Library Info : Round Rock library renovation

See You Tomorrow!

Eric Towler — Sun, 02 Nov 2008 21:30:00 GMT

The month of October has come to an end.

The library is opening tomorrow and on that you can depend.

We've dusted and wiped and vacuumed and swept.

We've laughed and we've cheered and a few of us wept.

We hope you'll enjoy all that we've done.

For it has been an adventure.

And the adventure has only begun!

Yes folks, the time has come to open our doors.

We want to thank everyone for their understanding and patience.

To be completely honest, all is not yet completed, but we didn't want to stay closed until it was.

Together however, we will be able to work around whatever it is that didn't get completed.

It should be fun to watch it all come together over the next few weeks.

The bulk of everything is done.

The next week or two will simply be a matter of acclimating ourselves to the changes

and getting a few little things back in order.

We'll see you tomorrow.

Don't forget that we will be offering guided tours of the library every hour on the hour from 10:00am - 6:00pm.

See all Library renovation photos in our Flickr set

Where are our manners?

Linda Sappenfield — Thu, 30 Oct 2008 15:53:00 GMT

It isn't that we weren't brought up correctly. Our mothers did teach us what to do when expecting visitors: arrange the furniture in a welcoming manner, have comfortable seating available, put away your toys and crafts, and, for heaven's sake--dust!

Though we don't appear to have paid attention, we really were listening to Mom all along. Now that the remodeling is done, we are addressing matters of courtesy. We are replacing supplies into de-cluttered storage spaces so that we can locate and replace printing materials quickly; relocating music CDs for more convenient browsing; streamlining the tops of service desks so that you can see library staff more easily--that sort of thing. And about that dusting: it's definitely on our list.

See all Library renovation photos in our Flickr set

On Monday, November 3, our first day of re-opening, we will be offering guided tours of the library every hour on the hour from 10:00am - 6:00pm. We hope that you can join one of these tours and that you'll enjoy the changes and enhancements created with you in mind. Mom would be proud!

You've heard of "gray areas"...

Linda Sappenfield — Mon, 27 Oct 2008 18:46:00 GMT

...and we have a few of those in the library right now. These are spaces that are technically finished--sort of. The new checkin area is more or less complete, because the walls are done. However, no work surfaces or carts have been set up. The upstairs public area has classy new paint and floor coverings, but the shelving is incomplete, and the tables that held now-shelved books have yet to be put away. The reference desk is being totally reorganized so looks awful at this point, and functionality is a couple of days away. The new librarians' office appears move-in ready but isn't due to the need for finalizing connectivity needs. And of course all the furniture and all those supplies that aren't in their proper places are currently in, well, improper places.

We're in the home stretch now, anxious to finish projects, move into the last of the new workspaces, and gear up for the library's re-opening a week from now.

See all Library renovation photos in our Flickr set

And now for some semblance of order...

Eric Towler — Fri, 24 Oct 2008 14:40:00 GMT

There is a light at the end of the tunnel, folks!

And we've got the pictures to prove it.

With just 11 days left before that target date of November 3rd, we are beginning to see the fruits of our labor and the labor of the construction workers. Here we see more of the results from the construction side of things because they're easier to show.

There is still a decent amount of stuff to get in order, but things are beginning to take shape. Hooray!

See you soon...

The only constant in life is change.

Eric Towler — Thu, 23 Oct 2008 18:21:00 GMT

Today saw the children's area beginning to come into its own and looking sharp.

The stairs are now lined with anti-slip rubber material. The side trim is being applied today.

From left to right we see Candy, Rebecca, and David busy developing strategies to more efficiently allocate our staff resources.

All in a day's work!

Hope y'all had a good one.

It's not a mess; it's art!

Linda Sappenfield — Tue, 21 Oct 2008 22:48:00 GMT

Compared to the isolated areas of completed flooring, sparkling new paint, and just-put-back-together order, the messy parts of the renovation seem even more regrettable. This may be our most challenging phase, so we just look around and say kindly that the place definitely has potential.

I surveyed some projects still in progress, looking for spots for beauty. Finding visual treats wasn't difficult. In fact, some items look downright artistic when viewed from the proper angle. With apologies to Mondrian, Picasso, Pollock, and a host of other artists, we'll call this collection "Library Motifs":

And if we were exhibiting this pose of an office window removed from the hallway, we'd have to title it "Window to Nowhere".

