This is the library Powell deserves. 

As I was walking through the tall ceilings in the under-construction building last week alongside Park County Library District Director Karen Horner and Groathouse Project Manager Andrea Richardson, I was impressed. 

So was Horner, and it was far from her first time at the site. 

I thought back to the times I’ve taken my boys to the old library. The staff did the best they could with the building they had, but after living in Cody for a couple of years, it was frustrating that Powell residents didn’t have that same level of facility. 

That’s about to change. This facility is going to be very nice and light. Richardson said when she gives someone a tour, she mentions that all of the spots along the walls with plastic in them will be windows — there’s a lot of plastic. 

The vaulted ceiling letting in light over the main collection area will be a nice change from the often cramped feel of the old building. 

And it’s not just aesthetics. Like in Cody, this building will have a large meeting room, a big activities room and smaller meeting rooms. 

It may not be surprising then that there are dozens of people applying for a chance to work at the Powell Library, even though it’ll include needing help with the transition from the current temporary location to the new building. 

People are drawn to new and exciting opportunities, and the new library certainly qualifies. It even has improved spaces for employees, with a new workspace with a view of the other areas, including the children’s area, which allows for efficient supervision by librarians. 

Employees will also have a breakroom, unlike in the old building. 

When it comes down to it, as far as actually usable space, the new 14,000 square foot building will more than double what the old building could offer, due to how many areas, such as the basement, were not able to be used very effectively. 

More than anything, this project shows that, when local, county, state and even federal resources work together, big projects can still come to fruition. 

It took awhile — Horner said it was the first big tasked she was told about after being hired — but the library on its way to completion is a sign that proponents of a new senior center and a rec center ought to take to heart: Don’t give up, keep pushing and hopefully some point soon those projects too will be on the way.