Community to discuss renovations to Canton Library
by Mary Helen Sprecher
newsroom@baltimoreguide.com
The way Mary Jo Lazun looks at it, the Canton branch of the library is sort of like Charlie Brown’s Christmas tree: all it needs is a little TLC to bring it back.
“It’s a great old building,” said Lazun, treasurer of the Friends of the Canton Branch.
That’s the problem, though. It’s an old building. It dates back to 1896, long before the time of climate control and the Americans With Disabilities Act.
The time has come, say officials, for the library to be brought into this century. A community meeting, known as a charette, to seek public opinion on the building, will be held on Monday, June 4 at 6:30 p.m. at the Clarence “Du” Burns Arena, 1301 S. Ellwood Avenue.
Just get one thing straight, said Lazun. This is not a meeting about closing the library.
“The charette is more about finding out what the community wants to have in the library. It’s not about looking at blueprints and saying yea or nay, it’s about what people want.”
In an e-mail circulated, Lazun asked community members a few targed questions.
“This is our chance to decide what we want to see in our local library. Do we want a separate children’s area? How about comfortable seating? Restoration of the historical part of the building? Additional computers and Wi Fi? ‘Parking’ for strollers? Real ADA access to the building? Easily configured meeting space? Expanded collection of audio-books?”
One of the chief interests of the Canton Friends, said Lazun, is “keeping the historical integrity of the building.”
The building, according to Lazun, is more than 100 years old and was the first branch library ever built.
“The Pratt was the first to do the concept of branches. This one is labeled Branch No. 4, but it actually opened first. Of the four, it’s the last one that is still open as a library. The others have been torn down, or aren’t being used as libraries any more. That makes it kind of unusual.”
The problem, though, is that the building needs “a tremendous amount of work, the biggest thing being the air conditioning and heating — the boiler keeps breaking down, and there are window units in the building. The bathrooms are, well, they’re not nice. It basically just looks really dumpy. It’s just an old building that needs TLC.”
About the only changes to the exterior might be an entrance that complies with ADA.
The Friends, said Lazun, will not be conducting the charette; instead, the meeting will be conducted by architect Barbara Wilks, who ran a similar charette for the Southeast Anchor Library.
The reason the charette is being held at “Du” Burns and not at the library itself, said Lazun, is to accomodate a bigger crowd. The library’s one meeting room is small and not as easily accessible as the Friends would like. Those who can not make the meeting are encouraged to send the Canton Friends an e-mail with any suggestions or changes they would like to see in the library branch. The e-mail address is library@cantoncommunity.org.
Another thing Lazun would like to point out?
“I think people are extremely attached to the garden, so that will stay.” She laughed. “There might be some pruning, though.”
Note: On Monday, June 4, at 6:30 p.m., the community charette for the Canton Branch of the library is held at Clarence “Du” Burns Arena, 1301 S. Ellwood Avenue. Free parking and refreshments will be offered.
