The Middletown Press (Middletown, CT)
A library ‘accessible to all’
PORTLAND — The Portland Public Library will close for six to eight weeks beginning on March 9.
The closure will allow a contractor to re-do portions of the library, as part of the $358,000 renovation of the 37-year-old building.
Even though the library will be closed, Library Director Janet Nocek said some activities will be held
there, while others will take place in the nearby Senior Center.
The overhaul of the library will focus on “improving the facility in terms of accessibility, service provision and energy efficiency,” Nocek said in a statement.
Closing the library “should make the project go faster — and go more smoothly,” Nocek said in subsequent interview. “We’re certainly anticipating that the ambiance will be improved, and that the library will be made accessible to all.”
Much of the work will involve efforts to make the building more accessible to people with either physical or mental disabilities or a combination of both, Nocek said.
“We’re trying mightily to remove those things that may be a barrier to our patrons,” she said.
The project will involve “providing more accommodating seating for members of the aging populations,” as well as
those with joint issues, she said.
This accommodating seating will be located in browsing areas and near displays of interest to visually impaired residents, Nocek said.
To further serve residents with physical disabilities, the library is “installing tables of adjustable height,” she said.
New lighting will be installed both at a new and updated service desk as well as in areas of adult browsing, Nocek said.
The lighting will serve to improve usability as well as being more energyefficient, she said.
The library also is addressing the desire of residents who want to use charging stations for mobile devices while reducing or eliminating the problems that can create.
At present, a number of patrons “place cords in walkways to meeting rooms…and use chairs as tables to get closer to an outlet.”
However, in doing so, they create “obstacles of wheel-bound persons and tripping hazards for others,” Nocek said.
One of the main reasons the library will be closed is because the contractor is tearing up the existing carpet.
“New carpet will be installed in the public areas,” Nocek said.
Doing so will yield a number of benefits, she said.
It will “provide better sound absorption. Color-coded layout of pathways will provide guidance in navigating the library for those with certain cognitive and visual challenges,” Nocek said.
The project is being funded by a combination of sources, including a $108,400 grant from the Connecticut State Library, and $250,000 from the Endowment Fund.
It comes amid a surge in efforts to adjust and expand the library experience for residents of the region.
Just last week, Cromwell re-dedicated its library following a $3.2 million renovation and expansion.
And both the Russell Library in Middletown and the East Hampton Public Library have embarked on developing long-term strategic plans.