The cardinal mural on the southeast wall of the Melvindale Public Library, originally painted in 2014, was touched up by its original artist, Darin Martin.
Newly appointed Melvindale Library Director Jeannine Yarrow (left) with retiring Library Director Theresa Kieltyka.
By SUE SUCHYTA
Sunday Times Newspapers
MELVINDALE – The city’s youth services librarian, Jeannine Warrow, 48, of Wyandotte, has been named the new Melvindale library director, on the recommendation of retiring library director Theresa Kieltyka.
The City Council approved the appointment, which is effective Oct. 4, at its Sept. 15 meeting.
Warrow, who has worked at the Melvindale library for the past three years, graduated from Wayne State University with a master’s degree in Library and Information Science.
She said she learned about an opening at the Melvindale library when she was working at Barnes & Noble, which would donate extra books to the library and run book fairs at the local schools.
With Melvindale’s multi-cultural population, Warrow said it is important to support the city’s English language learners, as well as grow its collection of Arabic and Spanish language books.
“Creating that environment, so that all feel welcome in the library, is what we are really trying to focus on here, to grow that patron base,” she said. “I have worked with the schools on a lot of different ideas, and the English language specialists have said that it is important to learn their own language on top of English, because a lot of these kids are young, and it is important for them to maintain both languages in the household.”
Warrow said having books in Arabic is also a comfort to the parents, because then they have something to share with their children.
“That is one of our biggest struggles and goals,” she said.
Warrow said the library was able to purchase 11 Wi-Fi hot spots last year through a Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security Act grant last year, which allow people to access the Internet using Wi-Fi, via a wireless local area network.
“That was basically for the patrons who don’t have Wi-Fi at their house, so they have access to the Internet,” she said. “We are hoping to get that funded again, to at least get the service fee paid again, through the Emergency Connectivity Fund.”
Warrow said the hot spots were in demand during the summer, when children had to return their school-supplied hot spots.
She said adult patrons also check out the hot spots to access the Internet from home instead of from inside the library as the pandemic continues.
Since August, the library has returned to it pre-pandemic schedule, and is open 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. Monday and Wednesday, noon to 8 p.m. Tuesday and Thursday, and 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. Saturday. The library is closed Friday and Sunday.
Warrow said people come to the library for many reasons, including applying for jobs online, to make copies, scan documents, or to send a fax, and children use the computers for homework and to play games.
“Since school has started, we have definitely had a lot more kids coming in here,” she said.
Melvindale muralist Darin Martin recently refreshed the cardinal mural on the southeast wall of the library, which faces the park.
“We had new gutters put in last year, and so there was a gap where the old gutter used to be, plus it had been seven years, so some of the paint was peeling off,” Warrow said. “He repainted pretty much all of it, and added a couple branches and leaves.”
She said he brightened up the cardinals, so the color really pops.
Warrow said people take photos by the mural all the time, including graduation photos, since the Melvindale High School mascot is a cardinal.
She said she is looking forward to bringing people back to the library now that much of the remodeling, which began before the pandemic, has been completed.
The renovations include new windows, new main doors, a new motor on the side doors, and new LED lighting, which has increased the library’s energy efficiency.
In addition, a security system with cameras was installed, along with new epoxy flooring, and the walls were repainted.
The outside stone on the building was sandblasted, as well as the interior fireplace.
Warrow said with the increase in Melvindale’s population, which is now above 12,000, per the latest census, it is now a Class 4 library, which impacts its state aid status.
“There is so much potential in this library and this community,” she said. “I would love to see how far we can go.”
Warrow said libraries play an important role in diverse communities, and can help strengthen the community as well as strengthen reading skills, which are especially important to third-graders, who face retention, under Michigan law, if they are more than a grade level below in their reading skills.
“There is a lot we can do to help strengthen those reading levels, as we continue to work with the schools, so no kid is left behind,” she said.
Warrow said she wants the library to be an inclusive space.
“It can be a place where everyone feels welcome,” she said. “We have a strong role to play.”