This year, The Blade’s interns explored a variety of Toledo's neighborhoods. The following ongoing series highlights those communities.

It takes a village to start a community.

This was true for Asharra Edwards, who arrived with her four children to Library Village around late December 2022.

In 2020, she and her children were couch homeless. She had lost “everything [she] worked so hard for.” But here, things were looking up. This was the first time she and her family had lived in a townhouse.

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Bounded by Lewis, Sylvania, and Eleanor avenues and Jackman Road in West Toledo, Library Village is a small, predominantly residential neighborhood. Named after the West Toledo branch of the Toledo-Lucas County Public Library at Willys Parkway and Sylvania Avenue, the neighborhood was not officially called Library Village until there was a campaign to implement speed bumps in the neighborhood in 1991.

Terry Glazer was the first president of the Library Village Association. He and association members brought residents together to organize, in February 1991, meeting at Augsburg Lutheran Church. 

When council members for the City of Toledo unanimously approved spending $22,000 to place 70 speed bumps throughout the neighborhood, the association sponsored an “Over-the-Hump” party and fundraiser in October to celebrate the occasion in front of the West Toledo branch of the Toledo-Lucas County Public Library at Willys Parkway and Sylvania Avenue.

In subsequent years, the Library Village Association hosted a fall festival in the same place, and there would be multiple activities, including bicycle decorating, a children’s talent show, and a pie-baking contest with home-baked pies made by residents.

After the successful campaign, the association advocated for various programs and projects to be incorporated into Library Village, including recruiting and training volunteers to monitor and warn speeders using city-purchased radar guns in 1992 and 1993 as the speed bumps helped in reducing traffic and speeding, but not eliminating it.

When asked to describe Library Village, Mr. Glazer illustrated it as an “architecturally distinct community where people join together to work together and to celebrate together.”

Although Library Village was active in the 1990s as a community, the activity among residents seems to have waned over the years. Alicia Rex grew up with her mother around Library Village and said there seems to be “less of a sense of community” now. “Everybody mostly keeps to themselves,” she said.

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But for a couple of residents, the community bonds remain. 

When Ms. Edwards and her family arrived, she said that there was a welcoming committee that welcomed her into the neighborhood. Her neighbor next door welcomed her and mentioned a block watch. And on Mother’s Day, the neighbor above her gifted her a rose and a card. It was a welcome that she hadn’t experienced before.

“I wouldn’t mind staying over here until I buy my own house and I still wouldn’t mind buying a house over in this area because it’s so family-oriented,” Ms. Edwards said. 

Elaine Leslie has lived in Library Village for five years with her husband. They had previously lived in Jamaica, where she said her husband was like a “king” and she was the “first lady.” He was “very active in his community,” and when they visited in March, “people just keep calling [him]” because “they heard that he’s [in Jamaica],” and “people [came] from all over just to see him.”

She and her husband moved here because of family nearby. Her father was sick at the time, and she felt the need to look after him. When Ms. Leslie and her husband arrived here, she mentioned that the transition was hard. “Being here, you’re nothing,” she said. But she said that there is opportunity here in the states. “If you want it, you can have it.”

She became a certified nursing assistant while her husband currently works in logistics. When she became a U.S. citizen, her workplace threw her a party and her co-workers asked what she thought of America.

“I tell them, ‘Americans don’t know what they have.’ You guys are so blessed, having everything at your fingertips,” she said.

She said the people in Library Village are “very friendly, and [that] they look out for each other.” When she would fix her porch, people would come and compliment it and even bring flowers to decorate the space. She could leave her garage open and nothing would happen.

When asked about whether she would stay in the area, she said that would buy another house in the area if she could. But when she reaches retirement, she hopes to return to Jamaica.

Paula Iaquili was born and raised half a mile away from Library Village and has lived in the neighborhood on Kepler Road for 15 years. She knows everyone on the street. Sometimes, one of their neighbors about three houses down the road spontaneously brings out a grill and invites others to enjoy the food. 

“They are super friendly. We watch out for each other. We watch out for each other's kids,” she said. 

For CJ, Ms. Iaquili’s 14-year-old child, the library is one of the places to be in the neighborhood. They used to go once a week, sometimes more when they could.

“Other libraries would deny me books because I was younger and they wouldn’t let me read them because I was so small and they thought I couldn't read. But [at] that one, they just were like, ‘Here's some recommendations of books, more your level,” they said. “I would ask for an author and they would actually show me where it was.”

One neighborhood event that Ms. Iaquili looked forward to was the Annual Library Village Garage Sale on August 5. From 9 to 5, residents who sign up to sell their items set their stuff out on the driveway and sidewalks. In one area, there could be someone selling elephant ears or hot dogs while children sell lemonade. CJ has had seven-years-experience in selling the refreshing drink for 25 to 75 cents.  

“People come from all over,” Ms. Iaquili said. 

For Ms. Iaquili, this will probably be the last Library Village garage sale they will participate in. They are planning to move to Holland.

“It's bittersweet,” she said. “[On] our particular street... you wouldn't want it to be any better neighbors and community than what our street is.”

First Published December 8, 2023, 1:00 p.m.