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We have a roof.
Well, the Mifflin County Library in Lewistown has always had a roof, but now we have a new roof. As a matter of fact, we have several new roofs. Let me explain.
Penn State Extension is getting a new office at MCL in Lewistown, in the back, with the entrance by Berks Alley. This office actually has two roofs. The first, higher roof will be over the main entrance to Penn State Extension. The second, lower roof, is a shared hallway.
I have to say that when the crew was installing the second, lower roof, they were working just outside of Mary's and Shelly's office windows. My office window has nothing underneath it so I spent a lot of time in Mary's office watching what was happening. This roof is a rubber roof, installed with water drains in case it rains a lot in order that the water doesn't just lay. The rubber was put down after some kind of glue was applied. It was very cool. Did I wave to the crew and open Mary's window and yell to them "Thank you?" Yes, I did!
Speaking of rain, I do not remember an August that has been this wet. Normally by mid-August, the grass is brown and dead and we are hovering near a drought warning. But not this year, when there are gaping holes in the walls and the library doesn't have a full roof. Several times this summer, the rain came down in sheets. It poured buckets. Part of the new carpet just by the North Wing (the part that is off limits) was wet from the torrential rains coming in and making its way to the library. We spent a few days with smelly carpet and fans and dehumidifiers running. That's what carpet scrubbers are for.
And luckily the crew brought their own wet vac because at the next downpour, the rain was like a river on the lower level. This was in places that the general public doesn't see but it took a while for the shop vac to clean up the water.
Now that the roof is up, there will be no more rain. Isn't that just how things go?
The North Wing addition has a pitched roof that blends in seamlessly with the original roof. The day that the trusses were installed was a stressful day. The row of parking spaces was blocked off. The trusses were enormous and the crew feared that they would bang into someone's vehicle. So if you tried to come to the library that day and couldn't find a place to park, I apologize. We try to be very cautious and, of course, no one wants to get hurt. The trusses were lifted up, one at a time. But this work was completed in one day. As the days went on, the wooden planks were laid and now there's a roof.
There will definitely be other days when parking will be limited but you know what I always say: This is a temporary inconvenience and we'll love it when it is finished.
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Susan Miriello is the Executive Director of the Mifflin County Library. You can call the library at (717) 242-2391. Kish Library's phone number is (717) 935-2880. Visit the library website at www.mifflincountylibrary.org.