Public library to close for repairs

    Although contractors were able to literally raise the roof without disrupting patrons, the next phase in the Wilmington Public Library roof project will require a short-term closure.
    The library, at 201 S. Kankakee St., will be closed Aug. 11, 12 and 13 while the siding, soffits and gutters are removed from the original three-story section of the building and the underlying stone wall is tuckpointed. The brown siding will be replaced with a modest freize board around the upper edge of the wall.
    Although the contractor crew was able to repair some structural deficits from inside the attic bell tower without disrupting library activities, library director Maria Meachum said having the doors open while this exterior work is going on would be too much of a distraction for the workers and too much of a hazard for the patrons.
    “I feel for the safety of the patrons and staff they should not be coming and going through the work site,” she said.
    The library was already scheduled to be closed Aug. 11 for a staff in-service. The doors will remain closed through the weekend for the repair project. No library late fees will accrue for those days.
    Meachum is hopeful the stone under the siding is in good condition and will not need extensive tuckpointing, but knows with such an old building that may not be the case. She’s prepared for the worst and is hoping for the best.
    Wilmington Public Library District library cards provide patrons with access to nearly any other library in the area. Meachum expects that many will be closed on Aug. 11 to participate in the in-service, those that are open Saturday may have shorter hours, and most are not open on Sunday. She recommends that patrons plan accordingly, or take advantage of 24-hour library services online at wilmingtonlibrary.org.
    Meachum expects to need a second two- to three-day closure for the removal of the shingle roofing from the original section of the building, and will announce when those closures are needed.