New chapter begins for La Grange Park Public Library

The word “hush” probably won’t be said at the La Grange Park Public Library on Saturday.

Instead you can bet on hearing laughter, music and other sounds associated with the grand reopening of the library, 555 N. La Grange Road, after a $5.1 million renovation that finished on time and on budget.

The library had a soft reopening May 6. Making sure all was running smoothly, the grand reopening was set for Aug. 3, Executive Director Gabe Oppenheim said.

Oppenheim, 47, of Oak Park grew up in La Grange Park. He has worked at the library for 27 years and was named executive director earlier this year after having served as interim director.

He is pleased with the renovation, which has resulted in plenty of changes from new windows facing La Grange Road to a room dedicated to teens.

“First of all, the space is beautiful,” Oppenheim said. “Patrons are almost uniformly delighted. We have a lot of changes that benefit the community. Study rooms we added in the adult department are super popular. We have three dedicated rooms now.”

Other warmly received additions are a teen lounge and an expanded children’s department, he said.

This was the first renovation of the library since 2005. It may not sound too exciting, but for the first time the library has restrooms on the first floor.

Leopardo Companies was in charge of construction.

Those who haven’t visited the renovated library may not recognize some parts. One big change longtime patrons will notice is a large opening in the second floor has been closed to provide additional floor space upstairs.

“It will help prevent noise from traveling throughout the building,” Oppenheim said.

Asked if his wish list was fulfilled, Oppenheim smiled.

“There certainly were some minor alterations to plans for budgetary reasons, but all the major things we wanted to accomplish we did accomplish,” he said. “We’re still waiting for some new furniture to come in.”

Saturday’s grand reopening has a full agenda after a ribbon-cutting at 10 a.m.

“There will be events throughout the day.,” Oppenheim said.

There will be a scavenger hunt, a display of local artwork by residents, library history exhibits, story time, crafts, a poetry workshop for teens and some gaming.

The parking lot party from 5 to 8 p.m. includes sampling Shh, a pilsner beer brewed specifically for the library by Hop District on 31st Street in La Grange Park.

“We’re trying to play on the library thing even though we’re not a quiet library,” Oppenheim said. “They brewed a special brew just for us.”

Pizza, pulled pork sliders and other snacks will be available along with frozen custard from Andy’s, which is a neighbor of the library.

“I’m very jazzed,” Oppenheim said of the event, noting that libraries have evolved through the years.

“The conventional wisdom about libraries is that we’re all about books,” Oppenheim said. “That is still true. But I think over the years we’ve become more and more a community space, a place for people to hang out, study or do work.”

The library offers about 30 laptops for adults to use.

“That’s a change we made in 2010,” he said.

The makerspace is for making crafts, he said.

A teen lounge on the second floor has proved quite popular, he said. The afternoon of July 26 found two girls there busy making bracelets.

“I like it. It’s very fun,” Grace Tangorra, 12, of La Grange Park said of the lounge.

“I love it. It’s my first time here. They have things to do,” said Hope Voegtle, 12, of Westchester.

Glancing around the second floor, Oppenheim said that while there is a bit less space for books in the library, “we haven’t significantly reduced the size.”

“Books,” he said, “come in all the time.”

Count La Grange Park resident Pat Collado among the pleased patrons.

As she and two granddaughters were leaving the library, Collado said she’s at the library often with her grandchildren.

“There’s a variety of choices for kids,” Collado said.

The library opened at its location in 1989.