Community room reopening planned for Sept. 12
The Knowlton Library, 220 N. Main St., Bellefontaine, has been under construction throughout this year following catastrophic, building-wide flooding damage sustained Dec. 25, 2022, when pipes burst in the fire suppression system during inclement weather conditions.
Since the scope of the restoration project is very large and requires step-by-step approval from the insurance company for each phase while also dealing with supply chain issues, it is a time-consuming process.
“I know all of you are eager to be back at the Knowlton Library, and we are just as eager to have our patrons back. Trust me when I say that it will be worth the wait,” Logan County Libraries Executive Director Bev Arlequeeuw said in a recent press release.
“We appreciate your patience and understanding as we continue to work through restoring the building and getting it ready for reopening.
“Please understand that there are still too many variables that prevent us from reopening or even setting a firm reopening date. However, I strongly believe that the restoration will make the Knowlton Library a place that you can all be proud of.”
A full-scale reopening of the facility likely will not be possible until the end of the year, considering the timing of the deliveries of furniture that was ordered in early July, the library director said. The facility currently has no furniture, which is imperative for staff and patrons.
“We have decided to wait until all the furniture is delivered and installed before reopening,” Arlequeeuw said.
However, a partial reopening of the library is planned for Sept. 12, when the library will open the community room for library-specific programs.
“This will allow us to offer quality library program for patrons of all ages inside the building as the weather gets colder,” the library director said.
“The lobby and community room are the only sections of library that will be open to the public as the rest of the library is still under construction. This will allow patrons to use the public bathrooms and drinking fountain when we are having library programs in the library community room.
“As we approach the second phase of furniture delivery in late November, we will make an announcement with a definite date for full-scale reopening the library. There is still ongoing construction and inspections to take place before we can reopen, but we have faith in our vendors and contractors.”
Most of the furniture is custom-made to fit the exact location and measurements of the area where it will be installed, such as the circulation desk and the reference desk which are very large and essential furnishings for library function. The rest of the furniture is custom made for the wood stain finishes and fabric choices that were selected by staff.
The furniture is expected to arrive in two phases from the library’s vendor in Michigan.
“They will accumulate the furniture as they receive it at their facility, and then only make two deliveries since it will be coming from Michigan,” the library director said.
“The first phase will be in late September. The second phase of delivery will be in late November.
“The assembly and installation of the furniture is being handled by the vendor, so we have little control over their lead times for deliveries.
“Because of that it has pushed our reopening date toward the end of this year.”
In her press release, Arlequeeuw also addressed misinformation about the Knowlton Library restoration project that has been recently posted and discussed on social media.
“First, the residents of Logan County are not bearing the cost of the restoration since it is being covered by our insurance, so there is no need for concern of using taxpayers’ money,” she said, which has been relayed in previous Examiner articles as well.
“Second, the reason for the length of time to do the restoration is due the extent of water damage that we sustained during the flood in December 2022.
“We have also had to wait on approvals from the insurance company for replacing the losses that we incurred during the catastrophic flood, including: drywall, flooring, ceiling grids and tiles, insulation, lights, electrical floor outlets, networking cables, telephones, security system, furniture, chairs, tables, desks, cubicles, library displays, storage and file cabinets, doors, office equipment, computers and monitors, scanners, metal shelving, office and craft supplies, plumbing, copiers, printers, and more.
“As the insurance has approved the items that were lost, we have also been affected by supply chain delays.
“Due to the large scope of this library restoration project, having a projected reopening date near the end of this calendar year is not unreasonable.”
This summer, the 24/7 Hold Pick Up lockers and the book drop at the Knowlton Library re-opened, so patrons can use the Bellefontaine location to pick up and return their library materials, in addition to the five branch locations in Logan County.
In addition to scheduled library programs, the Logan County Libraries also hosts its annual book sale for the public on Nov. 16, 17 and 18 in the community room. Only the front lobby area, bathrooms, and community room will be open for this event.
Everything the library staff is doing now in the building is in preparation for when the Knowlton Library permanently opens, such as going through and unpacking boxes, and fine-tuning the collection in the stacks, Arlequeeuw noted.
“There are still damaged items that were in our local history room that we are getting cleaned and restored — some of which was sent out of state that we haven’t received back yet. The paper files in the local history room that were damaged beyond repairing or salvaging are being scanned and reprinted for the files.”
Library staff provide updates on the restoration project and opening date projections via the library’s website, www.logancountylibraries.org, and the Logan County Libraries’ Facebook page.
