The Ruby M. Sisson Memorial Library will begin its $5 million expansion project next week as it closes down from Aug. 4-9 to construct a new entrance and walkway from the west side of the building.
So far, the project has been funded entirely by private donations and grants through the state.
Director Barbra Brattin explained the project is scheduled to take place in phases, and that approximately $800,000 is still needed in order to complete the third and final phase, which entails creating new garden areas all around the building.
Brattin indicated that the library is confident that it will be able to raise the remaining funds needed “by the time the bills are due.”
The first phase will involve expanding the current building’s footprint from approximately 7,300 square feet to almost 11,000 square feet, which will create a “substantial meeting room,” along with a new children’s room with a door connecting to a new children’s garden that will be located near the current front entrance of the building, Brattin explained.
“All of this is gonna get torn up and redone,” Brattin said, noting that the expansion will involve ripping up the row of parking closest to the south end of the building.
She also noted that the first phase will be the longest of the three phases and is expected to last 10 months as crews are planning to be able to work through the winter.
Next week while the library is closed, a new entrance from the west side of the building will be constructed, along with a hallway leading to the current circulation desk.
Brattin noted that visitors will need to access the parking lot from U.S. 160 in order to enter the building.
Once phase one is completed, renovations will begin inside the northern portion of the building, with that work set to include replacing carpet, adding new paint and upgrading electrical systems in the building, Brattin noted.
She went on to mention that phase three of the project will include “all the fancy stuff with the garden,” explaining the new garden will wrap all the way around the building.
Brattin mentioned that, weather pending, the project should be completed next summer.
As for how the library plans to operate through construction, Brattin explained that a new temporary kids’ corner was created in the northern end of the building which has more natural lighting.
She explained that some of the publicly available computers have been relocated to the northern end of the building, as well.
Brattin also mentioned that once the project is completed, the new entrance to the building will be located where the current garden access is on the west side of the building.
The Ruby Sisson Library Foundation and Friends has helped raise funds for the project and is currently running a campaign called 100 Extraordinary Women, Brattin mentioned.
She explained that the goal is to raise $100,000 for recognizing 100 women in the community, with $1,000 donated for each woman.
Brattin noted that the women being recognized will have their names engraved on one of the new walls at the library.
For more information on that campaign and different donation options, visit https://100extraordinarywomen.com/ruby-m-sisson-memorial-library/. The program offers a onetime, yearly or monthly donation option.
“We’re still short,” Brattin said in regard to the total funding needed to complete each phase of the project.
She explained that the garden portion of the project will be left out until the library is able to raise enough funds, but noted that the construction company is wanting to know sooner rather than later as materials will be cheaper to purchase now.
Brattin also mentioned that the building is being designed to be “solar ready” for when the library is able to come up with funding to have panels installed.
She noted that it’ll cost approximately $50,000 to have the solar panels installed and that she will be pursuing a grant from the state to help with those costs.
She mentioned that conduit for an electric vehicle charging station will also be installed during the project and she is pursuing another state grant to have a charging station installed in the library’s parking lot at a later point.
With the disruptions and loss of space during the expansion project, Brattin explained that some of the library’s programs will be relocating to other venues in the community and that more temporary options may be needed in order to continue to offer some programs throughout the construction period.
For more information on the project, the library and more, visit www.pagosalibary.org.
clayton@pagosasun.com
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