"My son and I found friends in Babygarten at the library we are still close with today, eight years later."
A New Richmond parent told the Wisconsin Library Association that story. She said it while the association was deciding to name the New Richmond Community Library its 2026 Library of the Year. Count back eight years and her Babygarten friendships began well before anyone broke ground on the new building. She said her family now lives closer to other libraries and keeps coming back to New Richmond because of the relationships they built there.
That is the part of this fall's library news that is easy to miss. The new building opened in January and got most of the attention. The award, though, rests on habits the staff brought over from the old building. Homecoming week, Oct. 5 through 9, is the first big public celebration of those habits in their new home. That home stands on ground that used to be the city's high school.
The Award Was Earned Before the Move
The Star-Observer reported the award on Sept. 28. The association cited the library's service, innovation and community engagement, and its commitment to creating connections for residents of New Richmond and beyond. Nearly every example in the nomination is about people and programs, not square footage.
Library trustee and longtime patron Lisa Naser remembered how staff at a library sleepover read a bedtime story to the children’s toys and later shared photos of their overnight "adventures" around the library. The nomination also lists Kids Karaoke, rock balancing workshops, art programs and technology classes. It notes that staff share their expertise with neighboring libraries and host regional meetings and trainings across the IFLS Library System.
"As a profession we talk about a library being a community gathering space; the New Richmond Community Library exemplifies that vision," said John Thompson, director of the IFLS Library System. Alderman Mike Montello said much the same about the building: "Our library was designed as a place people want to come to."
The building was designed to fit a program that already existed. The program came first.
Homecoming, on the Old School Grounds
The timing of the library's celebration is more than a pun. City Administrator Noah Wiedenfeld's project FAQ says the School District gifted the land to the City of New Richmond in 2017. The site had been home to the former high school and middle school for many years. The library is throwing its open house during New Richmond High School football's homecoming week, on the spot where the high school used to stand.
The Star-Observer's Oct. 1 rundown lays out the full week. Several items mirror what the award nomination praised: storytimes for the youngest patrons, a teen craft, an evening speaker and a community meal.
| Day | Time | What's happening |
|---|---|---|
| Mon., Oct. 5 | 3:30–5 p.m. | Crafty Teens and Tweens: homecoming bandanas with Sharpies and a tie-dye technique |
| Mon., Oct. 5 | 6 p.m. | Author Chad Lewis on the mysterious creatures of Wisconsin |
| Tue., Oct. 6 | 10 a.m. | CASEL Storytime with Mrs. Glinsky, focused on social and emotional skills |
| Tue., Oct. 6 | 4 p.m. | Coloring with Cats, with cats from Gregory's Gift of Hope |
| Wed., Oct. 7 | 4–7 p.m. | Homecoming Open House |
| Thu., Oct. 8 | 10 a.m. / 11 a.m. | Baby Storytime, then Toddler Storytime with a visit from the school district mascot |
| Fri., Oct. 9 | 9 a.m.–5 p.m. | Game Day: board games, large games and card games |
| Fri., Oct. 9 | 10 a.m. | Little Learners Storytime |
The Wednesday open house draws the most partners. The high school pep band and orchestra members will perform. Kiwanis is serving a free dinner of hot dogs and chips while supplies last. Jewelltown Café will have drinks for a freewill offering, and the New Richmond School District therapy dogs will be there. The evening also has games, face painting, school spirit-themed karaoke and a few speakers on "our library and the journey to our new home." Any visit during the week earns a chance at a raffle basket.
What the New Rooms Add to Old Habits
Habits need room to grow, and here the building matters. The Star-Observer reports that the new library covers 30,000 square feet, more than three times the size of the old one. That growth shows up most in the spaces residents can reserve. The library's room directory lists 10 reservable rooms. You can book online up to 24 hours ahead, or book the same day in person.
- RCU Meeting Room: seats 100, with sound equipment, Wi-Fi, two monitors, kitchenette access and access to an outdoor seating patio
- Study rooms: two
- Breakout rooms: two
- Conference Rooms 119 and 120
- Multipurpose Room 124
The smaller rooms hold anywhere from one to 15 people. The Library of Things lends out technology such as Roku streaming devices. The library's own site lists board games in the same free-checkout collection. The library is open 9 a.m. to 8 p.m. Monday through Thursday, 9 a.m. to 6 p.m. Friday, and 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. Saturday. It is closed Sunday.
The coffee at Wednesday's open house is made in the same building. Jewelltown Café, the second location of Jewelltown Roastery, operates at 450 S. Arch Ave. Siblings Hana and Quinn Wrenholt co-founded the business.
The ground around the building was planned for public use too. The city's FAQ describes a public pedestrian corridor along the north side of the library with landscaping, outdoor seating and playground equipment, plus green space on the southeast corner. The City of New Richmond controls the library and the outdoor space. Private partner 360 Real Estate Solutions owns the residences above and the underground garage. The project had its ceremonial groundbreaking on Sept. 27, 2024. About 15 months later, the library opened in January 2026.
The Old Building Is Still on East 1st
Homecoming week includes speakers on "the journey to our new home," so the old home deserves a mention. The former Friday Memorial Library is at 155 E. 1st St. It is about to come up in a different civic conversation. The City of New Richmond and WisDOT plan to rebuild 0.6 miles of East 1st Street between South Knowles Avenue and Greaton Road in 2028. The work includes new utilities and stormwater work in Glover and Hemenway parks. The city's project page says there will be no impacts to the historic library building.
The city held a public meeting on the project on Sept. 24 at the Civic Center, 156 E. First St. The city asks for written comments to City Engineer Sara Shuga before Oct. 24, 2026.
October 22 Happens in Two Places
The award gets its formal celebration on Thursday, Oct. 22. The library will be recognized at the Wisconsin Library Association's Awards and Honors Banquet, 6:30 to 8:30 p.m., during the association's annual conference at the Madison Marriott West in Middleton.
Back home that same day, the Friends of the Library open their Fall Book Sale in the RCU Meeting Room, with free-will donations. The library's calendar lists these hours:
- Thursday, Oct. 22: 9 a.m. to 7 p.m.
- Friday, Oct. 23: 9 a.m. to 5 p.m.
- Saturday, Oct. 24: 9 a.m. to noon
On Thursday evening, the two schedules overlap. While the award is being presented in Middleton, the Friends will be selling books in the 100-seat room on Arch Avenue.
New buildings and changing streets are part of how a town like New Richmond grows. I'm Jovannie Arzate, and at Steward Pillar I'm glad to talk through what projects like this library and the East 1st Street rebuild mean for your corner of town, whether you're planning a move or just curious. Get in Touch whenever it's useful, with no pressure and no timeline.
