Some Setbacks in the nearly half million dollar renovation of the Elkhart Public Library.
The newly renovated library was supposed to open Tuesday but that was pushed back to Wednesday. And parts of the library are still closed. The hold up is blamed on the new carpeting.
Construction has been going on since October but the main branch of the library only completely shut down for one week in February and reopened Wednesday. However, only certain sections of the building re-opened. Library Director Deborah Stewart said, "we reopened the AV section, we re-opened the computer lab."
Stewart first thought renovations would be done weeks ago saying, "we had hoped to be reopen by the first of February."
That didn't happen. Stewart said, "the manufacturing of the carpet didn't go quite as planned so there was about a three week delay in getting that replaced. That's been our major snag"
Stewart is now hoping the entire building can be open again to the public by March first. The first floor still needs to be carpeted and books need to be moved. When everything is complete she says the layout will be more convenient to the public. "All the av material will be on the first floor, all the fiction will be on the first floor, paperback, YA and children's will all be on the first floor," said Stewart.
Elkhart resident Robert Walterhouse said that's a good change. "When they come into the library it's going to be right there they don't have to worry about going upstairs." And he and other library goers don't mind the delay. Elkhart resident Kacey Kilmer said she's ok with it, "as long as the progress gets done."
While Walterhouse said, "with construction I know there's always delays."
The reference, genealogy, and magazine areas of the Library will be open Thursday.
The public still won't have access to the stacks but a librarian will be able to retrieve whatever you're looking for.