See all Library renovation photos in our Flickr set

What a Colorful Day!

Eric Towler — Tue, 21 Oct 2008 21:53:00 GMT

The man in the red plaid shirt is squatting next to the red chair to install the red shelves in the colorful new Teen Room. In other words, now that the carpet has been put down, J.D. can prepare the shelves where the books will be found.

The white electrical socket hangs from the white ceiling in anticipation of its new surroundings. In other words, the old circulation area has been completely stripped and this little guy is all that is left...

for the moment.

Just beyond the blue tape the man in the blue shirt is laying the blue carpet. In other words, carpeting in the children's area is under way! What a colorful day, I say!

Eat your heart out, Jenny Craig

Linda Sappenfield — Mon, 20 Oct 2008 20:01:00 GMT

Remember the old library circulation counter? It ranged over a sizable portion of first floor and encompassed checkin and checkout processes, along with many, many bookcarts. Now that the new checkin area has been constructed, the counter is downsizing. The rest of us only wish that we could achieve a leaner, trimmer silhouette this quickly.

Speaking of cosmetic changes, the wall surrounding the checkin area should be receiving its surface and paint before long. Before all is said and done, the slots you'll use to return your materials will be framed and finished. Looking through one of them today, you can see not only the rough edges remaining but also a hint of the activity behind the wall.

Only a couple of weeks remain, and we hope you've been watching our progress and are looking forward to seeing the updated and re-purposed library space in November. We promise that the new version of the counter will be standing upright and looking good by then. In the meantime, just keep track of that library card so that it and you will ready for our re-opening!

See all Library renovation photos in our Flickr set

"To do" list for Week 4

Linda Sappenfield — Fri, 17 Oct 2008 21:06:00 GMT

As the third week of renovation concludes, second floor is largely complete; at least, it's carpeted, painted, and tiled. Projects remaining on the upper floor include finishing the librarians' office and continuing work on the combined Reference and Circulating collection. It's a wonderful concept but not a task that's quickly or easily accomplished.

First floor is another story (no pun intended). Large areas remain to be carpeted, tiled, and painted, after which shelving will be lugged back into place and thousands of books re-shelved.

As the computer training room (far left, above) awaits new carpeting, its furniture and equipment have taken up temporary residence in Meeting Room A (below). We're not certain whether these items are huddling together for comfort or just getting organized, but we'll all be happy when they're restored to their updated quarters and ready to welcome the public again.

See all Library renovation photos in our Flickr set

Halfway there, folks!

Eric Towler — Tue, 14 Oct 2008 22:11:00 GMT

With carpeting finished on the second floor and well underway on the first, it appears at this point that we're on schedule for that November 3rd re-opening. Of course, anything can happen in the next few weeks and we'll know better by the end of next week, but right now it's looking good.

Here's a quick recap of what's been done so far. During the first two weeks of closure, we've carpeted the entire second floor and the meeting rooms in the back on the first floor. The hallway leading to the meeting rooms and the downstairs bathrooms have had new flooring installed. The new check-in area has been constructed on the first floor as well.

The check-in area does still need to be floated, taped, and painted. Carpeting on the first floor started yesterday but should go pretty fast. In fact, carpeting in the teen room is already done as of today. Let's take a peek.

This may look like a rather chaotic Teen Room, but...

just see how nice this corner looks.

Staff in charge of the Teen Room/teen programming have done a fantastic job of picking carpet that really blends these seemingly contrasting colors together in harmony with one another.

There may still be a good bit left to do, but one of the main reasons for closing was to lay the flooring in the hallway leading to the meeting rooms as well as in the bathrooms off that same hallway and to construct the new check-in area; so at this point it looks like we're in good shape. We will definitely keep you posted!

Why did the snake get on the elevator?

