DELAVAN — The public library in Delavan is in the midst of a renovation and addition project
The two-story building that has housed Aram Public Library will continue to be a staple of the community, but in a different manner than what Delavan has been accustomed to. The lower level will continue to be a library with the upper level being a space for the Delavan Historical Society.
The actual library is receiving a south addition with a new 41-space parking lot. There is an anticipated opening of late 2026. At that time it will be known as the Delavan Public Library. The library is closed during the construction. Library services have been in Suite B of 830 E. Geneva St., a strip mall on State Highway 50 about a half mile from I-43.
Beloit-based Corporate Contractors Inc. (CCI) is the contractor for the project.
The project cost is $11.3 million with the city covering $9 million. The remainder is up to the Friends of Aram Public Library group through grants and fundraising
According to a 2019 study by the library, the facility could only accommodate 23% of requests to use the community meeting room. Since 1999, children and adult programming has increased 77%, according to the library, and book volume has grown 60%. DVDs and CDs have grown 86%, according to the library.
The library opened in 1908 and the last “major expansion†was in 1991.
The project will address overcrowded meeting spaces for community events and programs, a lack of indoor programming space, limited parking, inadequate accessbility for Americans with Disabilities Act, limited quiet space for public computers with some stations even difficult to access, narrow aisles and walkways not suitable for those with strollers or wheelchairs, a lack of quiet space for studying and a lack of meeting areas with amenities like counters for food service.
The renovations also will address areas that house books, audio-visual materials and electronic resources that are “so cramped it limits browsing,” according to a booklet available at .
There will be two entrances after the construction is completed. There will be an entrance on the westside of the building adjacent to 4th Street and another on the east side of the building. The east side entrance will be next to a parking lot being constructed next to 5th Street.
There will be solar panels on the roof and an electric vehicle-charging station in the parking lot.
“Those are really great and they’re thinking ahead ideas that we tried to incorporate,†Delavan Aram Public Library Foundation President Wayne Osborn said.
There is a two-sided fireplace planned. There is also a planned outdoor patio with a story pathway for all ages, but the design calls for it to also be used as a memory cafe, which is a social place for those who have memory issues. There will be a snack area with vending machines.
Library Director Michelle has been at the Delavan library for six years. There was a memory cafe a part of the previous building early in her tenure. She said they were “very difficult†because they weren’t set up for present-day wheelchairs.
“TodayÃÛèÖÊÓƵ wheelchairs are numerous in different formats and design and for someone to get in they had to open both doors twice to get into the foyer, and make a very tight turn to get on the elevator to get upstairs. And, when I was doing them, people quickly gave up,†Carter said.
Automatic-opening doors are planned in the renovations.
There will also be a meeting room, teen area, adult non-fiction area and adult non-fiction area.
There will also be a planned childrenÃÛèÖÊÓƵ department, including an area called the Discover Zone. Carter compared it to a childrenÃÛèÖÊÓƵ museum.
“There will be a lot of kinesthetic childrenÃÛèÖÊÓƵ items because you learn to read through play, crawling, moving, so that will be there. So, families can pretty much hang out all day, visit the downtown restaurants, walk around, do a little shopping and come back,†Carter said.
“We will be a tourist destination with things like the Discover Zone,†Carter said.
Project leaders are still looking for donors to sponsor rooms and walls planned for the new library. One will be a wall to display childrenÃÛèÖÊÓƵ art projects. A room would be a quiet space that would be meant to provide an area for podcasting for community members.
There will be walkers and grocery carts for people who need assisting walking through the facility.
As of July 13, there had been $1.3 million raised for the project, including $197,698 through pledges.
The Delavan Area Public Library Foundation will host a fundraiser Tuesday, Sept. 23 from 9:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. entitled “If Tower Park Could Talk,†hosted by Ginny Hall, author of the “Meandering Around Walworth County†historic publications series. The event is being billed as a “seated historic tour of downtown Delavan. The event, with a question-and-answer session, will be about an hour. Proceeds from the event will benefit the remodel and expansion project.
“Ginny will tell engaging stories and share facts about key points of interest,†a press release from the library states.
Admission to the fundraiser is either $25 or $30 with a laminated keepsake. Payments may be made to the library via cash or checks made payable to the Delavan Area Public Library Foundation.
