Madison Library District: Construction Blog

Drywall is Up in the New Remodel

2010-08-23T11:45:00.000-07:00

The remodeling is starting to make the old library look like the new addition. It looks like all the drywall is now up and waiting for the next phase of construction.

This first photo shows our old front entrance. You can see the monument to the library that was taken in the Teton Dam Flood. I believe our flagpole will be moved to be closer to the monument. This area will no longer be an entrance, but there will be a door for an emergency exit.

This next photo was taken from the back of old General Collections. We're looking west to where the old staff area and circulation desk used to be. The wall you see in the back will be to the public restrooms and the janitor's closet.

Here is our clerestory ceiling. Doesn't it look nice! Our new remodel will be as bright and airy as our new construction.

Here is our new fireplace all installed. This area will be a really nice place to relax and read a book, or to browse through a magazine.

This next image shows the wall to the new book store, and the wall to the hallway. This corner will house part of the General Collection that is now being stored in the Community Room.

This photo shows the doorway to the new public restroom area. These are located about where the old ones were. To the left, you can see the hallway to the new construction area, and what used to be our back door to the library.

This is not a great photo! I was trying to show you the new books store. This will be the entryway, and inside is a nice space for the book store.

This is a view inside the book store. The construction crew are using it for their office right now. The doorway you can see peeping out on the right will lead to a storage space.

This last image is the new remodel as you'd see it if you were able to walk through the construction wall behind the public computers in the entryway. This is where our old back door used to be. You can see how nice and bright our new library is going to be!

Work Progresses on the Old Section Remodel

2010-08-13T13:29:00.001-07:00

To start off, I had to show you this fun photo of one of our construction crew driving this big machine into our parking lot.

There's been a lot of work done on the old section of the library. Most of the framing is now complete. You can tell from this picture how the clerestory roof is coming - its just peeking out over the top of the old building. The second photo is a bit better, and shows how high the new roof is.

Here is the ceiling from the inside. You can see the clerestory windows along the top edge. They will match the ones we have now in the new atrium at the entrance to our new building.

The drywall has arrived, and is just waiting to be installed. Here we see a pallet of drywall waiting in the old General Collections area.

This photo shows the drywall for the new book store and the other half of the old library.

This last image shows our new fireplace. We're standing in what was the old children's area, about where Story Time used to be held.

Landscaping Goes in Around the New Section

2010-07-28T13:30:00.000-07:00

Today our landscaping was put in. Spruce it Up did a great job! Here's a few pictures to give you an idea of how nice it looks.

This first image is the north side of the building. We've now got lawn and all new bushes and shrubs.

This next image shows the west side of the building, and the driveway that leads to the parking lot and the book drop. You can see we've got some nice wood mulch and a few bushes.

Here is the south side of the building. This picture shows the sidewalk in front of the Community Room entrance. We've got some bushes, and we'll be getting a tree or two in the next day or so.

This is the area by our staff door. It looks so much nicer than just the dirt!

This last photo shows the island in the parking lot by the book drop drive-through. Soon, our trees and bushes will grow, and we'll match the Tabernacle.

More Work on the Old Side

2010-07-26T13:25:00.000-07:00

The work continues to progress on the older side of the building. The demolition part is almost over, and most of the framing has been completed. Here's a few photos to show you what's going on.

This first photo is actually taken outside a wall! We're looking through the wall of what will one day be the janitor's closet down our stairwell to the basement. The janitor's closet will be located in what used to be the west end of our staff area.

This next photo shows one of our construction crew working in what used to be our old staff break room. It will soon be the new public restrooms of the new remodel.

You can see the sunlight streeming into the old library with this photo. We're looking at the old hallway, which now has all the beams installed for the clerestory ceiling. Our old doorway is now closed off by a temporary wall. Once the remodeling is completed, that old entry will be an emergency exit.

The material above all our old windows has been removed. They will construct metal overhangs to match the new building.

With this picture, we can see that the beams supporting the clerestory are completely installed. This raised area will have windows to let in light in the same way the atrium windows do.

We're looking east from the old Children's section of the library. You can see what remains of Leslie Twitchell's lovely mural on the left-hand side.

In front of our old east windows, we're going to have a gas fireplace. As you can see, it has arrived and is already installed. This is going to be a cozy, wonderful area to sit and read in!

This final photo shows what will be the new Library Foundation Bookstore. The framing for both the sales area and the storage space has been completed. The doorway will open out into the hallway.

Work Continues on the Old Side of the Building

2010-07-14T13:18:00.000-07:00

While we're enjoying our new building, the work progresses on the old section. They are in the process gutting the interior, and putting up new supports and wall segments.

This first photo shows the length of the old building. We're looking from the old staff area through the former General Collections (Adult) area to the east windows.

Its not everyday that you see a construction vehicle in the middle of a library! This one is helping to install the new support beams for the clerestory ceiling which will run down the old hallway. You can see a gaping hole where the former front doorway was.

Outside, two of our wonderful construction crew go by, discussing the work.

We're in the old General Collections section looking south. You can see where the new support beams are going up.

We're looking up into the new construction area. In the background, you can see the outside walls of the atrium. The new clerestory roof will be the same height as the atrium roof.

This final picture looks like it was taken outside, but we're still in the old section of the building. I couldn't get any closer because of the construction work going on, but I wanted to show you where the new Library Foundation Bookstore is going to be. You can see the wall supports are now installed, and it will take up most of the space that used to be the Young Adult area.

Landscaping Begins

2010-06-24T12:10:00.001-07:00

Spruce It Up, our landscapers, have begun working on the landscaping around the new section of the building. In the last few days, they've been putting down the sprinkler system. Today, they've been working along 1st North.

The landscaping will eventually go all around the building as well. This is the west wall. The window you see is the one on the west wall of the Community Room (Adult Collection).

The landscaping will continue along our south walls, and the island by the drive-through Book Drop will be completely planted.

Raising the Roof in the Old Section!

2010-06-21T12:21:00.000-07:00

I have some wild photos for you today! During the last few days, the construction crew has been removing the roof from the old section of the building. These first few photos were taken last Friday, and show the roof removed from the old hallway area. This section will have a raised atrium roof to let in the light.

This photo was taken from the old audio books collection area. You can see the remainder of Leslie Twitchell's lovely Idaho mural to the right. Our old entrance doors are now blocked off. They will eventually be an emergency exit.

These fun pictures were taken right down the middle of the old section. If you keep heading down that hallway, you'd get to the new side of the building.

The walls are still coming down as well. This is our old staff break room and restroom area. This will eventually be public restrooms.

This photo was taken from the farthest north west corner of the old building. The window is our east window where the Adult Collection used to be. You can see the sunlight streeming down through the opening in the roof.

