ASHLAND – The Ashland Public Library will close July 11 through July 23 as employees and construction crews finish the $900,000 remodeling project that has left the main part of the library closed since May 2.
According to Adrienne Shores, Community Services Coordinator for the library, staff will be going through training and orientation so that they are well-prepared to help patrons when the library reopens on July 25.
Also during the closure, the library’s collection will be re-organized and employees will be needed to help with that process.
Although the library will be closed from July 11-23, the library will be open for the Friends of the Library book sale on July 14 for Friends members and on July 16 for the public.
When the public sees the remodeled library, among the changes will be new paint and carpeting, modern lighting, more bookstore-type displays, a new centralized customer service desk, a children’s play area and more signage.
In addition, when the library re-opens, it will be only the second library in the state to use a “Dewey Lite” system, which categorizes books in a slightly different manner than the traditional Dewey Decimal system.
Shores reminded the public that they can still utilize the Bookmobile during the library’s closure. The schedule is available onine or at the library.
In addition, library cards from the Ashland Public Library can be used at any library that is part of the Serving Every Ohio consortium, including the Loudonville and New London libraries.
Since May 2, the library has only had its “Express Library” open, with a limited selection of materials set up in the Large Meeting Room in the basement.
The remodeling project was made possible thanks to two donations. In 2005, Ines Page left $600,000 to the library for improvements and in 2014 the estate of Nancy Stockwell gave $700,000 to the library.
Shores said a re-dedication ceremony is being planned and details will be announced soon.
