Grand Opening - October 31

The grand opening ceremony took place on October 31 at 1 p.m. Percy the giraffe (a giant floor cushion) welcomed our guests to the children's library. It was great to see so many people come and share in our excitement of the new, accessible addition. It also became very warm in the room with so many people!

After speeches detailing the history and progress of the project, the fundraising effort and speeches of thanks, the library board (and future board member?) was called to the front to accept applause for a job well done. Sorry Susan for cutting you off in the picture.




Project Co-ordinator Ken Ahrens was happy to report the project came in 'on time, under budget and no injuries'. Wait a minute - Jim has just presented Ken with the only injury on the job - a level that was run over by some type of machine.

Jim continued with his presentation with a gift to Caroline and also....

a gift to the library of a beautiful signed print of books and children reading. Jim, you must be so happy your wife Anne Marie has such good taste!

Then it was time for posing with the cake prior to cutting it. From the left: Library Board Chair Charles Fitzsimmons, West Perth Mayor John Van Bakel, Library Manager Caroline Shewburg and Perth-Wellington MPP John Wilkinson.

Thank you to David for the use of some of your pictures. (He was not the photographer of the picture that cut off Susan)

Library on the Home Tour

The library was part of the Fall Home Tour, put on by the Optimist Club of Mitchell and Mitchell and Area Community Outreach. Decorating was done by Mary Helen Van Loon. All the chairs pictured belong to the library but the rest of the accessories were borrowed from Dublin Mercantile. I have a fast internet connection and lots of pictures, so enjoy your virtual tour.

Decorated magazine alcove. The floral arrangement from Interior Expectations welcomed us into our new space.

Bay window seating arrangement in adult fiction area.

Display on stairway landing containing portrait of Andrew Carnegie, who had contributed the money to build the library in Mitchell in 1910. The reason this library is called a 'Carnegie Library'.

Temporary seating area in the junior fiction section. The tables for the junior and young adult area will be arriving shortly.

This is a mock-up of the window bench that is to be built in the young adult seating area.

Turning around, we see the shelving in the young adult section. Finally, room to expand the collection.

We can now make use of the bay windows as comfy seating areas instead of having them filled with computer equipment.

The library lion has a nice corner in the children's library.

Chair, bear and clock.

Even the kitchen was decorated.

Window display featuring Queen Elizabeth and our coworker Judy Bauer who died in 2001.

Opening Day

The old entrance - in use no more. A sign has been posted at the bottom to direct patrons to the new entrance off the parking lot. This door is now an emergency exit only. The book drop is no longer at the top of the stairs but around the corner from the new entrance.








Keep going.











You've arrived at the new entrance to the library.







In the door, down the few steps (or use the elevator) and you arrive at our circulation desk. All check-ins and sign-outs will occur from this one location.







A view of the non-fiction area that is in front of the circulation desk.








Turn around and the rest of the floor contains adult fiction, audiobooks, movies and magazines.








Upstairs, huge progress on the young adult area. Considering the wall had been torn out only a week before, Jim and his crew have done a tremendous job.







Patricia Maxine Eisler was the first patron to come through the door.









Welcoming us into our new space were 2 beautiful bouquets from Jim Heckman, our contractor and a bouquet from Interior Expectations who installed the flooring.









A fence has been started around our condenser units outside.









This is what to look for when finding the bookdrop. It is on the back wall of the library, just around the corner from the new entrance door.

Day before 'O' day

If 'M' was moving day, then 'O' is opening day

In the children's area we have the books on temporary shelves. The cool children's furniture that has been ordered hasn't arrived yet.

This is the one side of the former picture book room. It has now been dedicated to magazines and the romance paperbacks with a comfy seating area.

Moving in furniture

Okay - lots of news to share - but we've been a 'little' busy.

Some of the furniture was delivered on Monday, Sept. 29. The program area is full.

Meanwhile, on the second floor of the original building, the alcove with the public catalogue has been painted the beautiful blue and the carpet has been removed.

Countdown to opening is on

Finally, all the shelves are out of the way and we can look up the stairs into the addition to the children's library. We have much of the downstairs organized by this point, thanks to all the volunteers who have spent many hours moving books around for us. However,there is still work to be done upstairs. Some of the furniture for the children's library won't be arriving until later this month.







The newest hole is being framed in. The original stained glass inserts in the top of the windows have been removed for restoration. After being exposed to the elements for almost 100 years, the leading had become very brittle and there were a few cracks in some pieces of glass.

Still some demolition

There is now a big hole in the wall opening up the former office area. This will be a sitting area in the young adult area.

M-day

M-day stands for moving day. We have closed for the next week in order to finish alterations to our original space and to get everything set up in the new space. Here goes our circulation desk from upstairs. We're excited about the addition, however, we are going to miss working upstairs with the high tin ceilings.

Many hours and many sore muscles later, a lot of material has been moved downstairs. These are the new wooden shelves loaded with the junior non-fiction.

After being cramped for so long, it looks so empty now upstairs. This is the former reference and junior section. Part of the wall will be coming out to open up the former office.

Functional elevator

The elevator passed inspection on Tuesday and this is the first 'official' ride on it. It will certainly be put to good use moving books down to the lower level. It's amazing to look at after seeing all the parts it arrived as.

Shelves were put into place downstairs over the weekend .

Steps and light

Upstairs, the last new ceiling light has been installed in the corner where the steps lead to the addition. Speaking of the steps....










....they have been completed on the sides with drywall, paint, handrails and trim on the edges. Because of the cramped conditions behind the shelf, the flash of the camera does not accurately portray the colour of the paint.

Bits and pieces

This time, let's start our tour outside. The canopy over the main entrance and the emergency exit is finished. Notice we're not looking through or over a fence? The fence disappeared while I was gone.

Upstairs in the accessible washroom the toilet, sink and grab bars have been installed. Don't mind the carpet remnant that's laying there for a short time.

It's hard to see unless you click on the picture to enlarge it, but the elevator is showing signs of life with the red button on the left side of the door. The elevator technicians have been on hand testing to be ready for inspection next week. We need the elevator to move books downstairs next week!

More stained glass

I'm back and excited about what has happened in my absence. Thanks to DeAnna for keeping the blog up to date.

Stained glass panels have been inserted in the south windows of the upstairs level of the addition to insure privacy for our neighbour. The design was adapted from the clerestory windows that line the back wall of the original building.

In the kitchen, the sink has been installed and handles put on the cabinets.

Lights, ceiling, action!

Our in house blogger has deserted us for a trip across the pond... We hope she is having fun and comes back well rested. We will be busy moving books into the beautiful new bookcases.

Circulation desk update

The circulation area is nearing completion; the countertops are now installed and looking grand.

Railings installed and ready for a steady flow of library users.