North Adams Library breaks ground on Showalter Pavilion outdoor learning space

A long-running idea at North Adams Public Library finally moved from concept to construction this week, after a private anonymous donation unlocked a new outdoor learning space on the library grounds that friends and staff have discussed for years. The planned area will give the library room for story times, summer programs, gatherings and everyday use that have not been possible inside alone.

The project, which is expected to cost about $150,000 once all of its pieces are completed, will include a shelter house, garden areas and other educational features. The Friends of the North Adams Public Library have been central to turning the vision into something tangible. Karen Hughes, president of the Friends group, said, "This was a dream we had when we were building the library."

The outdoor space will be named the Showalter Pavilion in honor of former Adams County Public Library Director Harold Showalter, who had talked for years about using the grounds for outdoor learning, story times and summer events. Showalter died Jan. 4, 2025, at age 90. The naming ties the new project directly to the library’s history and to one of the people who pushed most strongly for making the grounds an active part of the building’s mission.

That mission has deep roots on Moores Road in Seaman, where the North Adams Public Library building opened in October 2013 after years of community effort to establish a permanent library in the northern part of Adams County. The library serves Seaman, Winchester and Cherry Fork. Before the current building opened, the North Adams branch operated in the Seaman Community Building.

Kris Lanham, who started at the North Adams Library in 2001, was closely involved in organizing and opening the new building in 2013. After the move, the Friends group continued to fill gaps by buying furnishings and equipment that were not covered by the original budget. That pattern is continuing with the Showalter Pavilion, as local support once again is helping the library grow beyond its walls and into a space built for learning, memory and daily community use.