TOLEDO, Ohio — A new, unique library branch may be joining the Toledo Library system in a collaboration between the library and Metroparks Toledo.
In a press release Wednesday, the Toledo Library announced the concepts for a new branch inside one of the Metroparks were in the works. The library would be located in Blue Creek Metropark in Whitehouse. It would serve as both a library and a conservation center, which the organizations said would allow for community events, unique programming and resources in western Lucas County.
"The idea is to create a new model that doesn't exist anywhere else," said Dave Zenk, Executive Director at Metroparks Toledo, in the press release. "A blend between a nature center and library that focuses on the natural history of our region and the notion of conservation literacy."
The current Whitehouse Library has been operated by volunteers for more than 20 years, the Toledo Library said in a video regarding the announcement.
"Having a library at Blue Creek would be absolutely a dream come true... it's more than we could ever imagine," Barb Smigelski, a Whitehouse Library Volunteer advocate, said in the video.
The Toledo Library said it hopes the new branch would better serve the communities of western Lucas County, especially Whitehouse, which library officials described as experiencing some of the fastest population growth in the county.
The Toledo Library said it could begin planning and design for the new branch as soon as early 2025, should Issue 24 pass. Issue 24 is a proposed bond issue for those living in the Toledo-Lucas County Public Library District. The bond, if passed, would be 1 mill over 30 years for the purposes of construction, improvement and maintenance of library buildings, according to ballot language. The Toledo Library did not give an estimate for the completion date of the potential branch.
"If you travel the county, you will see similar increases at our Holland Library, opportunities for investing in a new Washington Branch, long overdue upgrades for Heatherdowns, Kent, and Maumee, and all the branches where we are doing our best to meet rising community needs," said Toledo Library Executive Director Jason Kucsma in the press release.
The press release accompanied an announcement video, which is included below:
