Communitygathershere
A new season for Library Park
When Eckhart Library Foundation and Eckhart Public Library imagined Community Gathers Here, the vision was simple: create welcoming outdoor spaces where neighbors, families, readers, and visitors could gather for generations to come.
What happened next became a story of its own.
More than 120 donors came together to bring that vision to life—giving not simply toward benches, tables, shade, and places to play, but toward what could happen here.
A conversation between neighbors.
A child discovering a favorite book.
Friends meeting beneath the trees.
A quiet place to remember someone deeply loved.
Now, it's time to gather in the space our community created together.
Come Celebrate with Us
Community Gathers Here Celebration
Saturday, October 10
2:00 PM
Library Park at Eckhart Public Library
In case of inclement weather, we will gather inside.
Join us for a community celebration as we officially welcome these new spaces to Library Park, recognize the generosity that made them possible, and begin the next chapter of gathering here.
Everyone is welcome.
A place to learn gather grow
Every Gift Carries a Story
One bench remembers Martha Falka, Auburn's beloved “Popcorn Lady.” But those closest to Martha remember something beyond the popcorn: she listened. When someone needed encouragement, she had a way of simply sitting beside them and making them feel that they mattered.
Now, a bench in Library Park will carry that spirit forward—a place to sit, listen, talk, or simply be beside someone.
Another bench honors Barbara “Chris” Kretz, whose life was rooted in family, community, and a love of reading. Gifts made in her memory created a place where future readers can sit with their own stories.
Elsewhere in the park are gifts honoring mothers who first placed books into their children's hands, friendships that have lasted more than six decades, and people whose lives left lasting marks on those who loved them.
Every plaque tells a different story. Together, they tell one larger story about a community that treasures our library.
