Beals Memorial Library to close two floors and operate from the basement starting Nov. 1
WINCHENDON — While the proposed infrastructure construction project will bring the century-old Beals Memorial library building into the 21st century, the library will need to operate on a small scale from the basement of the building on Nov.1.
Moving library services to the basement will allow the construction company to come in and do the work as quickly as possible.
The construction is projected to take between two and four months; during this time there will be limited library services. All books and other materials owned by the library will still be available for check out and drop off, but certain items will take a couple more days to gather.
What services will be available
Computers with a printer will remain available for patron use during this time. All library-sponsored programs and events are canceled until further notice.
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"There will be some library materials that are covered upstairs with plastic while the work is being done. We will not have immediate access to certain items that patron asks for because of the construction," Manuel King, the library director, said. "We will still grab it, but it might have to wait a couple of days before they can pick up their item."
King stated that most of the Young Adult genre books and all the children's library books will be moved downstairs. An extensive portion of the non-fiction and fiction collection will be displayed downstairs, and patrons will have new book arrivals access in the basement.
What work is being done
Earlier: Beals Memorial upgrade plans from 2017
Three main infrastructure changes will be made to the library building since the current state of the building does not have the capacity to keep up with the ongoing modern technology and the changes will also enhance safety.
The library has an antiquated electrical system that will be replaced and a new fire suppression sprinkler and alarm system will be installed. This means the library will have additional outlets to improve staff and patrons' library experience in the limited spaces of the building. Lastly, the construction will repair and paint the cracked and peeling plaster walls and ceiling surfaces.
"A big part of this is bringing the library into the 21st century and there'll be more data for us to use and more outlets to plug in, switches for lights that weren't there before," King said. "The building is going to be more user friendly, and I think patrons are going to really enjoy the product that comes out of the project."
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Special town meeting to fund project overage
The project budget is $1,213,785 and the library has been granted $989,500 which was the original bid. The library obtained $200,000 from the Robinson Broadhurst Foundation, $75,000 from the library trustee fund, and $714,500 from the town meeting budget.
On Monday, Oct. 24, there will be a special town meeting to vote to give the library the remaining $215,000 needed from the town's free cash.
"We ran into a bit of a roadblock in the estimate that the architect and his engineers came up with was about $215,000 short of what the actual bid was," King said. "The town needs to vote to use free cash to make up the shortfall of $215,000 then we can move ahead with the project and we're hoping that we'll start on Nov. 1."
Preparation work will take place during October, and the project is expected to begin on Nov. 1. If town meeting does not approve the funds it is unclear what will happen to the project.
"The delay gives us more time to prepare the basement because right now there isn't much electricity down there and we plan on painting the walls too," King said. "The expenses of that will roll into the overall cost."
The library will be closed Thursday - Saturday Oct. 27 - 29 so the staff can prepare the basement for the next two to four months. Book donations for the Friends of The Beals Library book sale are not accepted during this time due to the lack of space.
"The reason why we're moving down to the basement is to allow the construction company to come in and do the work as quickly as possible. We're hoping by completely vacating the upper two floors they'll have the freedom to work without any interference from patrons or staff." King said. " We hope it's going to be done in two months, but the window is anywhere from two to four months."
This article originally appeared on Gardner News: Beals Memorial Library project moves operations to basement Nov. 1