This is what our old entrance looks like! You can see the monument to the previous library (the one that went in the flood) out the window. This area is now a construction zone. No one can be admitted here without a hardhat.

Here are a couple of views of the hole in the roof.

This photo was taken from the farthest south east corner of the old building. Its looking through the entire youth sections. Again, you can see the sunlight coming in through the hole in the roof.

This final photo shows our flagpole and flag that sits out in front of the old library. With the construction flags, it looks like a carnival!

The Parking Lot Gets Paved, and the Walls Come Down in the Old Section

2010-06-14T11:42:00.000-07:00

Well, it finally stopped raining long enough for the crew to be able to pave our parking lot! In a few days, they'll paint the lines, and it will give us 10 additional parking spaces. We'll also get back the two or three spaces that the construction tape had blocked off by the Tabernacle.

This first photo shows how lovely the fresh new blacktop looks. You can see a member of the construction crew going over it with the steem roller. On the building, you can see two holes - they will both be Book Drop holes. The bigger one will not be operational until we get our sorting equipment, which is sometime in the fall. Once the slot is installed, the smaller one will be available for drop-offs.

This is a view down our new driveway. Its on the west side of the building, and will be a one-way only lane with the entrance from 1st North. No parking will be allowed down this driveway.

Here is where the new parking spaces will be. They'll be located between the new library and the LDS Semenary building.

And this is a longer view of our drive-through Book Drop area. The window is not operational yet. The Book Drops will be operational in a few days.

Meanwhile, on the other side of the building, demolition continues. Here we see our old staff restroom and break area.

Now, even the supports are gone between the staff area and the old Adult Collections area. These photos are a bit dark because there is no power in the old section anymore.

This photo gives you a grand sweeping view of the entire Adult Collection area through to where the magazines and audio books used to be. Much of the brick hallway has now been removed.

This is a view down through the old Children's area to the Young Adult area. The back office has now been demolished.

This last image shows the old hallway. The plywood doors you see at the end lead into the new section of the building.

Demolition on the Old Side of the Building

2010-06-08T12:32:00.000-07:00

Now that we finally have everything out, the construction crew has begun demolition on the old side of the building. Here's a few pictures of how the old section looks now.

The crew has spray painted "DEMO" on the walls that are to be taken out. You see that here on the wall that separated the area where the public Internet computers were from the staff area.

These "DEMO" signs are on the edge of the Director's office, and the wall leading to the processing area.

As the crew seemed to have so much fun writing on the walls, the library staff decided to join in! This wall is the one behind where the Children's Librarian's desk used to be.

This is the tiny office in the back corner of the old Young Adult area. This area will eventually be the Library Foundation Book Store.

Sadly, the lovely mural we've had in the Idaho Collection corner is also slated for demolition. It showed the four seasons of Idaho as you looked from left to right. This mural was painted for us by Leslie Twitchell, and we have greatly enjoyed it. We're sorry to see it go!

Here we see the beginnings of a hole through the wall to the staff processing area. You can make out our old yellow staff entrance door in the distance.

This is the same hole, only looking to the east. The window you see in the distance is the one on the east side of the building where the Adult Collection was.

This photo is a bit later on, and now that wall is completely gone! Just the supports are left.

The wall the librarians wrote on is now gone as well. There is no trace of the wall and closet that used to be behind the Children's Librarian's Desk.

The next few photos shows how wide open the library is without any walls!

One of the last areas to be demolished is the old Director's office.

Here is one member of the construction crew working in the old staff restroom. This entire area will be remodeled into the new public restrooms.

And, perhaps this photo needs no comment.

New Section Opens!

2010-06-07T11:47:00.000-07:00

The Madison Library District has finally completed its move to the new section of the building! We are now open for the public to come and see the wonderful new library for themselves.

There are some significant changes. The new front doors are the big glass ones on the south side of the building. Our old east side doors are no longer accessable. PLEASE DON'T WALK OR DRIVE THROUGH THE CONSTRUCTION ZONE! If you see yellow construction tape, please don't cross it, go under it or around it! Its there for your protection.

Also, you'll need to return your items in the book drop in the foyer. There is no place for returns inside the library. Just follow the posted signs to find the new book drop.

Our hours of operation are the same - Monday through Thursday, from 9AM to 8PM; Friday from 9AM to 6PM; and Saturday from 10AM to 4PM. The parking, as always, is a bit of an issue. Half of our old parking lot is open, and the construction crew will be paving the rest this week sometime (hopefully on Tuesday). There is also parking available on the street.

We look forward to seeing you back at the library!

New Computers, and Old Furniture

2010-06-04T12:34:00.000-07:00

Today we're having some excitement! We're getting our new checkout computers installed on the new Circulation Desk.

We'll have the two checkouts that we had in the old building, as well as the one for the Circulation Clerk. As always, you'll have the option to use either the self-checkouts or go to the clerk for assistance. One of the self-checkouts will have the card reader on it, so you may pay fines at that computer.

This first photo shows the action behind the scene...

..and this photo shows how they're looking from the front.

We're also getting some catalogue computers installed in the Children's section. They'll be the perfect height for our smaller patrons to use.

The construction crew is also installing our hanging lights in the atrium today. Here is a photo of them on the floor, waiting to go up to the ceiling.

This isn't a very good photo, but if you look hard, you can see the little lights dangling from the ceiling. They're quite lovely!

Over in the older section, the push is still on to get all the old shelving and furniture out. This all has to be removed so that the construction crew can gut the interior.

Here we see our director, Judy Dewey, along with some of our librarians, Anette, Ray and Cathy. They're working on getting the old shelving removed from the former Idaho Collection corner.

Here's the view down through the old Children's and Young Adult areas. All the bookshelves and fixtures are still waiting to be removed.

Here is the old reference desk.

This photo shows the same section, only looking from the Children's area back to where the audio books used to be housed.

Here we see Anette and Cathy taking a short break from their work! As you can see, our old book arch from the picture book section has been dismantled, and is waiting its turn to be removed from the building.

This photo shows how empty the northeast corner of the old Adult section looks. Most of the shelving from this area is now temporarily installed in the new Community Room, and is housing the Adult Collection.

This photo is also looking at the Adult side of the building, only looking to the west now. You can see the old tables where the public Internet computers used to be.

This photo shows our old processing area. All the staff equipment has now been removed. We still need to take out all the desks and furnishings, however.

This final photo shows the lonely hallway in our staff area where we used to park the shelving carts. As you can see, everything has now been removed from this area.

Work Continues in the Older Section and Outside

2010-06-01T17:30:00.000-07:00

While our new addition is almost up and ready, work is continuing on the older side of the building. These first few photos show how we're proceeding in getting all the shelving and tables and things ready to move out of the building. For now, we're going to store them, and perhaps have an excess sale once the library is completed. We are using many items from the older building, and we're not sure what will be left over.

