Original article published in the Mower County Independent, Thursday, June 25, 2026. Reprinted with permission and gratitude.
By Gretchen Mensink Lovejoy
They’ve been scheming.
Just wait until the work’s done…
“I’ve been meeting with the construction committee to discuss the color scheme,” said Bolton & Menk engineer Philip Bussey as members of the Spring Valley Public Library’s (SVPL) construction committee gathered with the Spring Valley Library Board of Trustees on June 25 to review with Bussey the plans for the library’s new façade and patio, a process that has been underway for the past several months after the library received a state library construction grant to upgrade SVPL’s exterior covering because the former SuperValu grocery store has been in service as a library for nearly a quarter century.
The long-awaited project has been on the trustees’ list of improvements for the past several years due to the exterior, EIFS, or external insulated finishing system, having weathered the weather itself, along with impacts from snowblowers and lawnmowers and young bicyclists who overlook that their handlebars cause damage to the structure. Furthermore, the north end of the library has unused outdoor space that is to be converted into a patio accessible by a door from the collections room. The board and administration had applied for a matching grant from the state to help underwrite the costs, and in March, they were pleased to hold the official paperwork for the grant’s funding.
The construction committee has convened and brought its determinations to the library board for further consideration throughout the beginning of the year and into the summer. Also, trustees and library director Melissa Vander Plas had passed samples of exterior finishing materials around the table during previous library board meetings to gather input on what color scheme and configuration might look best to make patrons and visitors confident that the place they are entering is indeed a community center for learning and entertainment. During the most recent board meeting, Bussey showed the trustees a concept drawing of the library clad in gray stonework and stucco-like material, with the faux stone wrapped all the way around the ends of the building to provide greater protection to the corners. He highlighted for the members what the patio could look like as well, and he took suggestions and traded items out of and into the concept drawings as the board asked questions.
He outlined that “the next phase is bidding and the actual construction process” once the board is satisfied with its and the construction committee’s choices. Bussey delineated, “This project is above the threshold…it requires a public bidding process.” The board was to approve the bidding process, then the bids will be brought to the city council, with hopes that the project’s parts can be awarded and construction begins early this fall for a refreshed start in the new year. Vander Plas expressed optimism in the bidding timeline and her excitement at the impending construction that will transform the library’s front entrance and yard into a place that welcomes the community to come in and find a book or settle in for a chat in the sunshine.
SVPL’s staff is currently busy with the children’s summer reading program, but once that is finished at the end of July, there will be room for the paint contractor to complete the ongoing interior painting project as well – a cozy yet cool blue-gray replaced the beige-white that has been the backdrop for library activities since the grocery store’s conversion to a library. No matter what structural improvements are underway, readers of all ages can enjoy a good read at their library.
The Spring Valley Public Library, at 121 W. Jefferson St., is open Monday from 10:00 a.m. to 6:00 p.m., Tuesday through Thursday from noon to 7:00 p.m., Friday from 10:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m., and every Saturday from 10:00 a.m. to 2:00 p.m. For more information, log onto the library’s Facebook page or website, stop in, or call 507-346-2100.
Courtesy of the Mower County Independent, 135 E Main St. LeRoy, MN 55951, (507)-324-5325
