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Lights Up on the Library

DIY Do-Gooders Tackle Upgrades and Repairs

What might have been a publicly-funded retrofit at the Glasgow City-County Library became a philanthropic venture recently when locally-based Mattfeldt Electric teamed up with the Friends of the Library to provide the juice for some much-needed repairs and remodeling.

In July, the Friends' board signed off on the cost of replacing outmoded fixtures as part of an agreement with Jon Mattfeldt, who stepped in to donate the labor and miscellaneous expenses. Work soon began in earnest.

As of early last week, visitors to Glasgow's Third Avenue location have been able to browse the stacks with a lot less squinting.

"The new lights provide a much better reading environment," says Library Director Megan Fish Haddix. "We've noticed a real difference. It's like night and day.'

The Mattfledt crew installed LED lighting to replace inefficient models with cracked lenses, which were yellowed from use, extremely dirty, and generally outdated.

The new models are energy efficient, longer-lasting, and emit a color temperature closer to sunlight, making small text and other hard-to-see items easier on the eyes.

City and county officials were approached for funding, but discussions did not produce any additions to the project budget, prompting the Friends and Mattfeldt to tackle the task on their own.

Lighting is one of those features of our interior landscape that often goes unnoticed. Left to diminish over time, we're likely to ignore what can become expensive and/or subpar illumination. If a fix is needed, we screw in a bulb. If the bill is a little higher than it used to be, chalk it up to inflation. But the truth is that dated lighting can often be replaced cheaply and to great effect with the advent of better technology.

When local electrician and photographer Sean Heavey first conceived the idea that new windows and light fixtures at the library could actually save the institution money, it seemed like common sense. Over time, and not too much time at that, the estimated cost of approximately $10,000 for new lights at the system's flagship branch ought to be offset almost entirely by savings.

According to Heavey, increased efficiency should combine with improved light quality to maximize the basic functionality of the library (i.e., reading) at virtually no longterm cost.

"The building still had single-pane windows that frosted up in the winter," explains Heavey, who works at Mattfeldt and sits on the library's board. "And the lighting was a mess [...] I hate wasting money."

Commercial grade, thermal pane windows were installed at the location in 2014.

Moving forward, the library can expect to enjoy the recent passing of a local bond measure that will free up as much as $50,000 for basic repairs and remodeling as early as December of this year.

"We're happy about the progress we're making with the space," says Haddix, adding that further improvements are in the works, including repairs to the building's heating and cooling system, carpets, and new uses for the downstairs spaces.

Heavey adds, "We're trying to spend what we have responsibly."

With luck, the combination of public funds and private enterprise will fuel improvements at one of our community's most valued educational resources for the foreseeable future. If recent efforts are any indication, the civic-mindedness of area residents and businesses may be the difference between a library system with adequate facilities, and one that really shines.

 

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