Midway through Construction Documents

March 13, 2015

We continue to make progress in refining the plans for our renovated library. Earlier this week staff and project architects met to go over site plans, library interiors, lighting, technology, workspace efficiencies and furniture selections. While our collection size will be about the same as it is currently, the added space will afford us the ability to move our book stacks a bit more apart in order to be compliant with MN Accessibility codes. We will have more comfortable seating for our patrons, and our public Internet computers will, for the first time, be new, as opposed to the current City hand-me-downs. While we are in our temporary space in City Hall, our librarians will be ordering  new library books and other media for the grand re-opening, scheduled to happen this fall/winter. We also will be working on the Library website to improve its look, access and usability.

With library designer and architect Sara Rothholz Weiner, we have been creating a furniture plan that blends some of our existing furnishings, purchased in the 1980's, with contemporary new pieces. The first floor space will have comfortable lounge and table and chair seating in the Commons and Children's areas, and the second floor will be a nice mix of old and new. This will mean that some of our existing furniture and fixtures will not be reused in the new space, and will be available to the interested public and other institutions. The Library Friends are considering holding a public auction so that as many people as possible have the chance to acquire a piece of Northfield library history. For further information please contact me at teresa.jensen@ci.northfield.mn.us.