By Mark Fischenich
NORTH MANKATO — The North Mankato Taylor Library was closed for a few hours Thursday and will be for a few days next month as construction workers put the finishing touches on a major expansion of the city’s only public library.
The library was closed Thursday because electrical power was shut off as part of the expansion project. The bigger inconvenience comes in about two weeks.
“We are going to be closing Sunday, Nov. 8, for about 10 days while we move things back and forth,” said Library Director Lucy Lowry.
The good news is that the reopening will include the new addition, which adds about 60 percent more space to the increasingly busy facility. Lowry expects construction workers might be doing a few finishing touches after Nov. 18, but the facility will be open during that work.
That means the addition will beat its estimated completion date of Dec. 1 by a couple of weeks. The construction project is also expected to be pretty much on budget.
A change order approved by the North Mankato City Council earlier this month brings the total additions to the construction budget to nearly $4,000. That represents less than 1 percent of the overall construction contract of $550,000.
The total cost of the project is expected to top $750,000 when land-acquisition and furnishing costs are added. The expansion is being financed with a portion of a half-percent local sales tax approved by voters in 2006.
Lowry said the 10-day closing will be a hardship for some patrons, especially those who make daily visits to check e-mail and otherwise use the library’s computers. But it’s necessary because the project will include replacement of the carpeting in the existing library.
“It’s going to be a little bit tough for some of them for those 10 days,” Lowry said.
Computer users can take solace from the knowledge that the bank of eight computers now at the library will be doubled in the expanded facility. Plans are also being formulated to still provide books to patrons who have holds on popular items, probably involving exchanges between librarians and patrons at the front door during the days the library is shuttered, Lowry said.
And any inconvenience in the short term is going to be worth it, Lowry said. More materials, more equipment, more space and more beverages are coming soon. Along with a new teen reading area, the expanded library will have a “Cocoa Bar” that will serve hot chocolate drinks.
A grand opening celebration will be scheduled at some point, although it’s possible that might be delayed until after the Christmas holiday season. Lowry said she is very pleased with the quality of the construction and expects patrons will be similarly happy.
“It looks great,” she said. “We are so excited.”
