Tuesday, December 20, 2011

A Tale of Two Libraries

In March of this year, one public library existed in Tumbler Ridge.  It had a purple ceiling, very old green carpet, and a layout that made the library appear much smaller than it actually was.


By the end of October, a different library existed in Tumbler Ridge.  It had a bright ceiling, new flooring, and a much better layout.


So who made the changes from the first library to the second?

We did.

On her very first day of work with us last November, Paula told Sharon and me that the Library felt a little cramped and dark, and that three things needed to be changed:  the ceiling colour, the flooring (for safety reasons as well as to lighten the library), and the shelf layout.  I can't speak for Sharon, but I took a bit of offense to her comments, as I had rearranged a few things earlier in the year that opened up the library layout somewhat.  In any case, I was impressed by the scope of her thoughts about the library, but I wasn't sure if we'd even get that much done over the next two or three years.

...It took less than a year.

During our grant-in-aid application last year, Paula requested funds to replace the library's flooring.  The District of Tumbler Ridge granted us those funds, and they were held by the Community Centre until needed.  

In April, construction resumed on the exterior of the Community Centre, and the library was asked to move everything at least five feet away from the exterior walls.  With some help from Community Centre staff, we moved shelves, placed a great deal of furniture in storage, and prepared ourselves for cramped conditions for a few months.



Paula, Sharon, and I continued working away at the details of our flooring and rearranging project during this time.  The Library staff decided on a type of flooring and a colour for the walls, and I spent a few days making a detailed map of the library and its furniture to design a new layout with.  After a comment by Sharon, Paula asked the Community Centre maintenance staff to look into how easy it would be to remove the walls enclosing the reference room.  When we came in to open the library the next day, half of the walls enclosing the reference room had already been removed.



The remaining walls were removed over the next day.

In early September, Paula hired a contractor to paint the library's ceiling.  The library staff (and Sharon's husband, who helped out) spent a day tarping everything in the library, and we were forced to close for two days while the painting was in progress.



Once we reopened, we prepared for the real work on the library.  Paula had hired a contractor to paint the walls and install the flooring, and he began work in early October.  In a few short days, he had the library painted, and began installing the flooring.  Library staff members worked frantically to stay ahead of him by moving books and shelves away from where flooring still had to be laid, while putting as many shelves in their final locations as soon as possible.

    

By October 19th, we were finished.


 So what's great about the new layout?

1)  The library is much brighter
  • open access to the windows
  • shelves running parallel to the lights
  • brighter flooring and ceiling paint
2)  More space for new books
  • previous new book shelf now just holds new adult fiction
  • low shelves just inside library now hold new non-fiction
3)  Notebook computer users have places to call home
  • the study cubicle at front of library has a power bar mounted to it
  • small tables with chairs and our red sectional chairs are available at each of the lamp posts
  • the library's main tables are available even when events are taking place
4)  The children's area
  • much bigger and brighter
  • more room for strollers and parents during children's programs
  • combining it with the presentation area freed up space elsewhere in the library
5)  Better shelf layout
  • more attractive
  • easier to find materials
  • room for expansion
  • less wasted space (one-sided shelves against walls instead of freestanding back-to-back, etc.)

So that's it folks.  A tale of two libraries.  On behalf of the library staff, I'd like to thank all our library clients who have complimented us on the work we've done.  It wasn't always fun, but I think the end result was certainly worth all the effort.