Dear Community Members,
We hope you are enjoying your favorite summer activities! Here at the Kendallville and Limberlost Libraries, we are not only embracing the season but also preparing to update our facilities to better support your educational and exploratory needs.
On behalf of the Library’s Board of Trustees, we sincerely thank you for attending our public forums and taking the time to complete our surveys. Your valuable feedback on how you use our libraries has been instrumental in guiding our decisions, ensuring we continue to serve our beloved communities effectively and efficiently.
We’re excited to share that the winning renovation bid has been awarded to Schenkel Construction of Fort Wayne, IN. We look forward to working with them as we begin this important next chapter for our library system.
Renovations are underway and are expected to conclude around June 2026. We plan to remain open for business as much as possible during the renovation process and will do our best to minimize any disruptions. To ensure continued access, we’ll be converting meeting room spaces into browsing areas as work progresses. Updates will be completed one department at a time where possible. Materials will be relocated to designated meeting rooms for your convenience, and staff will be on hand to help retrieve anything temporarily displaced from its usual location.
We’re committed to doing everything we can to keep your library experience as smooth and enjoyable as ever during this time of transition.
Thank you for your continued support!
Warm Regards,
Mindy London, Executive Director
Updated July 2025
Phase 1 - Children's Department Renovation, Cortex Renovation, Board Room Renovation, Adult Services Restroom Addition, and Maintenance Building Addition (estimated July 2025 - November 2025)
Phase 2 - Teen Area Renovation & Public Restrooms Renovation (estimated October 2025 - December 2025)
Phase 3 - Circulation and Administration Renovation (estimated December 2025 - February 2026)
Phase 4 - Adult Services Renovation & Genealogy Renovation (estimated March 2026)
Phase 5 - Adult Services Renovation Continued, Friends of the Library Store Renovation, & New Gallery Flooring (estimated April 2026 - June 2026)
Updated July 2025
Phase 1 - Study Rooms Addition & Circulation Relocaton (estimated July 2025 - October 2025)
Phase 2 - Adult Services Remodel & Small Meeting Room Remodel (estimated November 2025 - December 2025)
Phase 3 - Children's Services Remodel (estimated January 2026 - March 2026)
Phase 4 - Large Meeting Room Remodel (estimated March 2026 - April 2026)
Updated July 2025
Below are the online survey results and the board approved renderings that will be implemented based on public input.
LIMBERLOST BRANCH - Circulation Services
Information:
Questions:
What are your impressions of the space? Would you change anything? Overall, do you find the new layout appealing?
SURVEY RESULTS: “Love the lighting: not sure about all gray carpet”
LIMBERLOST BRANCH - Large Meeting Room
Information:
Questions:
What are your impressions of the space? Would you change anything? Overall, do you find the new layout appealing?
SURVEY RESULTS: “Appreciate the sound barriers”
LIMBERLOST BRANCH - Adult Area
Information:
Questions:
What are your impressions of the space? Would you change anything? Overall, do you find the new layout appealing?
SURVEY RESULTS: “thematic”
LIMBERLOST BRANCH - Children's Area
Information:
Questions:
What are your impressions of the space? Would you change anything? Do your children find the space inviting? Would they want to read here?
SURVEY RESULTS: “love the fun reading nooks”
LIMBERLOST BRANCH - Electronic Marquee
Information:
Questions:
What are your impressions of the sign? Would you change anything? Overall, do you find it appealing and visible from the road?
SURVEY RESULTS: no comments
KENDALLVILLE LIBRARY - Adult Area
Information:
- You asked for more comfortable reading areas/furniture and we wanted to refresh the space in front of the fireplace to offer a more cozy atmosphere
- Imagine another reading nook in the far back corner with comfortable seating for one
Questions:
What are your impressions of the space? Would you recommend rendering A or rendering B? Why?
SURVEY RESULTS:
The majority preferred image “B” with the pendent lighting. Image “B” will be incorporated into the remodel.
KENDALLVILLE LIBRARY - Adult Area
Information:
Questions:
What are your impressions of the space? Would you recommend any changes?
SURVEY RESULTS:
One respondent said, “this is different but useful.” Another commented, “Add shelving for displays to the outside walls of the new meeting rooms.” And a third comment read, “no, it’s fine.”
KENDALLVILLE LIBRARY - Teen Area
Information:
Questions:
What are your impressions of the space? Would you recommend rendering A or rendering B? Why? What kind of furniture and colors would you or your teenager like to see here?
SURVEY RESULTS:
The majority preferred image “B” with the pendent lighting. Image “B” will be incorporated into the remodel. Comments included, “B is more inviting with it’s low hanging lights and open seating in the middle.” Those who voted for “A” commented that they also liked the pendent lighting over the seating area.
KENDALLVILLE LIBRARY - Children's Hallway Entrance
Information:
Questions:
What are your impressions of the space? Would you recommend rendering A or rendering B? Why? Would you recommend a blend of the two? Would your children like to see this when visiting the library?
SURVEY RESULTS:
Option “A” was recommended over option “B”.
KENDALLVILLE LIBRARY - Children's Hallway
Information:
Questions:
What are your impressions of the space? Would you recommend one of these over the others? Do you prefer the gray wall or the cyan wall?
SURVEY RESULTS:
Option “A” was most liked. The Cyan wall “makes the space feel more immersive”, “is for children”, and “draws the eye more.”
Another look…
KENDALLVILLE LIBRARY - Children's Play Area
Information:
Questions:
What are your impressions of the space? Would you recommend rendering A or rendering B? Why? Would you recommend a blend of the two? Would your children like to play here?
SURVEY RESULTS:
Option “A” was most liked. A blend of the two renderings will carry through to renovation.
KENDALLVILLE LIBRARY - Maintenance Building
Information:
Questions:
What are your impressions of the building?
SURVEY RESULTS:
The overarching consensus is to make sure it matches the exterior of the main building so that it is uniform and aesthetically pleasing. Materials are being sourced to match the façade as close as possible.
ADDITIONAL SURVEY COMMENTS
It is expressed that the library needs more cozy furniture to sit and read in both the adult and children’s departments.