We completed the move on Tuesday. While end panels are not up yet, here are a few more shots of the genealogy room.
The Allen County section is now all located on this separate section of shelving, convenient to the work table.
The genealogy computer is in the foreground and the map case in the background. On top of the map case are the obituary index, ready reference books, and new genealogy books.
Today we began moving the books back into the children’s and genealogy sections. Here are a few photos.
Here is the children’s room with the move nearly complete. All that we lack here is the furniture and to clear out a few leftover book ends, carts, etc.
Here are some shelves being filled in the genealogy section.
A view of the west end of the genealogy room. I am not really pleased with the way the cabinets, microfilm readers, furniture, etc. are working out in genealogy. We’ve come up with an arrangement that is sort of functional, but leaves much to be desired. We only are able to accommodate one work table and two microfilm readers. We are probably going to have to think of how to divest ourselves of some of the cabinets or shelving, and to arrange the shelving differently, in order to do much about it. On the other hand, I think the genealogists are going to like having the city directories and DAR lineage books (which used to be in the SEKLS office space) right in the genealogy room, and also having the Allen County genealogy section on separate shelving and convenient to the work table.
Here’s another shot of the genealogy section, this time looking towards the east end.
The signage for the areas renovated since the first phase was installed this week. We’ve begun putting up shelving in preparation for moving back into the phase 3 area next week.
This photo shows signage in the children’s department, as well as some of the shelves which have been installed. Other shelving has to wait until we move some of the books, since it’s currently being used in the west room.
The genealogy room with installation of signs done and shelving in progress.
Doors at the back of the meeting room. Obviously, the children’s department is beyond the door to the right, and SEKLS offices will be beyond the door to the left. The double image in the sign on the window to the left must be an effect of the flash, because it doesn’t really look that way.
We will be making our final move soon, and will again have limited hours while library staff move the children’s and genealogy sections. The library will be open Monday and Tuesday, March 28 and 29, 9:30 a.m. to 1:30 p.m. and 5:00-8:00 p.m. The children’s and genealogy departments will not be available during these times. With the third phase of the renovation substantially complete, these areas will be returning to their permanent locations. We expect to return to regular hours on Wednesday, March 30. When the move is complete, the children’s and genealogy sections will again be on the same hours as the library as a whole.
The renovation is getting very near to being complete. We expect to have our punch list inspection next week and to begin installing shelving. Tentatively, we expect to close March 28 for two (possibly three) days to move back into the children’s department, genealogy room, and the SEKLS rotating books area. Some items will remain to be done after “substantial completion” is achieved next week. Notably, this includes the carpeting in the west room, which we asked be held until we were through moving things in and out of the area; pigeon exclusion measures on the roof; and installation of a ceiling heater in the genealogy or hall area near the office space.
Here are some photos showing the very swift progression of a wall and, on the other side of the wall, cabinets over the last eight days. This wall is at the east end of the genealogy area, with the offices on the far side. In my last posting, only the studs were in place.
Here the same wall has been sheetrocked…
…and now it’s completed. You can also see the carpet and new lights in the genealogy room.
On the far side of the wall are the cabinets which complete the work area by the alley door. Here the cabinets are in, but the tile hasn’t been installed or the painting completed.
Now the tile is in and painting completed. The color on the tile installed last fall in the first phase (bottom right of the picture) has noticeably darkened with use.
Here is the completed ramp and new portion of sidewalk.
The vestibule is now complete except for tile on the floor. In this photo, the downspouts remain to be painted, but it has since been done.
New carpet, painting, and lights in the SEKLS rotating books room. The door to the left is to the rest of the SEKLS office space.
The former opening between genealogy and rotating books has been closed off. This has since been painted.
The shades were installed in the children’s department yesterday. You can also see the new carpet and paint.
Things are still moving along at a fast clip. The concrete for the end of the ramp and the new sidewalk adjacent to it, at the proper slope, should be poured today. The new partial wall at the east end of the genealogy room is going up. Lights are being installed in the genealogy area, the rotation room has been painted, and some ceiling work has been done.
Here the sidewalk is being removed from where the ramp joins the sidewalk. The new sidewalk will have a smooth interface with the ramp, and will have a slight slope to the old sidewalk to meet ADA guidelines.
Here is where the sidewalk is ready to be poured.
The SEKLS rotating books room has new lights and paint.
Iron posts were bolted to the floor to support a new partial wall at the east end of the genealogy room.
And here are the studs for the partial wall.
Things are moving at a fast clip as phase 3 of the renovation begins. In fact, the front part of the children’s department is already being painted.
The new wall is in between the back of the children’s department and the SEKLS rotating books room. It still needs to be taped and mudded, but it’s in.
Here is the front part of the children’s department. The old carpet is out and the new lights are in.
Today the remaining asbestos tile, which was in the genealogy section, was removed. This photo was taken as the work was ending and the barrier was being taken down.
Here the framing and filling has been done for the steps…
and also for the new ramp. This work was done yesterday.
Then today the new steps (above) and ramp (below) were poured.
The genealogy section is all put together in the west room. Now all we’re waiting on to open it and the children’s department is heat. Here are some photos of the genealogy section in its temporary location.
On the left are the 2 of the 3 ranges of shelving in the genealogy/Kansas/reference area. In the middle are the microfilm cabinets, and in the background on the right you can see some of the rest of genealogy. The next photo will give a better view of this.
Beyond the microfilm cabinets is this little area containing the microfilm readers, the genealogy computer, map case, and more.
The partition is coming out which was between the back part of the children’s department and the SEKLS rotating books room. It’ll be replaced by a fire-rated wall.
The genealogy room is more or less emptied out now–there are just a few stray empty shelves and other items to take care of. We will finish up on Monday, and the adult department will return to regular hours on Tuesday. The children’s department and genealogy section will re-open Wednesday at noon. They will open at noon daily during this phase of the renovation.
This photo was taken Saturday early afternoon. You can see that here we are closing in on getting genealogy moved. By mid afternoon, these shelves were empty.
This shot was taken at the same time but looking in the opposite direction. The big open area is where the microfilm cabinets were.
Today was the first day of moving out of the area of the library which is being renovated during phase 3. Things are going really quickly, and it’s clear that we won’t need as long to complete the move as we’ve allowed. The only trouble is, the wiring of the new rooftop heating and air conditioning unit isn’t scheduled until Tuesday, so we can’t re-open the children’s and genealogy sections any earlier than Wednesday anyway.
By early afternoon, the children’s room was nearly empty.
The children’s department will be located in the west room during phase 3. This is a view of this area looking towards the door which enters through the new vestibule.
And here is a view from the other end of the room, near the vestibule door.
The door which you used to go through (and will again before long) to get to the children’s department is blocked off for this phase.
Plastic barriers are back up to separate the areas which are undergoing renovation in this phase. This one is at the edge of the children’s department.
Here one team is emptying reference books from shelves in the genealogy room…
…and here is the team on the other end, putting the books back on shelves in the west room. These shelves are for the automotive, Kansas, reference, and genealogy books; the children’s section is on the other side of the shelf on the left.
Moving a fully loaded microfilm cabinet, which probably weighs nearly 1000 pounds, is no easy matter. We are glad it was doable. Unloading the more than 12,000 rolls of microfilm and then putting them back in the drawers in the right order would probably have added another day to the move.
Here the same microfilm cabinet is being maneuvered into position in the west room.
Since I didn’t get any photos of the water damage posted yesterday, here are a few photos. The debris on the floor in the first one is a ceiling panel which got waterlogged and fell.
This one shows water standing in a light fixture.
