Sometimes, big projects can’t happen until the little things are done, such as the time when members of the Harrisburg Keystone Rotary Club moved books into storage and disassembled shelves before renovations could begin for McCormick Riverfront Library’s renovation and restoration.

“Any time that The Library has a need, the club is more than happy to step up,” says club president Lisa Howald.

If Howald’s name sounds familiar, it’s because she’s the former Library Manager for McCormick Riverfront Library. Today, she is a case worker in the Cumberland County Assistance Office and retains strong ties to the Dauphin County Library System. Recently, Harrisburg Keystone Rotary Club awarded the Friends of Kline Library its $5,000 annual Community Grant to restore the Library’s mosaic and create an inviting courtyard. 

Howald’s Library life crossed paths with Rotary when a friend encouraged her to apply to Rotary’s vocational exchange. She was accepted and traveled to Taiwan, visiting libraries there, “which was amazing.” As she gave presentations about her experience to clubs, she decided to join the Harrisburg Keystone Rotary Club.

“It was a natural fit to talk about The Library,” she says. “Everyone there is a fan.”

Why does Rotary support The Library?

Rotary is an international organization with seven areas of focus, one of which is education and literacy. The club president before me, Duke Adams, wanted to know which of the seven areas matter most to us, and education and literacy was at the top of the list. A library is exactly that.

How did the grant come about?

The club president decides the direction of the annual community grant. I looked into whether it could be applied to the McCormick restoration, but the grant can only go to projects not already underway. The Library’s administrator of managers told me that the Kline Friends were coming up with a beautification project. Their president, Kathy Denton, is just a dynamo. Really, they made it all happen. We just provided the funds.

What do you think about expanding the idea of libraries to incorporate outdoor spaces?

When I worked as a children’s librarian for The Library, we would try to do programs outdoors during the summer, and it was tricky because there wasn’t a good spot for it. Now, Kline Library has this welcoming space if they want to get the kids moving outdoors in the sunshine or just have a more welcoming space. I love what they’ve done with it. I hope that it brought some attention to The Library. Kline is definitely a family library, and that is a great family space.

Does Rotary like to facilitate the kind of collaborative process that made this project happen?

Absolutely. It’s called a Community Grant for a reason.