This photo shows the old magazine and audio book section. There's a few boxes that still need to be moved over.

This is the old Adult section, with the study carols and oversized items shelves in the forground. We used to have the DVDs on top of the short shelves to the right. This section sure looks different without the tall shelves!

This picture is looking back from the old entrance through the Junior section. The old children's book arch is still there.

Outside, our old entrance is no longer open for public access. It is now a construction zone, and no one is allowed to walk through there. The construction crew has errected a fence to block off the old entrance. Our new entrance will be on the south side of the building, where the big glass doors are.

This next photo shows where the new book drop will be, at least for this week! Once the new addition is opened, we'll have a book drop on the new side. For this week, the book drop is in the old emergency exit door. We've got some signs posted so you can find it.

Back to the new side of the building, the crew's been working to get our parking lot ready to pave.

They're making an island in front of the new addition to creat a drive-through lane. Here, you'll be able to drive in and drop off your books. The window you see will eventually be where you can pick up books, once you've called in and told us you're coming!

On the west side of the building, the crew is making us a single lane entrance. This will be a one-way entrance from 1st North into the library parking lot and drive-through area.

The concrete has been poured for the entry way, and the crew is working to get the area ready for blacktop.

The north side of the building now has a new sidewalk poured. The pipes and lines they were working on are now finished. Landscaping will be coming sometime soon.

One Week 'Til We Re-Open!

2010-06-01T15:02:00.001-07:00

Well, we're getting down to the wire now! Our re-opening is only one week away.

Since the Adult Collection has been completely moved, we're now concentrating on getting the Junior and Young Adult items into their permanent homes. Let's look at the Young Adult area first.

In this photo, we see an overview of the Young Adult area. The low shelving you see to your right will house our DVD collection. On the opposite side, we'll place the items on hold for patrons. The taller shelving you see behind and to the left will house the Young Adult items.

Here we have the south east corner of the YA area. The books are starting to fill up the shelves!

The computer technicians are installing new computers for the YA area.

And here's a larger view of the YA area. The shorter shelving to the right is where the holds will be.

This picture shows Amy, one of our librarians, wheeling a cart of Junior non-fiction to its new home. The construction crew is in the process of installing the light fixtures from the atrium ceiling - hense the giant ladder!

This plywood wall is a temporary barrrier to block off the older part of the library while its being remodeled. Since space is at a primium, we've decided to place the public access computers against this wall for the summertime. Once the older section's remodel is completed, these computers will move to that new space.

This photo shows the veiw from behind the circulation desk. We still have to move all our supplies over to this section. We're also waiting on the circulation computer and the self check-out stations.

This image shows the Junior section. We're looking north west. Here in the front is the non-fiction books. The fiction books will be housed in the shelving you see to the left in the distance.

This view is looking north east. On the right, you can see the corner of the Children's Librarian's desk. The shelves closest to us are housing the Junior fiction books.

We're utilizing some of our old cupboards and counters in our work areas. This image shows the Children's Librarian's closet and storage space. Its bigger than some of my college apartments were!

We're also continuing to get our staff area squared away. Everyone is working on getting their desks in order. Here we see Melissa (behind that box!) sorting through the office supplies.

In the distance you can see Anette, one of our librarians. She's working at her desk.

Here we have the Director's office. She is still in the process of moving her items. On the wall, you can see the scrapbook kits.

And this giant space is on the west side of the processing area. We're going to move some tables in to store some of our processing equipment. This is a good place to put the shelving carts!

The next post will be a continuation of today - I'll show you what's going on outside!

May 28th

2010-05-28T15:05:00.000-07:00

We're getting closer and closer to having our move completed. Today, I thought I'd take you through the front doors for the first time.

So here we are, entering from the foyer. You can see the curve of the circulation desk to the left.

Today, the construction crew is working on putting the circulation desk countertops on. They're filling in the spaces and sanding it smooth.

Our new signage has been installed. Here is the sign for the Young Adult area. The shelving for this area is almost completed. You can see the shelving we'll use for the DVDs right under the sign.

Here is the sign for the Children's area. The shelving for this area has now been completed.

Our Children's librarian has had her desk installed. She's now in the process of moving her things.

The tops to the shelves in the children's area have now been installed. The shelving looks so nice!

Here is the hallway to the Community Room / Adult Collection area. We've decided this is probably the best place to put the Adult New Titles. We're going to use our same kiosks from the older part of the building.

This photo shows the signage for the Community Room. All our signs are in a lovely dark brown that contrasts nicely with our walls.

The glass doors have now been installed on the Junior Activity Room. We will be able to close those doors when the children are having noisy activities.

This photo shows the inside of the Junior Activity Room. We still need to have the flooring installed in here, but otherwise, this room is finished. You can see the new "Community Room" sign through the doors.

Back on the older side of the library, we've installed a temporary book drop in the emergency exit door on the south side of the building. We'll have some signs put out so you can find the book drop. Our book drop will open on the 1st of June.

We've got almost all the collection moved to the new part of the building. You can see how bare its looking in the older part! We just have a few boxes left to move.

This is the north side of the older section. You can see the public computers at the left. They'll get moved over in a day or two. All the shelving in this section is now dismantled and gone or installed in the new addition.

In our staff processing area, the move is continuing. Here we see Teri and Anette diconnecting Teri's computer so it can be moved to the new section.

Most of the processing area still needs to be moved, but progress has started!

Here is a photo of our new processing area. Everyone is trying to get their desks arranged. The old computers are being moved over. We're waiting on new computers for the staff members who didn't have one in the old building.

Ray and Mary are moving all our office supplies into their new home.

Here we see Robin, Teri and Valerie working on their desks.

We're so close to being done! We're all excited.

Construction Continues as We Finish Moving the Adult Collection

2010-05-27T15:00:00.000-07:00

We've spent most of the day finishing up our move to the Community Room. We now have almost the entire Adult Collection in there!

This first picture is in the old part of the building. You can see the stacks of boxes we've taken down, waiting in piles for the recycler. One of our volunteers is carrying boxes for others to take apart.

We used a lot of boxes!

Here we have Cathy, one of our librarians, and a volunteer breaking down boxes. They had a lot of work to do with this!

Stacks and stacks of boxes!

Here's what was left of yesterday's move - the Audio Books, the Oversized and Reference collection. For the summer, we'll have to put the Oversized books and most of Reference in storage. The Community Room couldn't quite hold it all.

Down at the other end of the building, the Community Room saw continued work. Here is a volunteer working with our librarians, Cathy, Lorna and Anette, to move boxes packed with books to their appropriate shelves.

