A Dream Come True: New Harrington Library to Open This Fall

When 11-year-old Marleena Scott relocated from Long Island, N.Y., to Delaware, her family’s first stop was the Harrington Public Library. While Scott was already an avid reader, she had no idea the first place she visited as a brand-new Delawarean would also be where she would build her career. Scott is now the director of the Harrington Public Library, where she has spent the past 18 years serving the greater Harrington community. 
  

The current library is housed in the same building she walked into as an 11-year-old. The building on East Center Street is cramped, the ceiling is peeling, and as a former funeral parlor, the site is rumored to be haunted. Despite the age and condition of the facility, the library serves as the heart of the Harrington community, offering programs for children and teens, multimedia services and food for more than 500 children per month.
  

In September, the library’s employees will pack up the books currently housed in 2,000 square feet of space and head to their new state-of-the-art facility on Little Masten’s Corner Road. 
  

Delaware Electric Cooperative will power the 15,000-square-foot library that features private study rooms, additional computers, a space dedicated to teenagers, community meeting space, and courtyards for visitors to read outside. According to Scott, “We’re really excited to take this next step and be able to give even more back to our community. This project is the result of years of hard work.”
 

Attempts to build a new library go back decades. Funding was finally secured through federal grants during the COVID-19 pandemic and the dream of a new library will be realized on Oct. 7 when Scott, library staff and community leaders officially open the space to the public. 
  

Scott says the new library will allow her team to expand programs, house all their books in one location, and will better serve the needs of the community she loves. “I can’t even imagine what the reaction is going to be when the community walks in the building this fall. This is so different from anything we have in this area. I have to keep reminding myself that this is actually happening.”