SOUTHWICK – As a result of the current attic insulation project at the Southwick Public Library, the building will be closed Jan. 13-25.
Chairman of the Library Board of Trustees Michael McMahon said the library is expected to reopen at 10 a.m. on Monday January 27, 2014. During this period no fines will be charged for materials due back to the library during this period.
“People should hold onto anything they have checked out of the library until it reopens,” said McMahon.
The project was approved at the spring town meeting and encompasses insulating the entire attic of the 12,000 square-foot library. McMahon said this should finally button-up the building against the elements and save money on energy costs.
“When it was built in the 1990s it was done mostly by volunteers and apparently they were trying to save money,” McMahon said. “But we’re paying for it in heating costs.”
The town hired Siemens to perform an audit of all town buildings several years ago and the report stated that the heat goes right through the roof at the library.
“Basically we are heating the air above the building,” McMahon said, adding that engineers have said there will be “significant” cost savings once the building is insulated.
Fumes from the insulation materials are harmful and therefore the library must be closed during installation. McMahon said everyone is happy to get the project done, but staff is concerned about the library’s daily users, many of whom use the computer system because they do not have home computers.
“The building does have WiFi, which should be available in the parking lot during the work so anyone with their own device could use it while the library is closed,” McMahon said.
Staff members will continue to be paid for hours they work during the shutdown. Employees will use the Town Hall basement to prepare new books for shelves, which McMahon said can be a lengthy process. Those staff members who only work at night and are not available during the day would not receive pay.
Library card holders with C/W Mars cards can use the Westfield and Agawam public libraries. McMahon said depending on an individual library’s policy, computers use may be available without a C/W Mars card.
Updated information will be available on southwicklibrary.info as it becomes available.
