Heavy Equipment Worker's Strike Postpones Remodel

Hi, Jim Scholtz, Executive Director of the Library here. Just an update to the construction blog:


Currently, our project is on hold until a strike by the heavy equipment operators union is lifted. No other union workers will cross the picket line and they are picketing our site. We are still open to the public but construction work has halted!! The strike is not our fault or under our control and, by state statute, we are required to pay union wages. We will talk about options if the strike goes on for any length of time - Lamp, Inc., our construction management firm has done a great job on the project.

We have been in our new main area since opening to the public on June 14th and things are going fairly smoothly regarding both patrons and staff. Staff likes the new workspace and the service area and are getting settled in both of those areas. Patrons seem to like the new spaces as well - the new public workstations; the new seating and tables with places to plug in laptops and other electronic devices; the new study rooms (2 open for tutoring and other groups of 2-4 people); new restrooms with the Dyson hand dryers; the self-check units; the new YPS/Children's area furniture; the new lighting and ceiling make it much easier to see and the rubber/cork flooring helps reduce sound in the big room. We've also reoriented some of the stacks to provide much needed line-of-sight for staff. Staff also likes the combined YPS/Adult Service Desk that is positioned in the middle of the large room. The meeting room is currently being used as the Main entry (North side) and the circulation area.

The new Conference Room and Meeting Rooms, along with the 3rd Study Room will be available around August 1st or 15th. The front entrance, parking lot, vestibule and circulation area will hopefully be available by August 15th along with the new drive-up/materials drop-off window (South Side, accessible from Meadow Ln.). In the months to come, we'll be adding 8 new catalog computers mounted on the interior pillars, some new children's furniture, signage and video projectors in the meeting rooms/conference room. The project is still under budget and we hope to bring it in at under $2,500,000 - not bad for a project designated at $3 million!! We are trying to use the taxpayers' money wisely and with great care regarding product life.

Just a couple of items related to the construction project. Later, you'll see a full-color, double sided outdoor video sign that will be able to show graphics and display many of our library programs. You'll also see a redesign of our library website (www.mchenrylibrary.org) and we'll have new meeting room scheduling software. So, please come in and see what our library has to offer in the newly remodeled facility.