Snow, snow, snow,snow...

Work continues to progress on the building. In the old part of the building they have erected temporary tenting, and have begun to get some heat over there so the drywall taping can begin. The elevator #1 is finished, and elevator #2 is almost there. We will have two elevators in this building. The main one will be out on the floor for our patrons to get to the second story, and the other one is back in the staff area for book carts and supplies to be moved from one floor to another. This will ensure that patrons don't get their feet run over by a shelver moving books up to the second floor. Not that I've ever done that in a different library in oh say Lafayette LA. Nope, not me!

In the new part of the building, the metal roofing is underway. Framing is about 90% complete and the exterior sheathing is being completed.



Outside, the curb and gutter work is scheduled to be completed this week. Topsoil is also being added to the planter areas. The goal was to get paving started tomorrow (Friday), however, due to the snow on the ground, we will just have to wait and see on that one.

The big news (to us) is that the windows on the Swift side of the building are beginning to be installed. They are magnificent, and we can't wait to see what the interior will look like in the spring, with those big beautiful windows flooding the place with light.



Over here in the temp spot, we will be open for most of the holidays. We will close at 5:00 pm on December 23rd, and be closed all day on the 24th and 25th. The following week, we will close at 5:00 pm on December 31st, and be closed all day on January 1st.

Wishing all our patrons a safe holiday time.

Theresa

Oh the Weather outside is frightful...

Brrrrrr! It's 37 degrees right now, and falling fast, but we've got some major movement on the building this week!

The windows are (slowly) arriving. The five windows in the back of the building are in, as well as a window on the Goethals side of the building. The rest of them are on their way, and installation will continue as the pieces get here.

The remaining openings will be covered in plastic, and Chervenell will begin to heat the inside of the building. That means that they are able to start taping drywall pretty soon.

The plumbing rough-in is nearly completed, and the framing is almost finished as well.

If you've driven down Goethals, you'll notice that the curbing of the parking lot is almost finished. The plan is to do the first pour by the end of this week for the parking lot, and have it completely finished before the end of the year.

In the building itself, the first of the two elevators (called, imaginatively enough, elevator #1) is finished.

Over here in the temp building, there is a children's program this afternoon, and on December 19th beginning at noon, we will be having our annual holiday movie marathon. Because the space is limited here, we are partnering with the Community Center to show the movies. For more information, please call the Library at 509-942-7454.

Theresa

Here comes the sun...

After several days of drippy weather, we finally have a nice day today! So, hopefully, the crew will be able to make great strides in getting the parking lot paved. They are planning to lay down the asphalt in two layers. The first one will go down directly over the dirt, and they will let it cure fully before they pour the second layer. Not everyone will pour their asphalt in two layers, but our crew has determined that doing it this way will provide for a longer lasting parking lot and a much smoother one as well.

Curbing is almost completed on site, and you will also see that the new parking lot lights are in place. It's amazing to me how many people it takes to build a building, and the many different skill sets they all have. For the parking lot alone, it will take four different crews. One to do the curbing, one to pour the asphalt, one to get the lights functional, and one to do the final striping of the lot.

Sometime soon, you should see a tent go up in front of the building. They will be working on another slab pour, and will use the tent to keep the area warmer. Windows should also go in sometime soon. They are putting the frames in place, and we hope to have glass in them shortly.

Our beautiful, intelligent, and oh so stylish library manager (can you tell it's evaluation time?) has been working hard on finalizing the bid packet for the furnishings. Shelving is (I believe) done, and we hope that soon all our various packets will be finished and off to wherever packets go to be approved.

People keep asking us when we will be moving back. We still don't have a firm date on that, but are hoping to move sometime in summer 2009. In the meantime, please join us at the temporary location. We are still hard at work bringing you new books, DVDs, music Cd's, and as many programs as we can in our little shop.

Theresa

Polar Ice Caps or New Library?