And here's the room almost completely filled! The aisles are tight, and a bit claustrophobic, but will be fine for three months while the renovation is completed on the old part of the building.

While the move was continuing, the construction crew worked on. Here we see the shelving team working on the shelves for the new Young Adult area.

The bins you see behind the construction team member are for our DVD collection. Patron Holds will be on the other side of that shelf unit.

This photo gives you some idea of the cozy Young Adult space created by the shelves. In front of the windows, you see the desks that will hold the YA computers. The yellow door to the right of the photo is our old staff room door - and the new entrance to the Janitor's closet.

Our children's librarian, Vivian, got her desk installed today....

....and the end caps and tops arrived for the Junior shelving.

Finally, our staff room desk and storage units were completed as well. I think we can move into our desks tomorrow!

Moving the Adult Collection

2010-05-26T13:57:00.000-07:00

Its been a monumental day, as we've moved the majority of our Adult Collection into the Community Room. Our staff has worked so hard! And we appreciate the support of the many volunteers that have helped us.

This first view is from the Young Adult section of the older library, and looks towards the east. You can see the huge pile of books we have to move!

Here's Ray, one of our librarians, loading a book cart with boxes for other staff members to take to the new section of the building.

This photo shows Robin, another librarian, pushing the loaded cart to the new Community Room.

The Community Room has been a veritable beehive of activity today, with most of our staff unloading boxes and shelving the books. Here we see Miranda and Anette.

Lorna and Valerie are diligently working on their respective shelves.

Teri and Amy are unpacking new boxes just arrived from the old part of the building.

Here's Melissa, working on her shelf. We had to make sure all the books were in their proper order as we unpacked the boxes.

In this photo, Robin is arriving with another cartload of boxes. He'll then use a cart to take all the empty boxes back to the older part of the library. The Community Room is pretty cramped, and its important to keep the space as clear as possible.

Robin pushes an empty cart through the new Junior area, back towards the old part of the building.

This is the hallway to the old part of the building. Beyond the wooden wall, you can see our old west entrance doors. The light way in the distance is the doors to the outside - our old front entrance.

At the end of the line is an ever-growing pile of empty boxes. Here you can see Cathy, one of our librarians, emptying her cart to get it ready for a new load of boxes.

Tomorrow the adventure continues!

The Shelving is Finally Ready

2010-05-25T14:41:00.000-07:00

As many of you know, we've been in a bit of a holding pattern for the last several days. The shelving in the Community Room took a bit longer than anticipated. We also were waiting on the flooring to be completed in the staff area.

The shelving is almost finished throughout the new section. Here's a look at the shelving in the Community Room. Its all a bit tight in there, as the entire Adult Collection will have to be in there for the summer, but we'll make do!

The shelving in the Junior section is almost completed as well. We're just waiting for the end caps and the tops, and then we can start moving the Children's books from the old section to the new.

This is a photo of the Young Adult shelving that's waiting to be installed.

Another major installation that's occurring right now is all our staff desks. These photos show some of the desk components waiting to be installed.

The flooring in the staff area finally got finished, and our cubicles and desks are being assembled. We're going to have so much space!

The flooring also got finished behind the circulation desk. Now the cabinets can be completed, and the countertop installed.

Moving Shelves, Part II

2010-05-18T17:36:00.000-07:00

While the library staff and some of the construction crew was busy packing books and taking down shelves, other members of the construction crew were putting up new shelving in the addition. The new shelves are a pretty whitish-gray color, and are going to be really lovely!

Here's a photo of the new shelving going up in the Junior section.

This picture shows the shelving still in boxes waiting to be unpacked and assembled.

Here's a few more photos of the shelf assembly process.

Other parts of the construction process are still progressing as well. The redwood ceiling that we've had in the old part of the building is in the process of being assembled in the new addition. Part of the ceiling in the Young Adult area will have this wonderful wood.

The cabinets are being worked on in the circulation area.

And they're working on the doors throughout the building. Here, they're working on the front entrance doors.

The yellow shelving from the old part of the library now needs to be installed in the Community Room. As these need to be bolted to the floor for stability, we will only have a concrete floor in there for the summer. Once the Adult Collection moves to its permanent home, carpet will be put down in the Community Room.

Here are a few photos of the shelves that have been moved over thus far.

And here are the members of the library staff milling around in the Community Room at the end of a very long day!

Packing Boxes and Moving Shelves

2010-05-18T16:14:00.000-07:00

As Ray's video showed, we got quite a bit done yesterday. We still have quite a bit to go, however!

This first photo shows the shelves in the Adult non-fiction area, and how many we've gotten emptied.

These next two photos show our huge pile of boxes from yesterday. We started out piling them in the space where the Idaho collection has been housed.

In the early afternoon, we ran out of space in the Idaho collection, and started having to place the packed boxes in front of the hold shelves. Here's Amy, one of our staff members, wheeling in a full cart of packed boxes.

These next couple of photos show the empty shelves in the Adult section.

Once the shelves were emptied, we had to remove all the shelves. The construction crew is going to re-assemble these old shelf units in the Community Room for the summer. This photo shows the library staff and construction crew in the process of removing the shelves. The big bin is being used to transport the shelves to the new part of the library.

This is kind of a fun photo, showing the shelves waiting on the floor. Once they were removed from the shelving framework, the end pieces had to be removed as well.

This is a photo of Martin, our Project Manager. We have so much to thank him for! He's been wonderful to work with. Here he is in the process of disassembling the shelf units.

The last two photos show members of our staff removing the shelves. Amy and Teri are still boxing books in the background.

Here's Robin removing the end pieces from the shelves. Whew! Its been a long day!

The next post will show where we're moving all this stuff to!

Video of our Move

2010-05-18T10:13:00.000-07:00

Here's a fun little video with one of our librarians, Ray. He's going to show you what the library looks like this morning, after much of our Adult collection has been boxed.

The Big Move Begins!

2010-05-17T09:55:00.000-07:00

Today has been a monumental day! This morning we began boxing up books to start our move to the new addition. We had a number of community volunteers that helped us, and this made our work much easier!

This first photo shows Mary, one of our librarians, in the process of labeling the shelves in the Children's Section. Our director, Judy Dewey, came up with a great system - we label all the shelves with numbers. Then each shelf goes into its own box. The label then goes on the box. Once the shelves are put up in the new addition, they will also be labeled with numbers. Then each box goes on its corresponding shelf. That way, it won't matter which order we go in, as long as each box goes on its appropriately labeled shelf in the new addition.

Here are some of our staff members working in the Audio books area.

This shows the beginning of the box pile. We decided to put them in the area where our display tables were, as this was a fairly large, empty space.

Here are a few photos of librarians labeling the shelves. First we have Melissa:

Then Lorna and Terri:

Then Robin:

These kiosks were where the VHS tapes were housed. Our wonderful volunteers boxed those up for us.

