The new Thomas Memorial Library in Cape Elizabeth seems to be a hit with town leaders and patrons alike, with many using words like “wonderful,” “beautiful” and “well worth it” to describe the year-long renovation and addition project.

The library reopened with little fanfare last week, but a weekend of celebratory events brought in the crowds, according to the new library director, Kyle Neugebauer.

At the ribbon-cutting ceremony Monday, Molly MacAuslan, chairwoman of the Town Council, as well as the Library Building Committee, said the $4 million library project turned out “much better than I expected.”

In describing the new library, MacAuslan said, “It’s welcoming; it’s understated; it’s just beautiful. I’m really pleased with how well (all the different) spaces turned out and I think the community can feel really good about it, too.”

MacAuslan also told the Current that the opening of the new library “feels like coming to the end of a very long road. When I was walking around Friday there were a few tears in my eyes.”

She said getting the new building was more like a 12-year process with many town members realizing a while ago that the library was badly in need of an update and a re-design.

However, it took several years for the plans to come to fruition, including a failed referendum in 2012 that called for $6 million in renovations.

But, MacAuslan said, the bond for the library project, which passed in November 2014, received the support of 66 percent of voters.

“It feels really good to have that kind of community support,” she said.

She also said that a library is “very important” to any community and the type of library a town has “makes a statement about who we are.”

Talking about the building design, MacAuslan said, “We thought long and hard about what it should be like.”

She said the Library Building Committee really wanted the space to be more like a community gathering space than a book depository.

While libraries are still places where people go to borrow print materials, they are also becoming places where people can meet to collaborate on multi-media projects or listen to music or see a movie.

For Neugebauer, who came in on the tail end of the library renovation project, the building is now “really a hub for the community to gather.”

He agreed with MacAuslan that while traditional library services are important, it’s also important to understand that libraries are evolving into community activity space.

What he appreciates is that along with all the new technology, there are also “lots of sitting alcoves” where people can sit quietly and read.

Cape resident Dan Foley said he was at the library the day it reopened and has been back every day since. He was enjoying the opportunity to read the Boston Globe in one of the new seating areas located in the adult room.

He called the new library, “beautiful, well laid out and well worth it,” while also complimenting those behind the project for putting in “a lot of thought and effort.”

Marilyn Andress and her husband, Jerry, who were among the many volunteers that helped the library staff get unpacked and the books re-shelved, said Monday that the new library “will be really great.”

And, after months of having limited access to the collection, Andress was thrilled to have found a relatively new book by one of her favorite authors, Jan Karon, who is best known for her novels featuring the mythical town of Mitford, England.

The new children’s room also got a thumbs up from pre-schooler Lila Morrison, who was there Monday with her mother, Holly.

Holly Morrison said her daughter had been looking forward to the opening of the new library for “a long time” and she was thrilled to have a wide choice of storybooks to hear read aloud.

A Closer Look

The Thomas Memorial Library in Cape Elizabeth has a variety of special events planned this month to celebrate the new space. A few of the upcoming events include:

• Poetry reading with Marcia Brown & Robin Merrill – Tuesday, Feb. 16, 6:30 p.m.

• Piano concert with jazz pianist Michael Beling, Tuesday, Feb. 16, 7:30 p.m.

• Meet the Director – Wednesday, Feb. 17, 10 a.m.-noon, and Saturday, Feb. 20, 1-3 p.m. Drop in and join new Library Director Kyle Neugebauer for coffee, cookies and conversation in an informal meet-and-greet.

• Winter Fest – Saturday, Feb. 20, 10 a.m.-1 p.m. Come for a morning of outdoor fun and games. Build a snowman, make winter art, or shoot a puck. When finished enjoy a warm cup of hot chocolate.

• An Evening of Comedy and Music, Saturday, Feb. 20, 7 p.m. Mary Irace will perform stand-up comedy, and play ukulele music with her band Seagrass. Singer Eliza Watson will also perform.

See www.thomasmemoriallibrary.org or call 799-1720 for more information.

Lila Morrison and her mother, Holly, like the new children’s room at the renovated Thomas Memorial Library.Marilyn and Jerry Andress are pleased with the new Thomas Memorial Library.Cape resident Dan Foley reads a copy of The Boston Globe at the new Thomas Memorial Library in Cape Elizabeth Monday.Molly MacAuslan, chairwoman of the Town Council and the Library Building Committee, cuts the ribbon Monday morning at the newly reopened Thomas Memorial Library in Cape Elizabeth. Looking on is new library director Kyle Neugebauer.