Sneak preview continued...

Carpeting is being laid in the main reading area where new materials and popular items will be housed as well as a comfortable lounge area for adults.

Granite benches constructed from mill salvage, rhododendrons, and other landscaping details are in place behind the library.

Connections for computers available for short term public use appear on the wall of the reference desk. Other general internet stations will be available nearby. The open door seen in the background leads to the Staff Only areas of Periodical Storage and Reference Work Room.

The portal to the right of the clock leads to 3 quiet study areas – matching smaller rooms on the left and right and a larger room (shown below) in the back.

Our Local History Collection will be easily accessible, yet have additional security measures established when stored here. You can learn about the history of our town and perhaps be inspired to contribute to its vibrant renewal.

There’s so much more for you to see; thank you for your support and patience!

WARNING – IF YOU’VE NEVER PEEKED AT A PRESENT BEFORE YOU SHOULD HAVE, LOOK NO FURTHER!

Okay, if you’ve come this far, I’ll share with you what I’ve seen. (It’s impossible to hold this much excitement inside!) Construction of your new library is rapidly nearing completion. This view from the children’s nook on the upper floor shows how spectacular autumn in Harrisville can be.

Blue tape awaits removal on the windows of the Young Adult room. (Yes, teens will have a space for themselves with a solid book collection and computers awaiting their arrival.)

The circulation desk is designed to provide private space for those applying for new library cards and check outs will be completed more easily. A ‘book drop’ lies behind the closed door seen to the right of the wall clock. Actually, this Returns drop accepts video, DVD, CD and audio formats, also.

See more in the next post.

Summer Construction Updates

For all the latest on the our new library construction this summer, please be sure to check out Clerk of the Works Dan Joubert's weekly site reports.

Have a great summer!

A Road Runs Through It

While work continues on finishing the exterior siding, construction has also begun on the new roadway that will lead from Main Street to the front of the library. The "Annex" parking lot where the construction trailers had been located is gone (the trailers are now down within the work site).

First photo shows the Main Street entrance. Next is the sweeping approach to the main library entrance.

Recent shots from the river side show the building is really shaping up.

Did anyone notice how cool it looked the other night when the interior lights were inadvertantly left on after the construction workers left for the day? Unfortunately we did not have the camera at hand that night to record the impressive sight.

And now- the views!

Looking out of the prow window you can see across the stone bridge to the Mill Pond. In the other direction you will see the lower end of the River Walk and a good way downriver. The old Dye House (behind the stack of blue insulation board) is scheduled to be demolished. A grassy park area will replace it.
















The Childrens' Program Room windows will overlook the entrance road coming in from Main Street. The Administrative wing is visible below toward the right with a large planting bed in front of its windows







Below- looking out the side window of the "Reading Nook" area of the main children's room

Another "inside" look

On May 9 The Building Committee was given a tour of the project and the library staff was invited along to get a feel for their future work space.

Here staff are standing in the "Local History Room" as viewed from the middle of the main shelving area- only the outlines of rooms on the lower floor have been laid out. Partitions go up soon. The main windows look out onto East Avenue.


Upstairs in the Children's Wing, steel partitions are up. This view shows the
entrance to the kids' bathrooms with the pre-school collection area to the left.




This shot is looking toward the "prow" where a cozy window seat will allow children & parents to enjoy the view while reading together.

See the floor plans (link on the library's home page) to get a better idea of what these photos depict.

By May 4 the front entrance is closed in and masonry finishes have been completed. The large window above the entrance is the Children's Program Room.


Cedar shingles are being applied to some areas and masonry block has been applied in others. The building is designed to have a variety of exterior finishes reflecting the hodgepodge of finishes that appeared as the former mills expanded over time. Note that some of the windows have been installed!













Inside, more concrete has been poured for floors and steel partitions are going up.

A week or so later-

The masonry block and clapboard siding has been finished on the end of the "Stack Room" and they're working along the side

Much of the river side has been closed in. Blue & yellow insulation board covers the "prow" jutting out from the Children's wing - the views from the "reading nook" located in this overhang will be spectacular!

Catching up. . .

Sorry that we've fallen so far behind in posting to the blog! Hope everyone has been viewing the weekly site reports to keep up-to-date.

On March 23 I was able to visit the site and see some of the progress close-up.

The view of the front of the library is a bit hard to see from behind the fence so here's what the approach looked like a few weeks ago. The next shot is the main entrance with just the steel in place.

The wood trusses and plank ceiling of the main stack room look great from inside! The "floor" looking toward the staircase and elevator is not so great- just mud and dirt at this point.

Finally, here's the almost finished retaining wall below the restaurant as viewed from the walkway outside the library staff entrance,

The Walls are closing in!

But unlike in our present overcrowded library we are HAPPY to see these walls! One day there was only naked steel and next day the insulated sheathing is almost completely installed on the new library's first floor. You can begin to see the placement of windows more clearly now in these pictures taken March 22.

Today, concrete was poured for the upper floor in the Children's Wing. By next week we may be pretty close to being all closed in.

They're here!

The Northwest Corner Community Cookbooks have arrived!! Boxes and boxes of the fundraising cookbook were delivered recently and are now available for purchase (or pick-up if you pre-paid) at the library, 144 Main St, Harrisville.

Those who have already snapped up a copy have been impressed by the quality of the Cookbook filled with 350 recipes contributed by your friends & neighbors in Burrillville. [There's even an index by name to help you find your own or a friend's recipe]

Get yours today! Each book is only $10.95 and they make a GREAT gift. [ Remember, Mother's Day isn't that far off. ]

Cookbooks will also be on sale at the Capital Campaign Committee's giant Vendor and Craft Fair at the High School on Saturday March 17. Take care of all your gift-giving needs in one stop shopping.

A Roof Over our Head

You've got to give the workers credit for braving the really c-o-l-d weather to get the plank roof up over the trusses in our new Stack Room. They got it done in jig time. For some other views from inside and up ON the roof check out the site report for March 8!













In this view looking down toward the Administrative wing you can see the cap on the top of part of the retaining wall between the new library and the restaurant above.

Winter showed up

We knew it couldn't last, right? Winter finally arrived in February bringing biting cold, snow & ice and slowing activity on the site a bit. Still, progress has been made. The retaining wall below the restaurant is well underway, the drainage system is coming along and, most exciting - the wood trusses for the main stack room arrived!

A slight improvement in working conditions allowed the trusses to be put up quickly as well as much of the metal stud installation. Now it really begins to look like an actual building!

In the meantime the Building Committee and Architects have been busy with selecting colors, finishes, carpeting and lighting fixtures for the interior.