, such as interior brick flooring; refreshing the space with new natural wood elements; adding more sustainable carpet materials; and updating the ceiling system to include LED lighting and acoustical systems.
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But it’s the nearly 5,000 square feet of new additions that will allow LaVale Library to contribute to its community in new ways.
The first of those additions is a new Community Room, which will offer visitors a chance to hold gatherings that can range from formal meetings to educational classes to creative workshops. Moveable room partitions will allow the space to be subdivided, and modern technology will aid in quality presentations.
The second of the three additions is a new entrance, which will lead guests in two directions: either to the main library or to the new Community Room, allowing it to be used outside of normal library hours.
The third addition is a new reading room. Beyond the soft chairs and potential for a coffee cart is the opportunity the reading room brings visitors to escape. In this space, patrons will settle into a room that looks quite unique to the rest of the building.
Other additions
A new glass curtain wall system will give visitors views of the beautiful valley that hugs LaVale, surrounded by the western Maryland mountains. An outdoor rain garden immediately outside the reading room will add to the interior views, creating a tranquil space for those working on laptops, enjoying a coffee, or enveloped in the pages of a new book.
Modern materials, such as a new ceiling panel product featuring acoustic gypsum board drywall, incorporating acoustic pinhole properties, will leave the entire Reading Room ceiling looking like a white plane.
As the day fades into night, the glowing, warm interior of the new Reading Room will be visible to the surrounding community.
“The room itself will be experiential,” says Patrick Ness, Associate at M&D. “It’s one of those designs I’m really excited about because it celebrates the surrounding natural elements while functioning as a unique space.”
LaVale Library, floor plan
The future of community spaces
Buildings like LaVale Library were largely designed to hold books. Today, libraries are about more than the materials they hold.
“Libraries are about the people who will use them, and what they will feel when they go there,” Grove says. “These are community spaces that people can be proud of. That’s what we want to leave them with.”
The memorial’s groundbreaking took place in June, and the dedication is set to take place on November 11, 2024, or Veterans Day.