With the white roofing materials, the blue tarps and the foggy background, the new and improved Richland Public Library resembles a polar ice field these days. In these pictures, it looks like a great place to ice skate! You can see how the clerestory windows will look and the upstairs reading area. The cold and blurry days have not slowed down our construction crew who have been hard at work finishing up the roofing and working on sheetrocking and insulating some of the office areas inside - they are beginning to look like offices now instead of jail cells.

The team, along with library staff will be taking a couple of extra days off this week to celebrate Thanksgiving with family and friends. A reminder to library patrons - the library will be closed Thursday and Friday for Thanksgiving, but will re-open Saturday morning at 9:30 if you are in need of a book.

Happy Thanksgiving to all and just think - next year we will have a brand new library to be thankful for! A note for the little ones in your family - Santa will make an appearance on Wednesday, December 3rd from 4:00-5:00 p.m. You may get a picture taken with Santa for a canned food donation or $2 per photo.

Lisa

Winter Blues

It certainly is looking like winter now. Grey skies, drippy rain, and winter chills. Fortunately, the weather will not stop the few, the proud, the Construction dudes and dudettes of the Richland Public Library!

Things are slowly beginning to take shape. In the existing building some of the windows are starting to be installed. Blocking and backing is still going on, and drywall will being once the in-wall work is complete.

On the new addition, the metal framing is almost all done and the roofing is still ongoing, weather permitting.

On the site itself, they are working hard to get the ground graded and compacted, but the overall nasty weather has caused some issues with getting the grounds ready for paving.

We are still in business over at 1270 Lee Blvd. Today, the tinkling voices of little children could be heard over in the story circle during the library's Thanksgiving program. We still have Gunner and Phoebe who come in during the week for kids to read to them. Story times, computer use, wonderful new books to read... all of this is still available in the temp location. If you're in town, drop by and say hi to the front desk staff. We love to hear from our patrons!

Theresa

Rain rain go away...

The rain is putting quite a damper on progress at the building site. Our crews have been unable to get the ground prepared for paving the new parking lot. Right now, they have to wait until the ground dries out before they can continue grading and compacting the area. We still think the lot will be poured before winter sets in, but it won't be as soon as we hoped.

However, that does not mean our people have been sitting on their hands doing nothing. Au contraire mes amis! The crew has been hard at work completing the preliminary framing of the second story, roofing the new addition, installing the insulation (try saying that five times fast!), and, not unlike our neighborhood squirrels, storing many supplies inside the building to work on during the cold winter months. (not that we think our crew is squireley in any way!) The once exterior art wall has been unveiled again, and is now a feature wall on the interior of the building in the lobby.

Our library staff is also hard at work finalizing the furniture bid packet, and argu... er I mean discussing the different options for our personal work spaces. Let me let you in on a little secret. Librarians, while an altogether wonderful, intelligent and quite fashionable (well, some of us are) crowd are apt to be a wee bit er.. stubborn, when it comes to getting things done THEIR way. Which, of course, is the RIGHT way, but still, I'm just saying.

We are still awaiting the arrival of our windows. They have partially come in, and soon (hopefully) we will have those installed as well. Our crew on site are doing their best to make this a beautiful and very functional building, and we can't thank them enough for all they have done for us. Cookies for everyone!

Theresa

Same old same old...

Well, there is nothing really I can update you on this week. The building is progressing, the windows are still being waited on, the framing and roofing continues, and the parking lot is still being worked on.

And, since I am off the clock in about 30 minutes, I will close this blog entry with bunches of neato pictures you can ooh and aah over!

PS --- we're still a happening joint in the temp space. We have bunches of programs coming up, and on Wednesday mornings, if you are a person of more advanced age, you might want to drop by and try out the library Wii. Staff will be happy to play a gam... er demonstrate the wonders of the Wii generation!

Theresa

PPS - dig the blue cast to the pictures -- we're not sure why they turned out blue, but it's quite a nice little artistic touch!