And here are a few of our hard working volunteers! We would never have been able to get as much done today without their excellent help.

Here's the view toward the end of the day. Most of the Adult collection is now boxed and waiting to move to the new addition.

Here's a few more staff members still moving boxes. You can see the huge amount of boxes we need for this project! Thanks to Artco and other local businesses for their donations!

CLOSURE DATES ANNOUNCED

2010-05-16T08:55:00.000-07:00

The Madison Library District will be closing for three weeks in order to move all the current library items into the new addition. Our closure dates will be Monday, May 17th through Saturday, June 5th. No library items will be due during this time, and no overdue fees will be charged.

Additionally, the book drop will be closed from May 17th through May 31st. Please do not bring back any items during this time, as there will be no place to deposit them. The book drop will re-open on June 1st. Watch for signs posted on the building as to where the new book drop will be!

Good-bye to the Old Library

2010-05-15T08:45:00.000-07:00

Before we begin our big move on Monday, I thought I'd take a bunch of photos of how our library looks today, so we can remember the old library. The first photo is looking back through the Junior section to the Young Adult section. You can see the tree branches we've had up as decoration for most of the year. They will come down first thing on Monday morning.

Here are our ever-popular children's computers. Our children's and Young Adults sections won't be moved until the last, as we will need to move all the Adult collection into the Community Room first.

Here is a closer view of our Young Adult section, with the Young Adult computers.

This next view shows most of the Junior collection. We're looking north east, with the Young Adult area behind us.

This next photo shows the view as we look down through the Junior section, past the Backpacks, and see the Audio Books in the distance. We're looking almost directly east. You can see our Children's Librarian, Vivian Millius,' displays, and the cute rugs we've had in the story time area.

This is where the board books have been shelved, and the Junior Emergent reader's are on the back wall by the emergency exit.

This picture shows the story time area, with the Junior Emergent readers on the back wall. We're standing in front of the Reference Desk looking almost directly south.

I had to get a photo of the cute book arch we've had in our library. It's marked the entrance to the Easy books. Its getting a bit beat-up by now, but we've really enjoyed having this fun decoration in our Children's department.

Here's a closer view of our Easy section. This is where we've shelved the picture books.

This is a view of our Magazine section. You can see the newspaper carousel on the left hand side. We'll have the same type of shelving in our new library - the shelves lift up to house the current year issues underneath. The Junior and Young Adult Magazine sections will also have this type of shelving. The one difference will be that the new shelves will be a pretty grayish-white color. In fact, all our shelving in the new library will be that color, and will match throughout the entire building.

This is a view from the lobby area looking south to the audio book section. You can see our display tables (now empty) and the Easy books section to your right.

This view is also from the lobby, but looks west towards the Reference Desk. You can see one of our librarians, Robin, just peeking out behind the self check out on the left.

Now we've traveled to the Adult section of the library. The non-fiction section starts here, by the public access computers. This area is to the north of the Circulation Desk.

And here's our current Circulation Desk. One of our librarians, Mary, is manning her station.

This photo shows the rest of the non-fiction Adult section. We're looking mostly north over the New Titles display tables.

Here are our Catalogue Computers, which have been located directly to the east of the Circulation Desk.

This area is where we place patron's Hold items. It's located to the south of the Catalogue computers, behind the display case. In the new library, the holds will be located in the lobby area, before you get to the Young Adult section.

Now, we're looking north east down the center of the Adult section. The VHS movies are housed in the kiosks down the center aisle. The last of the non-fiction and the fiction books are in the tall shelves to the left.

This is the same section, only now we're looking south east. You can see the DVD baskets to the right, and the last of the fiction section is beyond that.

This is the back corner of the Adult fiction section. This has been a much-used table!

This is the back wall of the Adult fiction section, by the east windows.

These next two photos show the Adult section in its entirety looking from the east to the west. This entire collection will be temporarily housed in the new Community Room over the summer. We'll have to pack all the boxes up, as we will be using these existing shelves to house the books. We've got a big move ahead of us! The new shelves for the Adult Collection won't arrive until the fall, when the remodel of the older part of the building is finished.

These next few photos show a side of the library few member of the public see. This is where all the processing of the books has been done. You can see how cramped we've been! This view looks from the south east through the processing area to the north west.

And this is the same room, only from the north east looking to the south west. We couldn't get more stuff in here if we tried! Our new processing area is much larger, and will be greatly appreciated by all.

We're heading back toward the Circulation Desk now. This is the area where the shelving carts wait until their full enough to go out onto the floor.

This area is behind the Circulation Desk, and has more shelving carts. The pink boxes you see on the right are the Scrapbook Supplies Collection.

And, lastly, we'll end here behind the Circulation Desk with Mary, who's a multi-tasker. Not only is she on the phone with a patron, but she's also checking in books and posing for the camera!

Our next blog posts will be after we've started our move.

Map of the New Section of the Library

2010-05-14T14:24:00.000-07:00

Today, we've got a map of the new section of the library. One of our intreped staff, Melissa Borders, was responsible for putting this together. It shows an overall view of the new section, and where the different collections will be during the summer.

Sometime during the first part of September, the remodel will be finished on the older section of the building. Then the Adult Collection that is housed in the Community Room for the summer will move back to the old section of the building.

Interesting Views Through the Windows

2010-05-13T14:22:00.000-07:00

Just for fun, I thought I'd show some of the fun pictures I've taken while doing the blog.

This first photo shows one of our fine construction workers on some scaffolding on the north side of the building. He's working on the exterior. This photo was taken through the windows in the Junior area.

Of course, we have lots of construction vehicles. This one is in front of the Community Room doors:

This one is outside the staff area windows. (Can you see the Madison Jr. High coach in the background?)

This is the view out the front doors, looking towards the older building and the parking lot.

And, finally, what's prettier than the American flag flying in the breeze outside the Tabernacle, set against our lovely Rexburg sky?

New Cabinets! and the Carpet is Almost Done.

2010-05-12T13:04:00.000-07:00

This has been a big week for us! The carpet is coming right along, the new cabinets are being installed, and many fixtures have arrived.

These first two pictures show the carpet for the atrium. It's arrived and in the process of being installed.

These next few pictures show the circulation area. We're getting lots of cabinets for all the things we need to store.

These photos show how the carpet is progressing in the JR and YA areas. Most of it has been laid, with the exception of that strip on the far side of the photo.

Here is the Jr. Activity Room. There's been some discussion as to whether this room should be carpeted or not.

This next photo shows our new drinking fountains. They're between the two public restrooms, down the hallway to the Community Room.

These next photos show the kitchen cabinets. We're going to have a nice kitchen off the Community Room! As you can see, we're just waiting for the counter tops.

