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| Signs on the express pickup shelves at the Cumming Library inform patrons about the upcoming renovation. |
The Friends Bookstore operated by the FCPL Friends and Advocates inside the Cumming Library will close a week earlier on Monday, October 7. The organization is currently running a half-off sale to clear inventory and prepare for renovations.
A Major Repair and Renovation (MRR) grant from the State of Georgia and the library’s own savings will fund the renovation, including such facility updates as new carpet, paint, tile and fixtures, and lighting for the shelves.
“It’s important to be good stewards of the funds entrusted to us by the state legislature, Georgia Public Library Service, residents of Forsyth County, and the Board of Commissioners. We’re maximizing the generous state grant and local matching funds by refurbishing the interior and repurposing certain areas of the library,” explains Library Director Anna Lyle.
For example, the existing lighting for the adult fiction and nonfiction shelving areas will be replaced with refurbished lighting removed from the Sharon Forks Library during its major expansion project in 2018.
While the closure of the Cumming Library may be an inconvenience to patrons, library leaders hope they will find the updated facility more comfortable and easier to navigate.
“The Cumming Library was originally built in 1992. While we’ve reconfigured the space in recent years to provide study rooms for patrons, the interior finishes haven’t been updated since 2007,” says Branch Manager Denise Leeson.
This renovation project is smaller in scope than last year’s expansion of the Sharon Forks Library. Because the updates to the Cumming Library do not include structural changes, library leaders intend to minimize the disruption in service to patrons.
“Over the next few weeks, we’ll be communicating with patrons about the upcoming renovation and helping them make arrangements to pick up books and materials at our other three branch locations. We’ll also share pictures of our progress on social media, so the community can follow along and be ready to visit us when the Cumming Library reopens on Monday, December 2,” says Leeson.
Cumming Library patrons will also have an opportunity to keep their books a little longer than usual while the renovation is in progress.
“All materials checked out after September 30 from the Cumming Library – just that branch, not the other libraries – will be assigned a due date after the branch reopens,” explains Leeson.
“We know our patrons will miss visiting the library during this time, but we hope our community of book lovers will check out enough reading material to hold them over until the reopening, without the worry of rushing to return them.”
