The Delaware County District Library broke ground on November 18 on the newest facility to be added to the library system, the Liberty Branch Library. Located at 7468 Steitz Road in Powell, the building will be the fifth brick-and-mortar location for DCDL, with other buildings in Delaware, Ostrander, Orange Township, and downtown Powell. “Breaking ground on the Liberty Branch Library is the next step in a process that has been community-driven from the beginning,” said Deputy Director Molly Meyers LaBadie. “From the overwhelming passage of the Library’s November 2018 levy renewal request, to community forums, website feedback, and staff input, the branch doesn’t have a corner that hasn’t been looked at with residents and users in mind.”

The groundbreaking ceremony took place at 2:00 p.m. with just ten individuals in attendance, in order to comply with current public health orders pertaining to COVID-19. The event was also streamed live to the Library’s Facebook page and broadcast on televisions in each of the Library’s four locations for staff and users within the Library to view.

Remarks were welcomed from the following individuals:
• George Needham, Director, Delaware County District Library
• Michael P. Butler, President, Delaware County District Library Board of Trustees
• Karen Cowan, President, Friends of the Delaware County District Library
• Frank Bertone, Mayor, City of Powell

Additionally, proclamations from the offices of Congressman Troy Balderson, Ohio Senator Andrew Brenner, and the Delaware County Commissioners were read at the ceremony.

The Trustees of the Delaware County District Library earlier this year approved the plans for the two-story, 42,000 square-foot building on the border of Liberty Township. The building will amass a 3.7 acre footprint on the northwest corner of Home and Steitz roads.

The timeless design will continue the DCDL moniker of being the “community’s living room” while being physically located in the community, surrounded by residential neighborhoods. Architects at SHP have designed a building with an attractive use of stone, welcoming landscaping and a tasteful nod to Powell’s rich history.

The building will be made possible with special thanks to the architects at SHP, construction manager at-risk Marker, civil engineers at the Kleingers Group, structural engineer SMBH, and technology engineer KLH Engineers.

“This [Liberty Branch Library] was always about so much more than a simple campaign promise. In a world shaken by a global pandemic, political strife, climate change, and a thousand and one other ills, a library is—in itself—a promise. A library is a promise that we can use our intelligence to improve our lives and our world. It is a promise that our next generation will have the opportunity to be better educated and more adaptable to the world they will inherit. It is a promise that the knowledge, the literature, the poetry, the faith, the cultures that we have inherited and augmented, will endure.” – George Needham, Director, Delaware County District Library

“We look forward to being good neighbors here, bringing great reading and viewing materials, interesting programs, and new excitement to this community. We invite you to join us on this journey and to be both the cause and the recipient of that excitement.” – Michael P. Butler, President, Board of Trustees of the Delaware County District Library

“We are looking forward to getting acquainted with the Liberty Library staff, Liberty Library patrons, and with the Liberty Library community… Welcome, Liberty Library, to the family of the Delaware County District Library, the best library in the State of Ohio, if not the country.” – Karen Cowan, President, Friends of the Delaware County District Library

“The Delaware County District Library has been a longstanding partner in our city for decades. Children, teens and adults have enjoyed many educational services provided at the Powell Branch in Library Park… We congratulate the Delaware County District Library on this new addition. We look forward to the opening of our new branch and the expanded services this will provide for our community to experience lifelong learning for generations to come. ” – Frank Bertone, Mayor, City of Powell

“This expansion confirms the importance of a robust library system in Delaware County and the role that all of this systems’ facilities play in our community’s ability to connect, learn and grow.” – Proclamation from Delaware County Commissioners Jeff Benton, Barb Lewis, Gary Merrell

“This branch is a welcome addition to the area. This new library will undoubtedly gain a loyal following and earn the gratitude and appreciation of many satisfied patrons, enhancing the quality of life within our community. The opening of this venture is a justifiable source of pride and an excellent reflection not only on the Delaware County District Library itself but also on the entire community.” – Senatorial Citation from Ohio Senator Andrew O. Brenner

“The Liberty Branch is an exciting investment for the community and will continue to help foster learning and curiosity in visitors of all ages. I am confident the Delaware County District Library: Liberty Branch will be an important pillar in our community.” – Proclamation from Congressman Troy Balderson