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You've probably heard by now that library renovations have started. It's been very exciting and, surprisingly, not as noisy as I had originally thought it would be.
Before I go on any further, this project is supported in part through a grant from the Office of Commonwealth Libraries, PA department of Education, with funds provided from the Keystone Recreation, Park and Conservation Fund. Or, as it is more commonly known, the Keystone Grant.
I love sitting in on the meetings between the architect, maintenance and the construction guys. We're talking about cutting into the concrete and doing exploratory cuts. Finding cables and where do they go. Stuff that I never heard of before. The amount of communication back and forth is amazing. And you know the old saying, measure twice, cut once. That's us!
In the first week, all of the ceiling tile was removed. The metal double-doors into the children's room were removed. A wall and door were cut out of the wall that led into our Technical Services office; we covered books here and we also processed Interlibrary Loan books here.
The bathroom on the lower level was removed as well as the entire wall by the bathroom. We are installing two family bathrooms instead of the one we had.
If you have allergies to dust, please wear a mask in the library. Many of the staff are masking.
Our goal is to have a new entrance into the Children's Library. To me, this is the most exciting thing. In my opinion, the children's library is our life's blood. Part of our mission is to encourage a child's imagination. Instilling the love of reading in children is our goal in life. It was disheartening to me that the children's library was at the end of the hallway, buried.
In the future, the children's library will still be on the lower level but will be easily accessible and visible at the bottom of the stairs and just off the elevator. How is this possible?
By the end of the first week of construction, the concrete block wall perpendicular to the elevator door was demolished. This once-wall is the new entrance to the children's library. The children's library will be a little bit bigger and have a much-needed "face-lift."
Did you know that there are five security cameras on the lower level? As renovations started, one by one the cameras were turned off and removed. Except for one camera by the alley door looking over the children's hallway. The security screen is on the upper level.
All of the library staff gravitate to that screen to watch as walls are removed and just to see what's making all of the noise. It's been a lot of fun. I spend a lot of time looking at this screen.
Of course, we do have the nay-sayers. Those people who think it's a waste of time and money to renovate the library when we should be having a book sale. I just shrug my shoulders. Negative Nellies will always exist. I'd rather be a Positive Polly and enjoy the ride.
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Susan Miriello is the Executive Director of the Mifflin County Library. New books added to the collection include: The enigma girls : how ten teenagers broke ciphers, kept secrets, and helped win World War II by Candace Fleming; Normal women : 900 years of making history by Philippa Gregory; and Three-Inch Teeth by C.J. Box.