Progress on the city’s new public library location is moving forward.
City of Powell River announced last month it had reached a deal with owners of Crossroads Village to purchase space on the bottom floor of the building near Alberni Street. While the sale is being finalized, planning for necessary interior renovations and required furniture has moved forward.
Library staff are estimated the rate of activity in the new location will soon pick up.
“We have put out a request for purchase,” said Rebecca Burbank, Powell River Public Library’s assistant chief librarian. “Our interior design committee has pulled together our bid for tender in what we’re looking for in terms of furniture.”
Burbank said the significant purchase will include shelves for books, tables and chairs for studying, chairs for relaxing and the circulation desk, which she said will have to be
custom built for the space.
“It’s great and so exciting to be looking at the possibilities,” she said.
Once the conditions on the sale are removed, which is estimated to happen next month, renovations will move forward and the new facility is expected to open for the public next summer.
Burbank explained the building will require testing to ensure it is seismically sound and some reinforcement beams will be installed before the finishing of the space can occur.
“It will really be wonderful for people to see some activity in that space and know that we are moving towards the new library,” she said.
Meanwhile, Friends of the Library have continued to raise money for the purchase of library books and other collections with more than $22,000 of the group’s $100,000 goal.
“It’s been unbelievably successful so far,” said Burbank. “They have done a wonderful job.”
Staff are currently looking to solve the question of how to move the library’s current collection of more than 40,000 books. “Maybe a chain of people passing books across town,” joked Burbank.
