Over 101 years ago the Osterhout Free Library’s South Branch opened in the Rolling Mill Hill neighborhood of Wilkes-Barre.
One day after the anniversary, community members and elected officials cut a green ribbon with a very large pair of scissors to officially open the doors of the library's newest location.
"A little library growing larger every year is an honorable part of man's history. It's man's duty to have books. A library is not a luxury, but one of the necessities of life," executive director Rick Miller said, quoting Henry Ward Beecher, a Christian minister from the 19th century.
Last January pipes burst at the library’s longtime Airy Street location inside a deteriorating century-old building. The South Branch, part of the larger Osterhout Free Library, permanently closed, leaving a hole in the neighborhood. A group of community members became determined to find a new space.
And they did at 100 Parrish St.
Elected officials including state Sen. Marty Flynn (D-Scranton) and state Rep. Eddie Day Pashinski (D-Wilkes-Barre), helped secure funding to get the branch up and running.
"The greatest part of this job is when we can do something like this to help," Pashinski said.
"It's places like these that are shining light in the darkness for kids," Flynn said.
Inside, two large street-facing windows let in tons of natural light. Children have a cozy space to sit and read. There are two computers near the back of the library and a small kitchen for its food programs.
After the ceremony Roy Castillo walked into the branch to a round of applause.
He's a local business owner focused on developing Rolling Mill Hill. Castillo owns the building and was planning to put a neighborhood grocery store there. But he suggested the location after others had fallen through.
Rebecca Schmitt, the branch’s longtime librarian, sat behind an old wooden desk that's been part of the branch since the beginning.
She helped save as many items as she could from the original location. Miss Rebecca, as she's known, dabbed tears from under her eyes during the celebration. She was overwhelmed and happy for the neighborhood children.
"They'll know that it's a safe place to be," she said.
Wilkes-Barre Council President Tony Brooks gave Miss Rebecca a gold framed photo from the day the library opened over a century ago. They later hung it on the wall where it joined other historical photos from the neighborhood decorating the tops of shelves full of books both thick and thin, tall and short, and DVDs, and reminding the readers of how far the library has come.
Brooks had two words for Miss Rebecca.
"Thank you," he said.
