At the top of the stairs in the main branch of the public library there's already a new adult information desk while 48 new shelves are being assembled this week to showcase the library's extensive paperback collection.
"This renovation is all about improving customer service," said library communication coordinator Neil Godbout. "Moving the information desk to the top of the stairs puts our staff front and centre to offer assistance to visitors. The new shelves will help library users more easily find the books they want."
Along with the new paperback shelves, library staff will be cataloguing the paperback collection during 2012, helping library staff track paperbacks and letting library customers place holds on popular paperbacks and keep better track of the paperbacks they borrow.
The construction of Skylab later this winter and into the spring will be the second phase of the renovation project. Skylab is an elevated mezzanine over the adult floor that will add almost 1,000 square feet of new public space for library users, housing public internet computers, a printing station and a lounge area for reading, visiting and enjoying the view. The deadline to bid on the Skylab project has closed and the library will announce the successful contractor and a construction timetable shortly.
"As we continue the renovation project, parts of the collection will be on the move so just ask a staff member if you can't find what you're looking for," Godbout explained. "The change and improvement is exciting as we continue to modernize our building to serve all of our 53,000 cardholders better."
