COLUMBUS, Ind. — The Bartholomew County Public Library’s board of trustees has decided to name part of the Columbus branch in honor of a former long-time library director who died earlier this year.
The library board voted Monday to approve a resolution to dedicate the “Stephen W. Suckow Atrium.” Suckow died in January and served longer than any other director, according to library officials.
“Put frankly, the library would not be what it is today without Steve,” library director Jason Hatton said in a social media post shortly after Suckow’s death. “He built the foundation that we get to benefit from today.”
Suckow served as library director from 1967 to 2003. His work included leading the library through the construction of the Columbus branch’s current building and an addition built in 1986.
Stephen W. Suckow
Per the approved resolution, “The centerpiece of this addition designed by James K. Paris is the skylit atrium connecting the original building with the new addition.”
Hatton said that the atrium’s new name will be marked with a plaque.
“We plan to have a public open house at some point when the elevator is finished so that we can invite people in and really kind of show off the space in a really great way,” Hatton said. “And as part of that open house, we would have a ceremony of sorts, where his family could come.”
