CLIPPER GREENBRIER LIBRARY RENOVATION ORK F OND ER VOLUNTEERS TRANSFORM 1992 traditional-style facility into the modem look of a retail bookseller. By Bric Feber The Virginian-Piot OREENORER ‘They went for the “wow fac- tor” and got it. The newly refurbished Greonbrier Library, 1214 Vol vo Pkwy., closed March 1-22 while a cadre of library per- sonnel, community volunteers and jail trustees with the Ches- apeake Sheriff's work-release program toiled for three weeks. ‘Together, they changed every- thing about the library, which opened in 1992. When it re-opened two weeks ago, patrons were bowled over. “Iwas there Monday, Tues- day and Wednesday when it re- opened and it was fun to watch the faces as patrons entered,” S said Phyllis Schirle, the library PAYLISSCHALE PHOTOS CHESAPEAKEPLOUCLBRARY systems spokesperson who was also one of the project's work- and spearheaded the project, ers. She evenrecruitedherown was pleased with the end re daughterintoservice duringher sult. college spring break. “We wanted to create a max- “Many who came in stopped imum impact for the ‘wow’ fac- ‘in their tracks with awide-eyed_ tor when someone comes into ‘wow’ look and then they came this new space,” she said. “We up to us and simply said ‘wow’. wanted to make people WANT ‘They toldus this lookslikeare- tocome in and explore our col- tail bookseller, not alibrary.” — lections. A library ismore than Betsy Fowler, the city's li. brary director who organized See LIBRARY, Page 8 Above & downstairs view of the new Interior, including display shelves purchased from Dillard's and Waldenbooks. Left Volunteers remove the old- style shelves, which wore donated te the school system.LIBRARY Continued from Page 1 books, it's a space for the ‘community. And I think we succeeded in creating this welcoming space.” Fowler has worked her magical metamorphoses at the South Norfolk branch and sections of the Indian River, Central and Major Hillard libraries. It's askill she brought with her when she was director of the Tap- pahannock system: “This was our most ambi- tious project yet; we took it down to the concrete floors and the bare drywalls,” she said. “enjoy doing these lay. outs and projects. The com- mercial world is genius at marketing and we utilized its techniques. Asa library in the 2ist century, we can't be shabby or old fashioned. Libraries have traditionally been these boring, lined-up steel aisles out of the World War ITera. Not anymore” Schirle said everything about the Greenbrier library ‘was literally taken down, tak- en part, removed and then reassembled, painted, refur- bishedandre-carpeted. “The staff, and every- body who worked on this was amazing,” she said. “My gosh, they all did things n part of their regular jobs. The facility was painted in buttery yellow, eggplant purple and salmon-orange colors reflecting the hues found in the newly laid car- pettiles. Free-standing wooden shelves of books, CDs, DVDs, newspapers and magazines arenow arranged and bold- ly displayed in retail con- figurations, not straight- line aisles. “We created a browsing environment found in most commercial book stores, Schirle said. “They're not just stacks, they feature face-out displays.” Heating and cooling vents were taken down, cleaned and repainted. City landscaper Virgi Landers designed an outdoor garden just outside a huge plate glass window that was formerly hidden by steel in- dustrial shelves. She plant- ed flower beds around each ‘window nook, spaces patrons now actively seek. Workers stripped, serubbed, and painted. ‘They washed every surface, cleaned every nookandcran- ny. About 70,000 items in the Greenbrier collection were taken down, stored and re- displayed, “Around 30 people worked everyday five days a week for three weeks, saving us a tremendous amount of mon- 3," Fowler said “They sand- ed, washed, scraped, paint- ed, moved, and scrubbed. It took a generosity of spirit to make this work’ Old shelves were taken apart and then donated to the city’s school system. ‘The library bought, at enor- mous price reductions, all of the wooden retail shelves from the recently closed Greenbrier Mall Walden- books and tiered shelves from a recently shuttered Dillard’s department store. Fowler said she secured carpettiles, paints and other materials froma contractor inRichmond who scoutsleft- over materials from large scale commercial projects and sells them at huge dis- counts. ‘The entire project cost around $35,000. “We got no extra funds from the city,” Fowler said. Plus eamuenororioueartan mmucueaaty shelves. Furleft Contractors paint the soffit from the second floor during the renovation of the Greenbrier Ubrary, which was stripped to Left Cty tand- seaper Virginia Landers designed an outdoor ‘ardon outside aplate-glass window that was formerty hidden by steel industrial “Itwas money in our already existing budget, we scraped for every penny.” ‘Schirle said the Greenbrier effort was also a rs project. New materials and items came from overruns and store closings, the new ing is made from recy led fibers, old shelves were donated andnewly installed lights are efficient energy savers. “This required a tremen- ous amount of vision from Betsy, and a tremendous amount of effort from the Greenbrier staff, other li- brary staffs, our admin staff, trustees and volunteers, Schirle said, “It's just an in credible transformation. We invite everyone in the city to see what we did, they won't be disappointed.” Tn fact; they may say “wow!” Eric Feber, 222.5203, ericfeberdpllotoniine.com