Dauphin County Library System is giving MOM some love. That’s MOM, as in the Madeline L. Olewine Memorial Library.

The neighborhood hub in Harrisburg’s Uptown is slated for upgrades that make using its popular computers a safer, more inviting experience.

The renovations represent The Library’s commitment to maintaining a welcoming, member-friendly atmosphere at all locations, even as the historic Your Place to Belong campaign transforms McCormick Riverfront Library and Haldeman Haly House into a joint space for learning, connecting, and history.

Madeline L. Olewine Memorial Library (MOM) is among the system’s youngest libraries, built-in 2006. MOM ranks second in the entire system in computer usage, giving local residents access to lifelines such as online job and social service applications while also offering a quiet place to play games or check emails.

“We have members come in for résumé assistance,” said MOM Interim Manager José Colon.

“During the pandemic, people applied for pandemic relief. Teenagers come in after school for downtime, just to get a few video games or some homework assistance,’ Colon said. “Most are here for the afternoon. We’re glad to see some of them come back since the pandemic.”

When The Library’s eight locations reopened after closing in March of 2020, Library officials restricted access to about 65 percent of computers system-wide to create social distancing. That decision helped keep members safe and separate the general public from MOM’s heavily used computers.

MOM staff used creative workarounds to help members utilize technology, such as loaning laptops in-house, but the restrictions sparked planning for a simple reconfiguration with a big impact. As designed by Murray Associates Architects, renovations will extend an existing bank of five computers near MOM’s front window to wrap around a side wall. Across from the circulation desk, eight computers will stretch out across new tables.

“Things will be a little more spread out to make our members feel safe,” said Colon. “They will feel more comfortable and secure now that they will not be on top of each other. Instead of being two feet apart, now we will increase it to four feet. The tables are going to be extended, to give our members, especially the teens, more space for their studies, notebooks and laptops.”

The project, awaiting a start date, does not take any space from shelving for library materials. It will also help MOM staff by simplifying their three-times-a-day sanitizing routine – no need to squeeze between people sitting shoulder to shoulder at the computers. Additionally, it will make it easier to increase social distancing if needed in the future.

Funding does not draw from Library operations or private donations. It all comes from $20,000 in Community Development Block Grant funds from the City of Harrisburg and $50,000 from the Institute of Museum and Library Services. The Library also has plans to pursue similar needs at the city’s Kline Library.

The MOM project will require no additional tech purchases or knocking down walls, so the location will not close, and internet and Wi-Fi access will likewise be uninterrupted.

“We wanted everybody to be safe but still have access to the computers and access to that technology,” said Community Engagement Strategist Dominic DiFrancesco. “Computer services, like so many things during the past year and a half, have been taken away from people. Working hard to get back some of those things we took for granted is so important, especially at The Library, where these services are things that people need every day.”

Cheryl Harmon, a member of The McCormick & Olewine Library Friends, regularly uses MOM’s printers. She puts her documents on a thumb drive, and “any time I have a question about using the equipment, someone there is always very efficient,” she said. She often sees other Library members making good use of MOM’s computers and printers.

“So much material that people need to apply for work and apply for benefits is digital,” she said. “If you don’t have regular access to a computer or the internet, The Library is the place to go.”