Library is Community Champion
The Butler Public Library is this year's Butler County Chamber of Commerce Community Champion Award winner.
Library officials and personnel were presented the award Wednesday at a luncheon at the library.
“I am truly excited and honored for the library to be selected to receive the Community Champion Award,” said Lori Hinderliter, library director.
The annual award, designed by 4-Most Architects of Butler, is presented to an organization that has made a large impact on the county, said Stan Kosciuszko, chamber president.
Hinderliter said one of the goals of the library has been to become more accessible to the community.
“We've worked very hard to make this a community center, and we're very humbled by the award,” she said.
The chamber's Past Presidents Advisory Council, which consists of past presidents and chairmen, selects the winner each year.
Kosciuszko said the library was chosen for several reasons, perhaps most notably the physical additions made to the building last year.
The library had about $400,000 worth of renovations to improve the exterior of the building, including the addition of a sun room and the expansion of the entrance. The work on the renovations lasted from July to November.
“It was the icing on the cake,” Kosciuszko said about the renovations. “The library is beautiful and is inviting to the community. It is very well deserving of the award.”
Gary Kleemann, president of the library board, accepted the award on behalf of the library. He agreed the renovations were a major accomplishment for the library.
“We were able to do a lot of things for the enhancement of this institution and the enhancement of the city,” Kleemann said about the work. “And we're very proud of that.”
The library is the headquarters for the Butler County Federated Library System. It has more than 100,000 books and offers a variety of services and programs for people of all ages.
The luncheon was sponsored by NexTier Bank and the Butler County Tourism and Convention Bureau.