Linda Sappenfield — Tue, 14 Oct 2008 16:33:00 GMT

Answer: To move up to the second floor for some fresh air! Rocksssanne, the library's ball python mascot, needed temporary relocation so she could avoid noxious fumes. The new epoxy surface for the first floor hallway was applied directly outside her home. Dale Ricklefs, library director, is graciously sharing office space with her reptilian colleague. Dale reports that, even though Rocksssanne is currently shedding her skin and therefore feels a bit more sensitive than usual, she appears to be handling the transitions well.

The same can be said of other library staff. Employees accustomed to spending most of their time assisting the public now log in many hours shelving, shifting, and processing books and other resources. Candy, Chip, David S., and Eric spent hours measuring and analyzing shelving allocations on second floor. They now have a strategy for combining circulating and non-circulating books so that our patrons can more easily find and use all the materials on their chosen topics. As that ambitious project is gearing up, this empty shelving area awaits its new, more effective arrangement.

No tumbleweeds yet, though

Linda Sappenfield — Thu, 09 Oct 2008 17:09:00 GMT

The library under renovation is a bit like the Old West. With offices being uprooted for carpeting and computers a rare commodity, library staffers are homesteadin' office space and stakin' out opportunities to go online and revise records, create reports, or whatever. Like many co-workers, Jane selected her few most precious office possessions to carry with her--in a cardboard box lid instead of a Conestoga wagon. Along the isolated frontier of the newly tiled guest computer area, she set up camp in a spartan but relatively untroubled space.

Meanwhile, back at the ranch (downstairs, actually) Said and some of the helpful construction crew taped up a makeshift partition. The plastic curtain screens the hallway while it's bein' thoroughly scrubbed to prepare it for the new surface. That'll doubtless protect the womenfolk and other frontier types.

And the person responsible for disconnectin', reconnectin', movin', and troubleshootin' all those computers is David Wongwai. He moves so fast and so often that we don't have a photo of him yet. Like the guys from the noble tradition of Old West television heroes, he shows up in the nick of time, does what needs to be done, and dashes off to answer another distress call. Who was that IT man?

What a Wonky Wednesday...

Eric Towler — Wed, 08 Oct 2008 18:52:00 GMT

Currently, entire offices have been packed away into boxes and piled in the middle of the floor at various points, and large portions of the library are also sectioned off due to carpeting. Thus, today's main challenge is simply navigating on and between floors.

We are also down to just three computers for staff use today due to all the re-arranging. In fact, the computer I am using right now is the computer designated for check-in, but I'm multi-tasking. The intercom system has enabled us to announce when a computer has become available for use. The author of this blog looks at it this way--challenges and obstacles are not things in your way, but rather opportunities to grow and chances to be innovative.

Well, time to return to scanning items back into our system.

Hope your day is nice and sunny!

Miss Congeniality

Linda Sappenfield — Tue, 07 Oct 2008 19:15:00 GMT

Obviously, we can't get by on our good looks at this point (see previous blog photos). Absolutely no one has viewed the piles of tile boxes, discarded floor coverings, and half-finished walls and exclaimed, "Love what you've done with the place!"

At least we are confident of our redeeming inner qualities. Construction and upheaval definitely showcase our flexibility, resourcefulness, and patience. Library staffers use the intercom or walkie-talkies to alert one another when the only available route to the bathroom changes due to carpet installation or when someone has left personal belongings perilously close to a stack of construction debris bound for the dumpster. We share computers and desk space and rely on each other to lug boxes out of the way as the remodeling progresses.

If meeting the daily challenges of a renovation is a contest, we'll win it by practicing our customer service skills on each other while we're closed!

See all Library renovation photos in our Flickr set

It's Not a Blue Monday...

Eric Towler — Mon, 06 Oct 2008 18:21:00 GMT

It's a red one! Those of us who worked this morning saw an outside book drop that was full to the brim, but we're not seeing red about that. In fact, we appreciate the steady flow of items being returned while we're closed. Items returned during our closure help to reduce an overflow when we re-open. We're seeing red, not because we're mad, but because of our newly painted wall. The west wall of the library got its final cardinal-colored coat this morning. If you ask me, it's nice to have some color in one's life and in one's library.

Carpet installation on the second floor is also in full swing today.

The picture below shows the new carpet up next to the new tile that will sit underneath the adult interent stations on the second floor.

Thanks for reading and we hope you all enjoy your day!

See all Library renovation photos in our Flickr set