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Clarendon Hills library closing for renovation
Director Lori Craft works with Circulation Manager Leanne Pavel at the Clarendon Hills Public Libary. The library will be closed Jan. 28-March 3 for renovation. | Chuck Fieldman—Sun-Times Media
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Updated: February 25, 2013 6:18AM
CLARENDON HILLS — The Clarendon Hills Public Library will be closed for more than a month while a $250,000 renovation is completed.
The library, 7 N. Prospect Ave., will shut down Jan. 28 and reopen March 4.
The renovation includes new paint and carpeting throughout the library and along with a reconfiguration of the main floor and some new furniture
“We’ll be putting in a smaller circulation desk and moving it off the to side; right now it’s pretty much in the middle of the main floor,” library director Lori Craft said. “We’re also going to move DVDs to the main floor and have them there with new books. The idea there is to have those popular items right there when people come in.”
Craft said a 2011 community survey about the library indicated that many users believed the interior of the facility looked worn and was in need of being refreshed.
She said keeping portions of the library open during renovation work was considered, but that idea was scrapped because it would have increased costs by more than $20,000.
Improvements to the library, which is celebrating its 50th anniversary in 2013, have been in the works for more than four years. Funds saved in a reserve fund for the renovation are being used to pay for the work. Craft is excited about the renovation, but said there still is more work needed, and donations are welcome.
“We really need new furniture for our adult area,” she said. “We just don’t have the funds right now to do that, too, so we’ll have to wait.”
Craft said new furniture for the adult area of the library would cost about $50,000.
While the library is closed, anyone with a Clarendon Hills Public Library card will be able to check out library materials at Hinsdale, Indian Prairie, Downers Grove and Westmont libraries along with more than 80 public libraries in the SWAN consortium of suburban libraries. A list of those libraries is available online at http://swan.mls.lib.il.us/libinfo.
Library patrons also will be able to continue to access the library’s downloadable ebooks and audio books from Media on Demand at www.mediaondemand.org.
Craft said the library is reducing its print edition magazine titles; however, patrons soon will be able to download magazines with a library card through a subscription service, Zinio.
Those who have been using the library’s free Internet service may do the same during the renovation period at libraries in Hinsdale, Westmont and Downers Grove.
Books checked out from the Clarendon Hills library before Jan. 28 and due before March 4 need to be returned to other area libraries; books will be checked in and routed to Clarendon Hills when the library reopens.
