Highlights Archives
Library Reading Room Renovation in Progress
Workers completed the first phase of the ongoing library renovation project recently by erecting a two-story plywood wall to isolate the Society's majestic Library Reading Room on the second floor of its headquarters building. Until January reference librarians will serve patrons in the library's lobby, which bears a fresh coat of paint accented by new marble tiles in its floor and touches of gilt on its ceiling. Rick Pifer, the Society's liaison with Isthmus Architecture and J.H. Findorff & Son, the construction firm, says that work is on schedule for completion by the end of January 2010. The most significant delay so far came from unanticipated difficulties re-creating the turn-of-the-century plaster rosettes in the lobby ceiling. Other unexpected challenges came from century-old electrical conduit that was still carrying a live current.
Work Goes on Behind the Scenes
Behind the massive wall, crews climb up 25-foot scaffolding to work across the room from north to south, replastering and painting the ornate ceiling. Down below, workers ripped up several layers of flooring (as shown at right) and lay modern power cable across the entire room.
"The challenge," Pifer says, "is to create an early 21st-century library while preserving late-19th-century aesthetics." So far, the expert tradespeople executing the work have met the challenge successfully. "The visual impact of the detail work in the lobby," he says, "is unimaginable to people who only knew the old facility" with its ugly florescent lighting, worn-out carpet and peeling paint. After having had their multiple layers of paint removed, massive quarter-sawn oak bookcases now glow radiantly inside new study rooms.
Cramped Spaces, Noisy Conditions, and Good-Humored Patrons and Staff
Until January, the library can accommodate only small numbers of readers at any given time. Pifer praises visitors for their good humor as they negotiated an ever-shifting maze of temporary passages to find books this fall. And he says he is also grateful for the patience and flexibility of the library staff, who have tolerated near-constant hammering and sawing as well as the occasional cloud of dust.
For more information or the latest news on the project, contact Rick Pifer or Keith Rabiola, or call 608-264-6535.
:: Posted November 13, 2009
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