When the Frontenac Public Library opened its doors, with McKay Street Coffeehouse and the Heritage Hall Museum in the same building, director Seth Nutt wanted it to become a community hub. One year later, he believes it has.
“We continue to have new people come into the coffee shop and then they overflow into the library,” he said. “They take in the comfortable furnishings around the fireplace, read the newspaper, converse. That's wonderful to see in the mornings.”
Because the town had never had a public library before, Nutt and the other staff members weren’t sure what patrons would want or need. They focused on community engagement, and Nutt said the feedback has been positive.
“You know, ‘We're really enjoying utilizing the space, we're enjoying utilizing the collection, taking in our local history,’ those are all wonderful things to hear,” he said.
The library’s first year of programming has included events like mocktail classes and book signings for adults and Lego nights and summer reading for children. The summer reading programs were popular, with approximately 130 participants at the most well-attended events.
The community feedback has also been positive for McKay Street Coffeehouse, which has been open for a year and five months. Brad Stefanoni owns it with his wife, Andra, and according to him, their goal is for it to be a third space where people can spend time together.
“The community has been very supportive in that regard, just basically saying, you know, if nothing else, thanks for being here and being a place where they can meet,” he said.
Stefanoni also said they have a collaborative relationship with the library. They brainstorm ideas together, partner with each other for events and help each other with day-to-day operations if needed.
“I don't think we realized the full potential for the entire scope that might be involved, and honestly, we probably haven't seen that yet,” Stefanoni said. “There's still things that we kind of discover on a daily basis.”
Nutt and Stefanoni are expanding their collaboration with a new project focused on Frontenac’s history and culture. They’re creating a podcast, which will feature anecdotal stories from guests who both currently live in Frontenac or have lived there in the past.
“We're afraid that those stories are just going to be lost to time, and we don't want that to happen because it's part of the fabric of the community,” Stefanoni said.
For Nutt, it’s not just about preserving the stories, but also encouraging other people to share their own.
“(It will) hopefully bring back some memories for people, too, who maybe had forgotten some of the town's happenings over the years, so we’re really excited to launch it” he said.
Once published, the episodes will be available on audio streaming platforms and the library’s website.
Outside of the podcast, Nutt’s main goal for the future is to keep moving forward and providing quality programming. Similarly, Stefanoni’s goal is to continue to serve the community, who he said has been welcoming.
“Especially within the last year, there's been some volatility in the economy and things like that, and people have continued to support not only the coffee shop, but the library and all of its functions,” he said. “So we can't thank the community and everybody enough for that support.”
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