Surprise donation funds various improvements at Walled Lake City Library

Library Director Alyson Lobert stands with library board members in the newly renovated children’s area at theWalled Lake City Library. From left to right: Lobert,Bennett Lubin, Vi Owsinek, Barb Garbutt and Gretchen Benyi. (Not pictured: Bob Shuman and Maureen Langan.)Visitors to the Walled Lake City Library may have noticed some suprising changes.

The library recently underwent a series of improvements and renovations thanks to a donation of over $80,000 from The Alfred Fahrner Trust. The donation funded the recent remodel of the library’s interior, and included upgrades to the library’s shelving and floorplan, additional seating areas, and improved technology.

“A big focus of ours was the children’s area,” Library Director Alyson Lobert said. Improvements to the area included new shelving which allowed for increased capacity, the addition of three new iPads preloaded with games and learning applications, and several other new hands-on activities and toys.

Additionally, the “portal”, or entrance to the area, was reworked to include decorative lighthouses and waves.

“We worked with Library Design Associates, Inc. in Plymouth,” Lobert said. “They had tons of ideas and we tried to pick things that would have the biggest impact and last the longest. I think we made some pretty good choices.”

Other improvements included the installation of new shelving throughout the library, which allowed for increased capacity, new furniture, and a fresh coat of paint throughout. Existing furniture and shelving was also rearranged to allow a more open environment.

“The library feels way more open and we didn’t get any extra physical space, we’re just using the space smarter,” Lobert said. “We made do with the library that we had, but we are thrilled with the improvements.”

The project, which kicked off this spring, took approximately four weeks to complete and officially concluded on June 17.

The sizable donation, Lobert says, was a complete surprise.

Fahrner, who passed away in 2013, was a resident of Commerce Township and frequent visitor to the library. His lifelong passions included music, travel, art, nature and books.

“One day I got this notification saying that he had passed away, but his wife was still alive so nothing was going to happen. I filed it away and thought nothing of it,” Lobert said. “We received notification that his wife has passed away not long after that, and that we were one of five organizations he had given to in his trust. At that point we had no idea what that meant. It could have been $500, which we would have been incredibly grateful with.”

The donation totaled over $80,000.

“He obviously had a great experience with the library. We are grateful for him and we’re grateful for all of the staff members who he interacted with in the past who obviously made this a special place for him,” Lobert said. “He spent a lot of time here, and they must have done something great to make it such a special place for him.”