Here is a photo of one of our staff bathrooms. All the fixtures have arrived!

Our director, Judy Dewey, liked her cabinets in the old building so much, that they installed them for her in her new office. They do look very nice with the new counter tops!

Here's a first look at the entryway to the new building. There's two sets of doors, with a space in between. Here will be the inside book drop, as well as the community bulletin board.

And, finally, here is the new view of the library as you enter the front doors. The circulation desk is to the left, and the YA area is straight ahead. You can see the light from the atrium streaming into the lobby area.

More Progress to the Interior

2010-05-07T18:15:00.000-07:00

The interior is seeing some exciting additions. Some of the carpet has arrived and is in the process of being installed. The installation of the ceiling tiles is almost finished. Its starting to look like a completed building!

These first two photos show the atrium. The paint and ceiling tiles give it a finished appearance. The first photo shows the lighting fixtures as well.

This second photo of the atrium area is pointing east. The unfinished wall you see is where the Library Foundation Book Store will be. There will be a corridor leading back to the older section of the building. The older section, after its remodel, will house the Adult collection.

This next series of pictures shows the beginning installation of the carpet in the Junior and Young Adult areas. Its quite a stretch of ground to cover!

This next photo is of the staff processing area. The work here is on hold for a few days - the Ph ballance of the concrete is preventing the crew from laying the flooring here. We'll have a rubber-type floor for utility purposes, and if the Ph ballance is off, it ruins the glue.

Here are some views of our staff break room. We've had lockers and a coat rack installed. The second photo shows the lovely cabinetry in the room.

These last two photos show the progress on the Community Room. The ceiling has now been completed.

Work in the Parking Lot

2010-05-07T17:58:00.000-07:00

Our construction crew has moved outside again, this time to the parking lot between the new addition and the Seminary Building. The blacktop has been removed in preparation for a new drainage system. Additionally, they'll be putting in a small island. This will mark the flow of traffic for the drive-up window.

Here are a few pictures to show the activity:

Updates to the Interior of the New Addition

2010-04-28T12:15:00.000-07:00

Things continue to progress at a nice pace. We're starting to have some cabinetry installed, and the grid for the ceiling tiles is up.

This first picture shows the atrium. Its all painted and finished with all the windows installed:

This next photo shows the circulation area, from the perspective of the librarians. We're inside, looking out into the lobby area:

With this next photo, you can see the new ceiling lights are now finished. They have an LED track around the outer rim. We'll be able to program different color of lights with this system. You can also see the grid for the ceiling tiles is now installed. The ceiling tiles are in the packages on the floor:

This next picture was taken in the new Junior Activity Room. The cabinets have been installed. Robin, one of our librarians, is posing by the cabinets to show how they are all "kid friendly" sized!

This photo shows the completed lights in the Junior Activity Room.

This photo was taken from the Junior Activity Room looking east back to the older part of the building.

I had to include this next photo! It shows the stalls in the women's restroom. Its a little difficult to tell from this photo, but there are privacy guards installed on the edges of all the doors. Nice!

This photo is looking from the Community Room into the new kitchen area. You can see the new cabinets through the serving window. The kitchen is located in the north west corner of the Community Room.

Our staff break room is shown in this next photo. We really like the cabinets!

The last photo for today shows the staff processing room. All the walls are finished, and the grid is installed just waiting for the ceiling tiles:

Changes to the Director's Office

2010-04-26T11:56:00.000-07:00

This week saw some major changes to our director, Judy Dewey's, office. All her countertops and cabinets made a migration into the new addition. Here are a few pictures of what her office looked like before the furnishings were removed:

Here's a fun picture of one of our construction crew working in Judy's office. You can see how bare it is, now that her furniture is gone!

Now, Judy has to work off a long table and a couple of shelving carts until we make our move to the new addition.

The Work Outside Progresses Just as Quickly

2010-04-14T15:49:00.000-07:00

I wanted to show you how the brickwork is coming along. It won't be too many days before their finished!

This first photo shows the crew working on the top level. The tractor is lifing the bricks up to the men.

As you can see in this photo, the brickwork on most of the south side of the new building is nearly completed.

This photo shows the south west corner of the new construction. The crew is still working on the west side:

This is a great photo showing the large piles of bricks being used!

This is the north side of the building. The work has just started here, but is moving very quickly:

The construction team has done an excellent job in matching the new brick to the older brick of the existing library. I don't think anyone will be able to tell the difference between them once the work is done!

The Work Progresses Inside

2010-04-14T15:28:00.000-07:00

We're now to the second week of April, and our BIG MOVE is slated for the final two weeks in May - May 17th through the 31st, to be exact. The work is progressing right along, and it looks like the crew is on schedule.

Here's a few photos to show how nicely the interior of the building is looking. The construction crew is still working in the atrium. As you can see, we've got the clerestory windows installed, and the drywall mudding is progressing.

Here's a veiw looking south to the front door area. We expect the doors to arive and be installed any day now. You can see the area that will be our new display cases:

This is the north corner by the old yellow door that used to be our staff entrance. Its all finished and painted!

Here's a view of our new staff processing area. Look how nice and big and bright is is! The lights have been installed and are working nicely.

The Community Room still needs a bit of work, but its right on target as well. Here's a veiw looking into the southeast corner of the new room. You can see the space where the doors will be installed:

Here's a first peek at the public restrooms. All the tile has been installed, and the sinks are in as well:

And, finally, here's a view looking east through our long and lovely Junior section back the Young Adult corner by the old staff room door:

More Changes to the Interior of the Old Library

2010-04-09T10:24:00.000-07:00

In order for the construction of the new section to progress, the construction crew had to remove part of the ceiling in the existing building. Here are some "before" and "after" photos to show how things have changed.

First we have the Young Adult area. This was the easiest for the construction crew to do, as the ceiling was made up of tiles that could be removed. The first two pictures show the ceiling as it was:

And here is the ceiling now, with the tiles removed, and the fixtures hangin loose.

These next pictures show the staff office at the back of the old building, in the north corner of the Young Adult area. It was a more difficult job, as the ceiling in this small office was solid. The construction crew had to do more work to get this ceiling out:

And here's what the ceiling in the little office looks like now:

Last, the staff area in the north corner of the old building was also affected. Here is a photo of the staff break room. Its located just off of the yellow door that was by the old book drop on the west side of the building:

And here's the break room now with the ceiling tiles removed:

So, lots of chages are happening! It feels a bit like we're on the set of a movie, and the roof has been left off on purpose. We're looking forward to our new building, and our new LARGE staff area!

Starting the Brickwork

2010-03-31T09:59:00.000-07:00

Even though it was a cold and cloudy day, the construction crew got working on the exterior brickwork today. Loads of bricks were brought in, and scaffolding went up all around the exterior.

