‘Refreshed’ Downtown Olympia Library Reopened to the Public on Monday | Northwest Regional News | chronline.com
‘Refreshed’ Downtown Olympia Library Reopened to the Public on Monday
By Rolf Boone / The Olympian
Youth services librarian Sara White reshelves books at the Olympia Timberland Library on Thursday. After a two-month closure for remodeling, the library is set to reopen to the public on Monday, Feb. 3.
Tony Overman / The Olympia
The Olympia Timberland Library reopens to the public on Monday after being closed for two months for a modest renovation.
Monday is expected to be a busy day for the branch on Eighth Avenue Southeast, library manager Morgan Sohl said Thursday during a tour of the space.
The library typically sees about 700 people per day, and it could be higher than normal since patrons have been without their branch for so long, she said.
Some customers will head straight to the computers, and some will check their book holds, Sohl said. Some patrons also might be puzzled and ask, “What exactly changed?”
Library officials emphasized Thursday that the branch didn’t undergo a major renovation, but was “refreshed” at a cost of $250,000 — $225,000 from Timberland Regional Library and $25,000 from the city of Olympia. The branch is a city-owned building.
Sohl said the focus of the work was on ensuring the library meets the federal Americans with Disabilities Act and offering “comfort for our patrons.”
The result is new and increased seating throughout the branch, more carpeting, new paint and reducing the library staff presence with two main desks, instead of three. Now, upon entering, patrons will see a welcome desk and an information desk. For returns, patrons will use an indoor drop box, making returns a largely behind-the-scenes function, Sohl said.
Book shelves have been rearranged and the computers are in a new area, too. There have been no changes to book labeling and staff will be on hand to help patrons find what they’re looking for, she said.
The branch employs 27.
The current library opened in 1979, replacing the Carnegie Building at Seventh and Franklin. The library underwent extensive renovations in 2000 and 2008, according to library information.
Sohl said some of the seating that was replaced over the winter dated to the 1970s.
Prior to the closure at the end of November, there were concerns about those patrons who frequented the library to get out of the rain and cold weather. And while it has been unusually wet during the remodeling, the county issued only one “hazardous weather” advisory because of the cold, which triggered expanded shelter capacity.
Up Next, Lacey and Aberdeen
Other library renovations are coming down the pipeline.
Lacey Timberland Library will close for a few weeks next fall for a $370,000 interior remodel, and the Aberdeen branch is set for changes that could take place in late fall or in 2021, Timberland spokeswoman Michelle Larson said.
The 20,000-square-foot branch at 500 College St. SE in Lacey opened in 1991. Nearly 30 years later, the service desks are worn out and library staff need greater flexibility to serve customers, library manager Holly Paxson told The Olympian in December.
The main customer counter will be replaced with five adjustable-height service desks. Other changes: an expanded adult services area, a new return station and book drop, a dedicated check-in area, and a single-occupancy family restroom.
The branch is expected to close for four to six weeks during the fall remodel, but part of it may be able to reopen during construction, Paxson said.
