Library to close for remodeling

Construction is in full swing at the Niederkorn Library in Port Washington, but that work will require the building to shut down for about two weeks later this month.

The library is scheduled to close on Thursday, Sept. 18, and reopen on Monday, Oct. 6, with a number of previously scheduled activities being moved off site.

During that time, a plethora of work is planned, Library Director Tom Carson said.

“A lot of the main floor renovations will be done in those two weeks,” Carson said. 

That doesn’t mean that all the work on the main floor will be done then, he said, noting they will still need to do wiring and furnishing of the area.

During those two weeks, he added, “They’re going to be doing a lot of work on the flooring,” including tearing out the carpeting and replacing it.

They’ve been waiting for one specific yarn to create the carpeting that will be used in the library, Carson said, noting the new carpet is expected to be made on Friday.

The lower level bathrooms will be demolished during those two weeks, he said, and the wall separating the community room from the adjacent kitchen will also be taken down.

In the study rooms, the trim will be stained and wood for the windows installed,  Carson added.

The book drop will be open while the library is closed, Carson said, and due dates for books will be extended. 

The following changes have been made to the library schedule because of the closing:

• Storytimes, held at 10 a.m. on Tuesdays and Wednesdays, on Sept. 23, 24 and 30 and Oct. 1 will be held at Possibility Playground.

•  There will be no Lego Club meeting on Sept. 22. 

•  Apple Fest, which will be held at 6 p.m. Thursday, Sept. 18, will be at the Recreation Center on North Webster Street. The event, recommended for youths 13 and younger, will include caramel apples and apple-themed crafts.

•  Hobbit Day will be celebrated at 6 p.m. Monday, Sept. 22, at the Recreation Center. The event, intended for people 14 and older, includes teatime, Tolkien trivia and a hobbit-themed craft.

The renovation project is being funded by a $1.1 million grant from the Wisconsin Department of Administration’s Flexible Facilities Program, supplemented with “a little money” from the library budget, Carson said.

The work, designed by Plunkett Raysich Architects, includes new flooring, a new, smaller checkout desk and the creation of two study rooms and a group study room, something Carson said patrons have been asking for. One of the rooms will be set up for telemedicine, he added.

All the library’s technology, including its computers, will be updated, he said.

“We’re buying new computers, and we hope to get a network upgrade that’s three times the speed as we have now,” he said.

A significant number of electrical outlets will be added at the library, and a charging station installed so people can use and charge their devices.

Lower bookcases are planned, giving patrons a better, more inviting view from the library’s expansive windows and creating a more welcoming facility.

On the lower level, not only will the bathrooms be updated, a separate children’s bathroom will be created that can be accessed from the children’s library, Carson said.

“It’s all coming together,” Carson said.  “We’re getting a lot done with the grant. I’m hoping that in the next three years we can complete the work that’s needed with new windows and siding and getting the main level bathrooms remodeled.

“But right now, everything is right on target to have everything done in January.”