When is a groundbreaking truly groundbreaking in its impact? When it celebrates a project sure to transform an entire community.

Official groundbreaking for the Dauphin County Library System’s Your Place to Belong project took place on Thursday, October 14, but if you have seen the McCormick Riverfront Library lately, you know that work was already underway on an adventurous addition to downtown Harrisburg.

Your Place to Belong bridges the 21st and 19th centuries by connecting the McCormick Riverfront Library to the historic Haldeman Haly House next door. All that space and architectural splendor gives The Library the freedom to dream up – and create – new approaches to learning and service.

“Who could have imagined where this journey is taking us?” said Dauphin County Library System Executive Director Karen Cullings. “When we were offered the chance to buy the Haldeman Haly House, a dream came true. McCormick Riverfront Library will grow even more vibrant in its role as a community hub, and Haldeman Haly House will brim with educational events, researchers exploring Harrisburg’s rich past, and dialogue that builds understanding among people.”

The Haldeman Haly House was designed and built around 1812 by Stephen Hills, architect of the original state capitol. In later years, it was home to Pennsylvania Governor John Andrew Shulze, an advocate for free compulsory public education. It was also the home of Sara Haldeman Haly, who left a $60,000 bequest in 1895 to fund the Dauphin County Library System and deeded her garden as the site for what is now McCormick Riverfront Library.

Reuniting the two properties will add space for new and expanded ventures. Every member of the community will benefit:

• Kids and families: A dedicated children’s and family area will restore more than 3,400 square feet of McCormick Riverfront Library space just for kids and learning in STREAM (that’s science, technology, reading, engineering, arts, and math). In a city where half of all children live in poverty that can impede their education, the children’s area will fill a key need for enriching learning experiences.
• Job seekers and human services recipients: The Library has long been a welcoming place for people underserved by traditional institutions, whether they are job seekers, experiencing homelessness, or digitally disconnected. While The Library’s computers remain, as always, at their service for job searches, communications, and applying for benefits, the new M&T Bank Business Center will provide a convenient place for printing, faxing, and copying documents, with access to mailing supplies that keep residents connected to employers and services. Private consultation areas will also allow Dauphin County Human Services agencies, now working in partnership with The Library, to meet with clients and address their intertwined needs.
• Researchers and history lovers: The reconstructed entrance to the complex will become the T. Morris Chester Welcome Center – a gateway to an archive dedicated to one of Harrisburg’s most influential citizens. Before, during, and after the Civil War, Chester was a journalist and civil rights advocate who traveled the world speaking up for his rights and the rights of fellow Black citizens. The Harrisburg Past Players will make The Library their home, continuing their presentations that bring audiences face-to-face with Harrisburg’s remarkable history of social justice advocacy.
• Learners and leaders: The Haldeman Haly House will feature 800 square feet of flexible meeting space for seminars and workshops on the world of topics that The Library cultivates. The Library will continue in its role as an arbiter of social justice, with vibrant spaces for dialogue and enrichment that bridge gaps and bring communities together.
• Residents with disabilities: Space and configuration limitations have made McCormick Riverfront Library’s ADA access outdated. Reconfiguration of the entrances will open multiple access points in the complex for safe and convenient use of The Library and Haldeman Haly House by all.
• With COVID-19 raising awareness about the importance of protocols in staying healthy, the project will allow The Library to reconfigure its space, HVAC, plumbing, and furniture to minimize the spread of infection and maintain a fresh, sanitized atmosphere.

“For more than a century, this community has generously donated its time and treasure to The Library,” said Your Place to Belong campaign co-chair Andrew Enders. “Now, The Library is returning the favor by investing in the community. We are well on the way to creating an exemplary space that models the direction of libraries for the 21st century and beyond.”

By seizing a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity and implementing a visionary plan, The Library is recharging its mission to serve as the region’s trusted partner for growth and connection, said campaign co-chair Susan L. Anthony. The generosity of donors who are driving the campaign close to its $3.5 million goal demonstrates widespread support for the project.

“The historic belief in the power of learning is baked into the bricks and stones of these buildings,” said Anthony. “With tremendous help from people and organizations throughout the region, we are bringing new purpose and meaning to a Library that has already proven its power to change lives. Harrisburg is becoming an even better place to live and work, and our Library is right in the heart of that transformation.”