For four months, the people of Hopkinton have been without their library. And while other libraries in the region have opened their doors, the town has been without a major resource.
Hopkinton library trustee President Elaine Loft said Wednesday that the library is expected finish construction in March, but finishing touches will take a bit longer. When it does, she hopes to have completed some renovations that will make the space even more accessible and usable for the community.
“This is such a social center of the town,” Loft said. “We’re just trying to make it grow with the community.”
The renovations come from the library’s strategic plan, which was based on focus groups and studies finished in 2017.
Among the additions are:
■ADA compliant automatic doors for the front entrance.
■A cafe area to the side of the entrance, which previously held the DVD collection. The cafe will have high-top tables and a coffee machine where people can meet or work on laptops.
■A glass partition separating the children’s area from the rest of the library to reduce noise.
■Two glass-enclosed study spaces for people to work quietly or meet with a tutor.
■A ceiling under the cupola to reduce energy heating costs and increase lighting in the space below.
■Adding a pull-down ladder to access mechanical spaces in the ceiling. Currently, access is only available by moving a ceiling tile in the bathroom and pulling yourself through that space.
■Adding storage to existing window benches.
■Additional shelving and display units.
■Converting a lesser-used porch into storage space that the library lacks since it does not have a basement or attic.
While the town’s insurance will cover the restoration of the original condition of the library, the additions will not be covered. The trustees plan to pay for them through donations.
Loft said so far more than $68,000 has been raised from the community without the trustees soliciting any donations.
A donor has come forward to the Hopkinton Library Foundation to support the creation of the glass study rooms, an estimated $20,000 cost, Loft said.
Loft said they would need to raise about $50,000 to $65,000 to complete the projects with the exception of converting the porch into storage space. That project is more intensive and will cost an estimated $50,000.
Those interested in making a tax-deductible donation can send checks to the Hopkinton Library Foundation, P.O. Box 217, Contoocook, NH 03229, or email the chairman of the Hopkinton Library Foundation, Eric Schlepphorst, at esclepp@tds.net.
“We really appreciate all the community support,” Loft said.
In addition to some structural changes, Loft said the library is working with an architect to update the color scheme in the library, which the focus groups in the strategic plan felt was bland. A local artist also volunteered to paint a mural in the children’s area.
Loft said the timeline presented to the board of trustees Tuesday anticipates construction wrapping up in March, but that it will take more time to return all the books and furnishings to the space.
The cupola was able to be repaired in place. Loft said originally trustees had been told it would have to be cut off and a new one put on. The August fire began when lighting hit the cupola.
The library wiring, which is largely in the floor, was fried by the water used to put out the fire. It all had to be replaced.
One replacement with the longest lead time was getting new furniture. ServPro cleaned the 20-year-old couches and chairs, but Loft said even then they didn’t pass the smell test. The new furniture will take a while to arrive, Loft said. Some of the bookshelves were able to be reused.
(Editor’s Note: The construction of the building will be complete in mid-March. An original version of this story said the library will be fully open in mid-March.)