 "Photo: Chris Schwarzkopf / IC")
The Reynolds Corners branch of the Toledo-Lucas County Public Library system is set to become an example for other libraries throughout Ohio. Closed in the spring of last year, the location is undergoing a complete conversion as it makes the shift to an eco-friendly facility.
“Reynolds Corners was due for a complete renovation as it was,” said Charlie Oswanski, facilities and operations superintendent for the Toledo library system. “We elected to start [with Reynolds] because it’s a new project, but we’ll eventually make these changes at every branch. We’re going for a full LEED certification.”
LEED, or Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design, refers to a process of third party examination of a building to determine its level of energy consumption. The criteria for this is created by the U.S. Green Buildings Council, an independent, non-government organization largely regarded as the go-to organization for all regulations for green construction.
“We may be the first library in the state to become certified,” Oswanski said. “There are three submissions for LEED certification currently, including us, but no one is finished with their project yet, so we don’t know where the other two stand. If we don’t end up being the first, we will be among the first few. The difference here is that we’re trying for the next tier, a Silver certification.”
As one might expect, a tremendous amount of work and a strict chain of responsibility are involved in making sure the library is granted a Silver certification.
The process began about 18 months ago when the library commissioned a group of engineers to research how best to install heating, ventilating and air conditioning (HVAC) systems, lighting, plumbing and other necessities.
From there, they moved into the design phase about six months before the actual renovations began. When the project is finally finished, a second independent engineering firm will be brought in to make sure everything has been installed properly and is operating optimally.
The updates include bathroom fixtures which are “low-flow” or “no-flow,” a new skylight and a new large front window to bring in more natural light and a lighter colored roof to reduce the heat island effect common to urban areas. High efficiency lights have been added to existing fixtures and only eco-friendly cleaning products will be used in the building as well, Oswanski said. The library also plans to adhere to a strict recycling program in the future, Oswanski said.
“A recycling program has already been in place for a while throughout the system, but at Reynolds Corners, we’ll really have to commit to it and educate the public about it as part of LEED certification,” he said
The fact that Reynolds Corners lies along a bus route is also a consideration, Oswanski said. Spaces specifically for car pooling will be added to the parking lot and patrons and employees who live close by will be encouraged to walk or ride bikes to the library.
One of the most important factors for LEED certification is that the existing structure must be left intact. Because the goal is to reduce the amount of waste, complete demolition and construction from the ground up would have been extremely impractical and costly, Oswanski said. ninety percent of the materials taken out of the building have been recycled, not taken to a landfill but to another facility for reuse and fifty percent of the lumber has come from certified sustainable sources. In an effort to reduce both the cost of overseas shipping and the amount of fuel used and pollution produced as a result, all new materials were brought from within 500 miles of the site.
The renovations also made use of a nearby courtyard that was going to waste by using it to expand the interior of the library, Oswanski said.
“It made the layout of the building much less functional because the circulation desk was by the entrance and the reference section was on the other side of the courtyard, so the librarians had a hard time monitoring that area,” Oswanski said. “And it was too cold in the winter and a cooker in the summer, so it was never used.”
Bringing it back inside yielded almost a thousand square feet and Oswanski said it will become the new periodicals section. Patrons will be able to sit and read newspapers and magazines around a central fountain with plants on each corner of the former courtyard.
Beyond this will be the new children’s area which will feature a large, artificial tree with computer terminals built into the trunk. Murals of outdoor scenes and fake birds perched in the rafters and the branches of the tree will add to the woodland theme. The color scheme for other parts of the building will be earth tones.
“The initial investment will be recovered fairly quickly, in four to five years, just because of less consumption,” he said.
A definite reopening date has yet to be set, but Oswanki said the library plans to open sometime in mid-summer.
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