ERLANGER — Crews are putting the finishing touches on a new branch library that will be more than double the size of the current facility — which is now the busiest library branch in Kentucky.

        “Our new library will take its place as the newest and busiest cultural institution in Northern Kentucky,” said John Toelke, president of the Kenton County Public Library Board. “It was made a necessity by the huge increase in avid readers in this area.”

        Mr. Toelke said circulation figures have increased dramatically in the last three to four years, largely because of the number of educated people moving into the county.

        For fiscal year 2000-2001, the Erlanger branch library had the highest library attendance in the state, with 358,311 patrons, said Kelly Reed, executive staff adviser to the state librarian and commissioner of the Kentucky Department for Libraries and Archives.“We believe that this new building is going to enable us to provide a new level of service for the community,” said Library Director Wayne Onkst.

Rodney Sellers (left) and Charlie Jackson, of Quantum Construction, place a stone slab that is part of a fountain at the library. | ZOOM |

        With 34,294 square feet, the one-story brick building will feature a 37-foot clock tower, a more comfortable reading space and additional meeting rooms that will enable library staff to have more programs, especially for children, he said.

        At the current Erlanger branch on Dixie Highway, there isn't enough room to shelve all of the books, patrons often have to stand in line to use computers and users frequently complain about the noise and parking, staff members say.

        The new branch, which is one of 12 Kentucky public libraries under construction, will have: a separate children's department with its own computers, more books, CDs and videos; triple the number of parking spaces — 152 versus 47 - more space for meetings and programs; and nearly triple the number of computers — from 25 to 68.

        When the new $7 million library opens on Oct. 13, it also will have the first Sunday hours in the Erlanger branch's 88-year history, Mr. Onkst said.

        With the old branch now operating 64 hours a week, the new branch will operate from 1 to 5 p.m. on Sundays.

        The present Erlanger library will close at 5 p.m. Sept. 28.

        After materials are moved, shelving and computers are installed and staff is relocated, the Erlanger branch will reopen at 401 Kenton Lands Road at 2 p.m. Oct. 13.

        To accommodate the additional visitors expected for the grand opening, TANK will run a shuttle that day to and from its park-and-ride facility off Buttermilk Pike in Crescent Springs and the Silverlake Recreation Center at 301 Kenton Lands Road in Erlanger.

        Construction of the branch is being financed through a $4.5 million bond issue, a $350,000 state construction grant, library savings, the sale of the existing branch and donations — including $40,000 from the sale of bricks and pavers for a reading garden.

        Unlike public library systems in Ohio — including the Public Library of Cincinnati and Hamilton County, which is considering closing five branches because of a reduction in state funding — Kentucky's public libraries are largely dependent on local property taxes for revenues.

        This week, construction crews were laying carpet, caulking walls, running wiring and installing a 5,000-pound granite fountain in the Erlanger library's reading garden, the first in Northern Kentucky.

        Also new: a drive-through window, similar to the one at the public library in downtown Cincinnati, for readers to pick up books on reserve, pay fines or do other quick transactions.

        “When I toured the new Erlanger branch (last month), I was impressed with the openness and the emphasis on reading,” said Jim Nelson, the state librarian and commissioner of the Kentucky Department for Libraries and Archives. “To me, it's very symbolic of what a branch library can be,” he said. “It makes a huge statement on the importance of reading and lifelong learning.”

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