The calendar year of 2024 for the Mentor Public Library ended with some major achievements such as the start of an expansion plan, several successful weekly programs across all branches and a mural in the stairwell of the main branch that Executive Director Cheryl Kuonen said sums up the approach for the future. “We have a new mural at our main branch that says, ‘The story never ends.’ And that’s how we feel at the library,” Kuonen said. “Our work should never be done. There is always another chapter. And we’re very excited for Mentor Public Library’s next chapter.” Library officials are optimistic 2025 will be a transformational year for Mentor Public Library, as it breaks ground on the renovation and expansion for its main branch and surrounding campus. The plan will begin with an update to the green space outside of the building where the library hosts its popular outdoor programming. The library received a Library Services and Technology Act Competitive Grant worth more than $11,000 to partly fund this stage of the project. It will pay for a new storybook walk, outdoor seating, and an interactive pebble harp musical wishing well. The well encourages nature play and exploration by allowing children to collect pebbles and create musical sounds by dropping them in the well. “These enhancements will enable the library to provide an engaging space for programs that will meet the needs of our patrons for years to come,” said library Partnership & Development Manager Cory Blackledge, who wrote the grant. The outside additions also include a shelter so the library’s outdoor programming can still occur when it rains, as well as a garage. The garage will have secured storage for the library’s vehicles and equipment, a work space for the library’s facilities staff and a bathroom that would only be available while an outdoor program is occurring. Both the shelter and garage will be outfitted with security cameras. The library plans to break ground in 2025, though the timeline hasn’t been finalized. The plans for inside the building include an expanded children’s play area, upgraded makerspace, additional soundproofed study rooms and more space for the library’s popular passport services. Most likely, the main branch’s expansion and indoor renovations will not begin until 2026. The library has budgeted $4 million — not including design services — for his project. The library has also received anonymous donations to help fund it. The project will not necessitate a levy or additional funding from taxpayers. Mentor Public Library still has a full slate of programs planned for the new year, which include: • A Winter Reading Challenge where teen and adult readers can win gift cards for reading books and enjoying library services. • Monthly Tai Chi classes at the library’s Lake Branch, beginning in February • A poetry contest in April, which is National Poetry month. • A lecture series on Cold War presidents from MPL Librarian Dr. John Foster, whose history lectures have been viewed hundreds of thousands of times on YouTube. The series begins on Feb. 27 with a talk about Harry Truman. • Summer Reading begins May 30 and the theme will be Color Our World. The library will offer programs using different art mediums all summer, including a mural tile project on June 12 and a pair of programs with the Cleveland Art Museum about masks in the museum’s collection on June 24. • A 3-part series with the Educational Service Center of the Western Reserve that offers expert advice on early literacy on Jan. 23, dealing with bullying on Feb. 13, and chronic absenteeism and Feb. 20. The series is designed to connect schools to students’ families regarding important issues. All of these programs are free to attend. Registration is required for some, because of limited space. To sign up for a program, visit the library’s event calendar at www.mentorpl.org or call the library at 440-255-8811 ext. 1. Mentor Public Library also received a Know Your Flow Ohio Grant to continue stocking free period products in the public bathrooms of its Main, Lake and Headlands Branches.