The Village of Lakemore and Springfield Township now have their own library. The Akron-Summit County Public Library is opening a branch there this weekend.
The new location was made possible by a county-wide levy passed in 2015.
Outgoing library Director David Jennings says the opening marks one of his final goals.
“They were waiting for a branch for a really long time, and all those years we didn’t have the funding. We just couldn’t do it, and now, once we passed the levy ... we’re going to get it open just before I retire.”
The satellite location is the first new facility for Akron-Summit County Public Library in a decade.
Jennings says that locations like the new branch are key in making progress on positive community initiatives.
“We are more engaged with our community, not only in Akron but in all the communities we serve than we ever have been before," says Jennings.
He says the public library is a unique institution. "We’re perceived as neutral, so we’re a really good collaborative partner because nobody thinks we’re gonna steal their cheese.”
The Springfield-Lakemore Branch Library is the system's 18th site in Summit County.
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