More than 100 members of the Lancaster community gathered on June 27 to celebrate the grand opening of the new location of Lancaster Public Library (LPL) in Ewell Plaza. The ribbon-cutting ceremony was followed by a community celebration at the library, including self-guided tours of the new facility and family-friendly activities like face painting, balloon twisting, and a special children's story time.

Former WGAL anchor Kim Lemon was the master of ceremonies. Executive director Lissa Holland and board president Aaron Sherman thanked the individuals, businesses, foundations, and government entities that funded the new facility. Capital campaign chair Henrietta Heisler announced that the campaign achieved its minimum goal of $10 million. Fundraising will continue through the end of 2023 to build LPL's endowment and strengthen the organization for the future.

Since opening on June 1, LPL has welcomed more than 17,500 people into the state-of-the-art building at 151 N. Queen St. The building is fully ADA accessible, open and bright, and equipped with 21st-century technology and collections that bring a new level of resources to the community.

In the first month, staff members have issued 965 library cards to new patrons. To compare, 355 library cards were issued in June 2022.

LPL now anchors the first two floors of the Christian Street Parking Garage. Lancaster Parking Authority has provided LPL with a 99-year, no-cost lease. Creating the library's space took 12 months of construction and years of planning and fundraising. Hammel Associates designed the building, and Benchmark Construction served as the general contractor.

The new home of LPL was designed to inspire, empower, and strengthen the community by connecting people with information, ideas, and enriching experiences. It has been outfitted with flexible meeting spaces, enhanced programming areas, and an abundance of charging outlets for all the technological devices being used.

For more information about the library, visit http://www.LancasterPublicLibrary.org.