Construction begins Monday on SkyLab, a renovation project to add nearly 1,000 square feet of new space for public access to computers and the Internet at the Prince George Public Library's Bob Harkins branch.
The upper level of SkyLab is a mezzanine floating above the second floor, which will offer computer stations with Internet access and printing capabilities.
Arm chairs and other seating around the sides will let library users read and enjoy the views inside and outside of the library, including Connaught Hill, downtown and 15th Avenue leading up to UNBC.
By raising the floor, we give our customers great, never-before-seen views of the city without affecting the building, said chief librarian Allan Wilson. At the same time, we're creating a great new learning space for residents and a more efficient workflow for staff.
An expanded training area for the library's popular adult basic computer classes will be located beneath SkyLab. When not in use for training, these computers will also be available for personal use by the public.
Since the library relies on grants from municipal and provincial governments for its operating budget, the library has to raise its own funds for necessary improvement projects, like SkyLab.
No municipal tax dollars are being spent on developing SkyLab, said Wilson. These
non-operational funds come from federal and provincial grants and generous donations and bequests from businesses and individuals, as well as fundraising efforts by our board of trustees.
SkyLab will also feature a donor wall to recognize the generosity of local residents and businesses that have donated $100 or more towards making the project a reality.
IDL Projects Inc. is the general contractor for the SkyLab construction project, which should take about eight weeks to complete, at a cost of $187,200.
The library will remain open throughout the construction period.
The library will be a little noisier than usual but all of our materials, as well as our computer access, will still be available for local residents, Wilson said.
SkyLab is the centrepiece of an overall redesign of the entire adult floor at the Bob Harkins branch.
New shelving has been added to start replacing the 31-year-old shelves that have been in service since the building opened.
The 31,000 paperbacks in the library collection are in the process of being catalogued to help library customers find the books they want faster and easier. Other parts of the library's collection, such as mystery, large print and general fiction are also being relocated to better organize the library for customer use.
