Croix library reopens Friday with new look, lots of volunteers

When the Marine Community Library in Marine on St. Croix opens to the public this weekend, patrons may not recognize the place.

Gone is the dark wood paneling. In its place are pewter-colored walls with white trim, unstained ceiling tiles and new carpet.

Volunteers from the Marine Library Association will ensure that the Marine Community Library, which has been operating since 1968, will remain open.

Washington County, which previously ran the library, has scaled back its services to provide self-checkout lockers, a small browsing selection and occasional library activities. The city will provide volunteers and space and ensure public access.

The grand opening will be from 5 to 8 p.m. Friday and 9 a.m. to noon Saturday. The ribbon-cutting will be at 6 p.m. Friday, followed by pajama story time at 6:30 p.m. There will be story and craft hour from 10:30 to 11:30 a.m. Saturday.

Robin Brooksbank, a member of the library association, said the makeover was sorely needed.

The last makeover was done in 1968 when Brooksbank's mother, Judy Wilcox, helped open the library in the same building as the Marine Village Hall.

"She was instrumental in getting the Alice O'Brien Foundation to provide a grant that renovated the (city) garage space where the snowplow had previously been parked and convert it to the library," Brooksbank said. "My mother chose dark wood paneling because she wanted an English library look. It may have worked in 16th-century England, but it was really, really dark and dated."

A Marine resident who is a retail-space designer helped association members come up with a new interior design.

"It's much lighter," Brooksbank said. "You practically float through the space. I think patrons are going to be very pleased."

The library will be open from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. Mondays; 4 to 7 p.m. Tuesdays and Wednesdays; 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. and 5 to 8 p.m. Thursdays; 5 to 8 p.m. Fridays; and 9 a.m. to noon Saturdays.

Faced with a budget shortfall, the Washington County Board voted to close three of the county's smallest libraries in 2012 - in Marine on St. Croix, Newport and Lake Elmo.

Lake Elmo city officials decided to set up their own library, independent of the county system, but Newport and Marine will rely on volunteers and receive some services from the county to keep their libraries open.