Westfield Washington Library nears completion

(WESTFIELD, MARCH 21, 2024) – With less than three months before its grand opening, the new Westfield Washington Public Library is shaping up to be a true community gathering place.

Library Director Sheryl Sollars said the goal for the larger space is to make it more than simply a place for books.

“What our vision was, was to make it a community space,” Sollars said. “We were able to make it more functional for the public and the staff. We tried to think of things that aren’t accessible to the people of Westfield and incorporate those.”

To that end, the new 55,000-square-foot building at Park Street and Poplar Street/Westfield Westfield Boulevard will have several common areas, including a makerspace, a 3D printer, sewing machines, a podcast room, a green screen room, multiple meeting rooms and study spaces, an outdoor terrace, a cafe and a gathering stair.

“Anything you might not normally have at home, but you want to use,” Sollars said. “We felt we were meeting a need. We imagine all kinds of things happening here.”

Of course, it has books, too.

“We have the personal feel if you want to talk to a librarian, but if you just want to come in and pick up your books, you can do that,” Sollars said.

About 20 percent of the new space is reserved as the new site for Westfield Washington Township.

The township underwent a strategic planning process last summer, which highlighted the need for more understanding of what the township does and what it can offer to residents.

“With the new building, I think we’re going to engage with more residents and increase community awareness about what the township truly does and how we can benefit each of our residents,” Westfield Washington Township Trustee Jamie Goetz Mills said. “We’re very excited that in the new building we’ll have a community room that will fit 48 people for additional programming and additional events.”

The grand opening is scheduled for June 1.

This article originally appeared in Current (Westfield edition). Read the full article here.