Foresight Means Better Libraries in Baltimore County

I had the opportunity to tour the new Owings Mills Library Branch last week, in my role as a member of the Baltimore County Board of Library Trustees. 

This 54,000 square foot facility—which can house upwards of nearly 150,000 items—will be the 19th branch of the Baltimore County Public Library (BCPL).  The library opened to the public last Thursday, and a formal ribbon-cutting ceremony is scheduled to take place this week.

The Owings Mills branch, at over 54,000 square feet, will be the largest and most most technologically advanced location in the system.  The branch is situated within the larger "County Campus at Metro Center," a shared use facility with the Community College of Baltimore County.  Even more unique is the branch's close proximity to the Owings Mills subway station, making it an integral part of Baltimore County's first transit-oriented development project.

For me, what is the most special about this branch opening is the fact that it represents only the most recent investment that Baltimore County has made in library services over the past several years.  In spite of the economic upheaval caused by the Great Recession, our county has continued to place a priority on the improvement and expansion of library services for us all.  For example, just since 2009, the following improvements or expansions have taken place.

1. No less than four new library branch buildings have opened.  Two of these, Perry Hall (2009) and Arbutus (2010) were replacements for older, leased spaces, while two others, Sollers Point (2011) and Owings Mills (2013) were completely new locations.
2. In 2010, the Cockeysville Branch was gutted and completely redesigned, while over on the west side of out county, a second Storyville interactive children's library was added at the Woodlawn Branch.
3. In 2011, the Towson Branch received a make-over, most notably including expanded and redesigned group study rooms.  Also that year, $450,000 in renovations were completed at the Randallstown Branch and included a modified storefront entrance, renovations to the lobby, and the installation of three study rooms.
4. In 2012 roofing repairs were conducted at both the Reisterstown and Parkville Branches.
5. Throughout this time period, a host of other operational improvements were also implemented including:  self-checkout, a new library catalog software system, and the expansion of e-books and other advanced reading media.

Significant investments such as these simply would not have happened without a commitment from the leadership of Baltimore County.  Starting as early as the year 2000, then County Executive Dutch Ruppersberger recognized that various communities throughout Baltimore County were underserved with regard to libraries.  He laid the foundation for future success by making the expansion of BCPL a major theme in the 10-year capital program that his administration ultimately adopted.

From 2002 until 2010, County Executive Jim Smith presided over one of the most fortuitous times for BCPL since it founding in 1948.  His love of libraries infused all of the improvements made over much of my tenure as a volunteer for BCPL.  He was always present at library functions, and made sure to promote and broaden the vision of his predecessor. 

, could have easily rolled back some of the increased investments made in library services over the past decade.  Positively, it was Kamenetz who made sure that the new Owings Mills Branch went from just being a plan on the drawing board to a reality for the community. 

He and the members of our current County Council have recognized that the range of educational, cultural, and other opportunities offered by BCPL are more essential now than ever.  The best way that we can all recognize the foresight of these three leaders is to take full advantage of the library services that years of prudent investment of public dollars have brought us.