The Perry Public Library celebrated its $300,000 renovation Wednesday with a ribbon cutting ceremony and tours of the facility, and a memorial patio set was dedicated outside the library’s main entrance in memory of longtime Perry supported Wilford Roberts, who always enjoyed eating popcorn and visiting with friends at that spot.
The major features of the library’s make-over include new carpet, new tile, updated restrooms and a new family bathroom, new water fountain with touchless bottle filler, new circulation desk and new east entrance for patrons.
Eleven-year Perry Public Library Director Mary Murphy was joined by fellow library staff members Misty Stout Von Behren, Jill Cook and Suzanne Kestel in welcoming community members to the event.
Murphy thanked the many generous individual and group donors to the library’s refurbishment and praised the architects and builders who brought the vision to reality. The project received grant funding from the Bock Family Foundation Inc., Dallas County Foundation, Roy J. Carver Charitable Trust and Perry Public Library Foundation along with capital funding from the city of Perry. The ETHOS Design Group Inc. designed the project and Blue Ribbon Builders were the contractors.
With the morning’s fresh spring shower glinting on the grass, the family of Wilford and Winona Roberts gathered around the powder-coated patio set to honor the memory of their forebear. Murphy introduced the Roberts’ daughter, Rhonda Olson, and her husband, Bill Olson, their grandson, Kyle Baxter, his wife, Mindy Baxter, and children, Cash Baxter and Reese Baxter.
The dedicatory plaque on the patio furniture reads: “In Memory of Wilford H. Roberts for his years of service to the City of Perry.”
Murphy reminded the assembled well wishers that the Perry Public Library is celebrating National Library Week April 5-10, and this year’s theme is Welcome to Your Library! Goodie bags are given out all week, and patrons are invited to participate in both the in-library and outdoor scavenger hunts for a chance to win prizes. Murphy also announced the addition of two more Little Libraries to the seven already in place.