Heres a photo of the bricks being brought in with a tractor:

These next few photos show the scaffolding around the building, and the brickwork being done.

You can tell from these photos how great the new brickwork is going to look! They've done a fantastic job in finding brick that matches the existing building. Once its finished, the new addition will blend in perfectly with the older, existing library.

New Windows

2010-03-12T13:00:00.000-08:00

It was a momentous day today! The construction crew began installing the windows. Here's a few pictures:

Here's the crew working on the window in the new Staff Processing Room.

This is another angle of them working on the Staff Processing Room window. You can see the Tabernacle outside.

This last photo shows the crew working on the west window in the new Community Room. You can see the back of Madison Jr. High behind them.

These windows are so large, and there are so many of them, the interior of the new library will be very bright and beautiful!

Changes in the Staff Room

2010-03-12T11:48:00.000-08:00

The second week of March has seen some big changes to the current Staff Processing area. Our staff door and break room window have been taken out. Also, the old room that housed the book drop has been dismantled. Here are a few "before" and "after" pictures that show these changes.

These are the before and after shots of the door. You can see the wall to the book drop room on the back side of the refridgerator. Here's what it looked like from the older side of the building:

Here's what the door looked like from the new construction side:

They also removed the little room that used to house the book drop. Here's what the staff room looks like now:

Exterior Gets Weatherized

2010-02-18T13:37:00.000-08:00

With the sunny days we've had, the crew has been progressing right along. Here are a few pictures showing the exteriors of the new addition with the weather wrap on.

This first photo shows the new main entrance to the library, and the new Community Room. You can see how much of the exterior walls are completed, and the weather wrapping around the Community Room.

I took a little outside tour along 1st North to see the scope of the new building. Here you can see how the new addition is connecting to the old building. The atrium roof is peeking out over the older building. I'm so glad we were able to save the mature tree in the parking!

This last photo is looking from the new addition back onto the older building. You can just see the Tabernacle roof behind the building. From this angle, the new addition looks huge!

Interiors Get Insulation and Drywall

2010-02-18T11:15:00.000-08:00

Work on the interior is moving right along! The weatherization materials and insulation are being installed. Here are a few pictures of the work being done right now.

The insulation is going up in the atrium. Its kind of fun to watch them lift the insulation pieces up to the top of the atrium.

Here is a picture of the weatheriszation materials along the north wall. This photo looks west down through what will be the Young Adult and Junior sections of the library.

The drywall has also arrived and is in the process of being installed. This next photo shows the drywall up in the new Junior Activity Room.

They've also put drywall inside the lighting fixtures. This photo shows a close-up of one in the Junior area.

This next photo shows the drywall leaning up against the sides of the framing waiting to be installed. This picture is looking east from the Junior Activity Room back to the old part of the library.

In other parts of the building, the drywall is still waiting to be installed. The next picture shows the drywall waiting in the Community Room.

This photo shows drywall waiting to be installed in the new Staff Processing area.

First Tour of the New Library Wing!

2010-01-29T11:45:00.000-08:00

On January 29, 2010, the new interior is ready to show! Most of the walls have been studded in, and its much easier to envision how the new wing will look when it's completed. A few of the library staff and I are going to take you on a virtual tour. We'll start at the front door, then head west through the staff areas, turn north through the Community Room and the Junior Activity Room, before heading back east through the Young Adult Area back to the old library.

Here's some photos to show the new areas:

This photo shows the new front door area. We're standing in the atrium area looking to the south. To the right in this picture is where the new check-in area will be. There will be a big glass wall so that patrons can watch the new sorting equipment process the books and other library materials.

The following photo shows the new atrium:

We've backed up a few steps and are looking south west. You can see Anette, one of our librarians. She's standing in front of where the new Library Foundation Book Store will be, by the yellow door that was south of the old west entrance.

For our next photo, we've turned to the right and walked east into what will be the new staff and processing area.

Here we see Robin, another of our librarians, standing in front of what will be the east wall of the staff area. Behind him will be staff restrooms and the storage closet for the new Community Room.

We've now walked to the east through the hallway that will lead from the staff area into the new Community Room.

Here we've turned around and are facing east. We see two of our librarians, Anette and Valerie, walking through the hallway. Behind them, you can see the new staff area, and the wall to the new circulation desk.

Our tour now takes us west again, into the new Community Room.

This photo shows the north west corner of the new Community Room. The doorway you see will lead to a small kitchenette area. You can also see how high the raised ceiling will be, letting in lots of light!

Now we turn right once again, and head north through a hallway, past the new public restrooms, and into the new Junior area.

This photo is looking into the new Junior Activity Room. We're standing in the northwest corner of the new building, but this photo is actually looking to the south west corner of the Junior Activity Room. The metal structures you see on the ceiling will house lighting fixtures.

We're almost ready to head back to the older section of the building. This next photo shows the scope of the new addition:

We've made a 180 degree turn, and are now facing directly east. The Junior Activity Room is directly behind us. This view is looking through the Junior and Young Adult areas of the library, past the staff areas (on the right) and back towards the older part of the building. The sunlight you see on the floor up in the distance is coming in through the clerestory windows of the atrium.

While most of the snow has been removed from the interior of the new construction, a great deal of ice has remained. The construction crew has worked to get it all broken up and shoveled out, using blowtourches and heaters.

This is a pile of ice chips left behind in the Young Adult Area.

This next photo shows the housing for the lights in the Young Adult Area.

We're looking up, and to the north east (more north than east). The lights will be quite elaborate, and will hang above and below the ceiling on different levels. They'll also have the capacity to change colors.

Now we're back to where our tour began.

We've walked through the Young Adult Area, past the new staff and processing areas, and are standing in the atrium once again. We're looking to the north east. The yellow double doors you see were the old staff entrance that was to the immediate south of the old book drop.

I hope you've enjoyed your tour of the new addition! As you can see, things are shaping up very nicely. I'm looking forward to being able to show you continued updates as the interior work progresses.

Putting on the Roof

2010-01-25T12:36:00.000-08:00

On January 25th, the construction crew began to put the roof boards on. They used the big crane to get the boards to the roof. Here's a few pictures -

Then the crew pulled the boards in place. It was quite a process to watch!

Here's a photo showing the amount of snow that had fallen in through the atrium into the interior of the new library:

Now with the new roof going up, the crew won't have to fight the snow so much.

Snow!

2010-01-12T12:11:00.000-08:00

With all the stormy weather we've been having, its created quite a challenge for the construction crew. They've had to add some unique tools to their repetoire, such as this snowblower.

They've also used their tools in creative ways, like using the blowtorch to melt the ice that has accumulated on the concrete floor.

