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10/20/2020 03:00 PMOn Monday, Nov. 2, the Scranton Memorial Library will begin allowing people to visit the building at 75 percent capacity, marking the closest thing to a full opening after a careful and incremental adding of services over the last four months, necessitated by the strictures of the pandemic.
What was originally planned as a broad community celebration and unveiling of the $10 million worth of renovations, updates, and beautifications following almost two years in a temporary location will instead look much more subdued, as the library continues to prioritize the safest possible environment for patrons, according to Library Director Sunnie Scarpa.
“Despite the fact that our reopening plans look nothing like what we thought they would, we are very fortunate we were able to move into our current building when we did,” Scarpa told the Board of Selectmen last week. “The extra space we currently have makes it possible for us to appropriately quarantine all our materials, [and] makes it possible for us to maintain social distancing for both staff and library users.”
The library renovation project, which was approved in 2017 and started construction in early 2019, hit some significant hiccups as far as funding but had aimed for a July 2020 opening of some kind even in the early stages of the pandemic.
Though state guidelines allowed for very limited in-person library services back in July, Scarpa told The Source at the time that there simply wasn’t time to implement all the safety protocols infrastructure, and acquire things like high-grade sanitizing products.
After offering by-appointment tours of the building, which has been a huge success, Scarpa said, with more than 300 residents taking advantage of the program, as well as a pick-up and drop-off service in September, people will finally be able to simply walk into the library and browse at will.
There is a demand for library materials. According to Scarpa, the library did 80 percent of its regular circulation volume purely through pick-ups in the first month of that service.
First Selectman Peggy Lyons said the town was hoping to hold a celebration of some kind for the library early next year, depending on the conditions of the pandemic.
Scarpa specifically lauded the Scranton staff, which has maintained virtual programs and continued working through an unpredictable environment, taking on additional responsibilities to get the library where it is today.
“They’re doing much more work than what they have in the past, and they’re really dedicated,” she said.
Some services, like using computers, will still require appointments, and some of the children’s toys and games still cannot be safely shared, which Scarpa said was “heartbreaking.” Additionally, meeting and study rooms and restrooms will remain closed, according to Scarpa.
All the other safety precautions and procedures will remain in place, Scarpa said, including all the multiple-daily cleaning routines, staff health checks, quarantining of returned materials, and proper signage.
The library will also continue offering pick-up and drop-off for people not comfortable entering the library, Scarpa said, while programs like the library’s popular book clubs and baking groups will remain virtual at least through the new year.
“COVID hasn’t changed our mission at all,” she said. “We’re here to foster lifelong learning, create connections, and provide access to information. So we’re continuing to do that no matter how many new ways we need to find to make that possible.”
Graham Curtis, who chairs the Library Building Committee, said that only “relatively minor” parts of the actual construction have yet to be finished, with the vast majority finished in July. The library is managing the last two or three percent of the overall construction budget as well, according to Curtis, as it works with a handful of contractors to address these last few things.
The committee is still looking for a contractor to take care of regular maintenance on the electrical system specifically, Curtis said.
Curtis said the heating, electrical, and air systems are still going through some “bugs,” which is nothing unusual for a new large-scale system. These issues showed up during recent storms, which Curtis said on the negative side caused a three day power outage, but on the positive, provided the library with good troubleshooting experience ahead of a full opening.
“We’re very cognizant that we need to make sure this system is going to run properly,” he said.
The library has also added numerous energy-efficient tweaks, including solar panels, Curtis said. He thanked Energy & Efficiency Committee Chair Woodie Weiss for going “above and beyond” to work with the committee on solar systems and other parts of the library’s energy infrastructure.
Streetscape work, which includes moving a curb and altering some parking, is aimed to be completed by the end of January, Curtis said.
For more information on the library, including hours and services, visit www.scrantonlibrary.org or call 203-245-7365