After months of construction noises piercing the usual quiet of the Lincolnwood Public Library, the $5.2 million renovation project is nearing completion, with a modernized building on schedule to open by late January, officials said.
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Since the third and final construction stage started in early November, the focus of the work has shifted from the roof and youth and teen areas to the front entrance and main program rooms, where new individual study rooms are being constructed along with a redesigned, energy-efficient front entrance, said library spokeswoman Deb Keegan.
Work on the first two phases started in April and both stages wrapped up by Oct. 28, when a new room for youth and teens and a cafe area were unveiled to the public. A new lobby area, consolidated staff work space and a remodeled men’s restroom were also completed during those phases. Crews also replaced the roof during the summer and fall.
Patrons who haven’t visited the library in a while might be surprised to find the adult computer lab and quiet study area gone, but Keegan said more laptops for public use have been purchased. The library will have a modernized public computer space when the renovations wrap up, she explained.
“We have desktop computers available for adults in the youth area until the adult area is complete,” Keegan said.
She said adults could use the computers until kids come after school. At that time, the computers are reserved for the youngsters’ use, she explained.
Some books, movies and music in what was the adult section have been put in storage until after the final construction phase, but patrons can order the materials they want at the circulation desk and have them delivered to Lincolnwood from another nearby library, officials said.
When the final phase of construction wraps up—by Jan. 20, according to Keegan—patrons will notice a new lobby, study rooms, and additional large meeting and program space. The library will also unveil other amenities, including a new energy-efficient heating and air conditioning system, a larger public space, new windows, refinished walls and a new plumbing system, according to project plans.
Keegan said the construction noise resulted in a decline in patrons using the library since the work started in April, but she said the library staff is looking forward to revealing the newly-remodeled building to the community during a Feb. 19, 2017 grand reopening event.
“There are days that are noisier than others,” Keegan said, “but many of our adult patrons don’t seem fazed by it, and we have earplugs and headphones available.”
Library board members have been planning the modernization project since 2012, when they evaluated how many people in the community use the library and found less than 30 percent of Lincolnwood residents had a library card.
People thought the library was outdated, library officials said they learned from a public survey and a series of in-person interviews and focus groups.
At the same time, staff and board members brought up concerns about the mechanical, electrical, plumbing and other structural parts of the facility, including a leaky roof and obsolete technology.
The board responded by approving an initiative they named “Visit a Comfortable Space,” a building plan to provide residents with a “modern, comfortable and inviting library” that offers visitors open and private spaces for “reading, studying, working, playing, talking, and engaging with one another collaboratively,” according to wording in the library’s strategic plan.
Natalie Hayes is a freelancer.