Working on the Community Room

2010-01-11T11:59:00.000-08:00

These are all photos taken on January 11th showing how fast the progress is going. The most noticable addition is the new Community Room. Here's a shot of it from our parking lot looking northwest. The higher section you can see will be the interior tray ceiling.

This is a view looking west onto that new addition.

If you look closely, you can see the tabernacle behind the new construction.

Here's a few more photos showing how quickly the construction crew is working! The first shows the completed north wall of the new addition. Notice the roof struts connecting the wall to the support beams.

These next two show the new atrium space that will be the new front entrance to the library. Look at the fun curved section!

The new atrium space will have clerestory windows, so there will be lots of light flooding into the entrance. It will make a nice change from our dark little hallway that we have now!

Framing in the Walls

2010-01-02T15:41:00.000-08:00

Here's a good photo showing the construction crew putting up the wooden frame for the building.

Most of the walls were completed by the first part of January, 2010.

Putting up the Roof Beams and Supports

2009-12-05T15:25:00.000-08:00

In early December, the construction really began to take off. It became much more evident how big the new addition really was as the crew put up the first of the roof beams and support posts. Later, ceiling trusses would be added.

Here's one of the construction workers connecting one of the roof beams to an upright support.

The weather also played its role - note the snow in all these pictures. The cold didn't delay the process too much, however! The work went right along.

Pouring the Concrete

2009-11-25T12:28:00.000-08:00

In mid-November, work began on the concrete floor for the new building. This process was delayed several times because the weather was too cold for the concrete to set properly. Here is a picture of the old west side entrance, with the doors removed. You can see how uneven the ground was before the concrete got poured.

Once the ground was leveled out, the prep work began. The concrete was poured on top of the yellow plastic and metal mesh. The box you see in the middle of the following picture is the support for an eventual roof beam.

The concrete got poured through a huge crane arm. If you look closely, you can see the concrete coming out of the bottom of the spout. The construction workers directed the mouth of the arm to the sections of the floor where they needed the concrete to go.

This is a great picture that shows the concrete coming out of the crane arm. It also shows how they smoothed the concrete.

Here the construction workers are smoothing out the floor:

And, voila! The finished floor for the new building! This photo is looking east onto the old west side of the building.

Fun Picture

2009-11-15T15:49:00.000-08:00

Here's a fun picture of the construction cones by our nice tree on the east side of the current building, right by the parking lot entrance.

Installing Water Pipes for the New Sprinkler System

2009-11-15T12:00:00.000-08:00

The new Madison Library District building will be completely up-to-date with all the latest safety regulations. This will include a sprinkler system throughout the building in the event of a fire.

In order to get the water pipes in the correct places for the new sprinkler system, the construction company had to knock a hole in the southwest corner of the existing building. This hole just happened to coincide with our Young Adult section of the library. Vivian, our Children's and YA Librarian, moved and rearranged all the books in that corner in order to accommodate the construction. It was quite an effort on her part, and she did a tremendous job!

Our parking lot also was involved with this process. A trench had to be dug so that pipes could be connected from the city water main to the new construction. The parking lot between the library and the tabernacle was closed for about 10 days while this process was completed.

Here's a couple of our fabulous construction workers, posing for the camera!

Moving the Electrical Pole

2009-11-03T11:31:00.000-08:00

During the first week of November, the construction was put on hold for a few days. Rocky Mountain Power needed to move the existing electrical pole, as it was in the wrong place for the new building. Cement couldn't be poured until the electicity was moved.

Rocky Mountain Power had to come out and reposition the electical pole. It was quite a process to watch!

The library was closed on November 3rd so that Rocky Mountain Power could move the power equipment from the old pole to the new pole. During this move, the power had to be shut off, and thus the closure.

Introduction to the construction effort

2009-10-08T20:23:00.000-07:00

Here is a brief introduction to the contsruction effort. For the full history of the library, visit http://www.madisonlib.org/about.html.
Our library, like many others in the area, has been too crowded for a number of years. The community room was taken out in 1999 to make room for a larger children's area and a new YA section. We've added shelving and moved things around trying to make the most of the space we had for as long as possible. Knowing that a new facility was inevitable, the library's administration looked at several possibilities for moving to a new space in Rexburg. The decision was made in January 2008 to hold a bond election to fund a renovation and expansion of the current building. The $3.92 Million bond was passed with 74.36% of the 1,400 votes cast.

Starting the Foundation

2009-10-05T12:01:00.000-07:00

At the beginning of October, the construction crew began to lay the foundation. Here's a few pictures showing that process:

As many of you know, the new section will add approximately 60% more space to our existing building. It was really fun to see the outline of the new construction, and realize how big the new library will be!

The day the trees came down

2009-10-02T10:29:00.001-07:00

Unfortunately, these three old pine trees were too big to be moved and in too poor a condition to be saved.

In fact, one of the trees was damaged this summer during a windy storm. A large part off the top fell across our parking lot. Luckily no one was injured and no property was damaged. We can thank the City of Rexburg for coming to clean up the mess.

Damage from the wind storm. 5/13/09

Demolition

2009-10-02T10:13:00.000-07:00

The first things on the distribution center to go were the concrete front steps and back porch. We had hoped someone would be able to move the old home off the property, but it would have been too costly. Instead the contractor demolished the building on September 21, 2009.

Pictures from the groundbreaking

2009-09-26T13:04:00.000-07:00

This is the crowd waiting for the program to start.

Nick Allison, Madison Library Foundation

Chris Mann, Rexburg City Council

Judy Dewey, Director

Dr. Geoffrey Thomas, Madison School District

Pam Beard, Library Board

Donna Benfield, Rexburg Chamber of Commerce

Jeniel Facer, Library Board

Gordon Timothy, Library Board

Blaine Robertson, Library Board Chairman

At the conclusion of the ceremony, anyone who wished to participate

was invited to help dig for the new library.

Prep work for the groundbreaking

2009-09-17T15:45:00.000-07:00

The setting for the actual groundbreaking was the little strip of lawn on the east side of the distribution center. Here's what it looked like that morning, nothing but a patch of tall weeds. The sod was cut out earlier in the summer. About an hour before the ceremony was to take place, the contractor, Bateman-Hall, cleared the space with a backhoe.

And here it is all ready for the ceremony.

This is the north side of the old building before we decorated for the groundbreaking.

Now the stage is set...

Bird's Eye View

2009-09-16T20:53:00.000-07:00

This is the view of what the new library should look like from the air. The current library is in the top right corner. You can see near the middle of the south side the drive up book return.

Site for the library's expansion

2009-09-16T20:37:00.000-07:00

This is the site for the new section of the library. The building on the left is the old LDS Church Distribution Center. That will be torn down to make room for the addition and the entrance to the parking lot. The current facility is seen on the right.