PLAINVILLE — The new Plainville branch of the Washington library opened Thursday with a ribbon-cutting ceremony. The branch, off of SR 57, opened in conjunction with a new ATM for 1st National Bank of Odon on the same property.

Teresa Heidenreich, director of the library, said the landlord of the previous Plainville branch location, near the post office a block away, was considering raising rent last year. With the library already in a tight financial situation due to the state budget crunch, Heidenreich said the library wouldn’t have been able to afford it. A township trustee knew 1st National had the nearby property they were planning for the new ATM and approached the bank. Heidenreich said the bank offered them a good deal on leasing the property.

“The last thing you want to do is close a branch so this worked out beautifully,” Heidenreich said.

The new Plainville branch was originally a house, she said, and the property was gutted and remodeled to fit the library’s needs. The branch holds 4,000 items —including books, dvds and periodicals —and two computers with Internet access. Heidenreich said the library is hoping to get two laptop computers and have wireless Internet access by June.

Rita Tribby will be the sole employee at the Plainville branch.

“It’s a good little thing for the community here, I think,” Tribby said. “A lot of people around here don’t have the Internet and it’s a good place for the kids to come to.”

Kent Parisien, president and CEO of 1st National, said it was a great collaboration between the bank and the library.

He said the ATM was “state-of-the-art” and 1st National customers can do cash and check deposits there but anyone can use the ATM for withdrawals.

Since Plainville lacks a bank Parisien said residents there asked them for help. 1st National conducted a year-long study, he said,

“We spent more on the ATM than most ATMS,” Parisien said, “but we felt like it could provide the Plainville residents with the banking solution they lost.”

The sheltered ATM is bigger than most, with room for a semi without a trailer to pull through, he said, to accommodate the trucking traffic on SR 57.

Parisien credited local businesses and contractors, such as Graber Post Buildings, Wagler Builders, Ted Riggins, Ed Stafford and Ivan Long, with helping on the project.