Olivia Foster ’18

The Transformation Project for the Westport Public Library has been underway ever since the Representative Town Meeting (RTM) approved the $5 million necessary to start the initiative in January. This September however, the project was aided by a generous donation of $1 million made by Westporter Christian J. Trefz, owner of Fairfield County’s McDonald’s franchise.
Isabel Handa ’19, a frequent visitor at the library, is looking forward to the new renovations and believes it will entice more students to use the library. “I think the plans are great. I’m always looking for a quiet place to study,” Handa said.
One of the largest renovations will take place in what is currently known as the Great Hall. This space will be transformed into the Forum and named after Trefz. It will feature an open floor plan with room dedicated to research, studying and patron services. Its most boastful feature will be the 600 people venue for events and programs that the Forum can accommodate.
The initial reason for the Transformation Project was due in part because of the shift towards a more digital age. In its current state, the library does not reflect the technological and cultural adaptations of our society, and Executive Director Bill Harmer is looking to change that by making the space more flexible.
“Spaces will be more functional and support more than one purpose. Places where education and recreation comes together. Places where you can dig into a book, socialize, get a coffee, collaborate on a project in the MakerSpace or attend a class or program. Libraries are shifting from places where information is used to places where information is created and shared. Today’s libraries are social and collaborative spaces.”
Trefz has been a member of Fairfield County for a while and currently operates 45 McDonald’s restaurants in Connecticut and New York. His donation makes him one of the many donors in the community who make up the Library’s Cornerstone Society and have supported this project. Although the project will end up costing a total of $19.5 million, it has been substantially aided by a number of private donors, such as Trefz. The library has raised over $17 million so far and they received a grant for $1 million from the Connecticut State Library.
Like Handa, Jacob Qiu ’19 frequently uses the library, especially around midterms and finals, and feels the upstairs portion of the library could be improved upon. “A lot of the times around finals or testing days, it would be too crowded to find a seat to study at. I don’t speak for everyone, but more times than not, I’m going to the library to study, not to find a book to read.”
The main goals of the renovation will include a main level with conference rooms and quiet areas, a larger cafe space, an art-recording studio, as well as a new and improved MakerSpace. On a more technical level, the Transformation Project will replace inefficient mechanical systems, specifically the elevator, which hasn’t been replaced since 1986.
Another innovative feature that will build on the MakerSpace program in the library is the HackerSpace. This will become a workshop area where people can put their creative minds to action and use equipment, such as laser cutters and wood lathes.
Students can look forward to a state of the art library the summer of 2019 with increased study space, window views of the river front and a more peaceful environment for all that midterm and finals studying. Harmer believes that the the vision for this project will positively change the community’s view of the library as a whole. “Libraries, as spaces, need to inspire communities to dream big and to think great thoughts,” he said. “I am looking forward to seeing how the creative minds of Westporters leverage the dynamic and flexible spaces in the new Library to discover, exchange and create new ideas.”