The Fountain Branch Library, which had been located at 501 E. Iowa St., has moved into a new building designed by Elizabeth Wright Ingraham and built by Mahler Construction at 230 S. Main St. in Fountain.
PPLD patrons and staff braved stormy weather at 9:45 a.m. on Saturday, July 8, when the Fountain Branch celebrated its grand opening at 230 S. Main St. The festivities kicked off with speeches by Executive Director Paula Miller, PPLD Board of Trustees President Aje Sakamoto, and architect Elizabeth Ingraham Wright. After the ribbon-cutting ceremony, Ms. Wright unveiled the prototype for the Historic Fountain News Wall, an 8’x20’ wall featuring news and important events from the history of Fountain. It was a great celebration and a true community event. All the scheduled events for the day went wonderfully, including 40 children from the Performing Arts Center who performed in the new community meeting room and a garden tour in the rain.
In response to the need for a larger, state-of-the-art library, PPLD partnered with the City of Fountain and Fountain-Fort Carson School District, and the private sector to build the new facility. Grants from groups such as the Chapman Foundation, Gates Family Foundation, the Boettcher Foundation, and donations from private citizens have been instrumental in bringing the project to fruition.
The new facility includes a 2,000 square-foot community room, dedicated areas for children and teens, a state-of-the-art computer center, a collection of more than 30,000 items that is part of the 1.2 million item floating collection at PPLD, a reading area with views of open space, and the Historic Fountain News Wall. Come visit PPLD’s newest library branch in Fountain!
PPLD Executive Director Paula Miller (third from left) prepares to cut the ribbon with board members and community partners.
