Library News

The Library will be open for limited services today. This weekend, a sprinkler head burst upstairs, and much of the building was affected.

We're mostly dry now thanks in large part to the fast action of New Lenox Fire Protection District, Midwest Fire Suppression, and ServiceMaster by Bouck — extended kudos from our Facilities Manager are below:

Special recognition goes out to three outside groups in particular:

NLFPD Lt. Chmura and all of the firefighters who sacrifice their holiday season by being on-duty over Christmas. Their speed in arrival and diligence in making sure that all water was turned off as quickly as possible inside of the Library helped to mitigate the flood damage. FYI, water flows from our fire sprinkler heads at a rate of 30 gallons per minute, or one gallon EVERY TWO SECONDS. Quite literally, every second counts in a situation such as this.

Ray Robinson from Midwest Fire Suppression who not only came out immediately to repair the broken sprinkler head and stay for several hours to inspect the rest of the system as it thawed out; but he also helped cover book stacks with plastic as the water made its way through the floor and rapidly began spreading across a large part of the ceiling in YS.

Tom and his crew from ServiceMaster By Bouck who came in with a small army of people and a large battery of equipment to remove water damaged building materials, drain flooded ductwork insulation, suck up all of the water, and begin the tedious drying-out process with industrial-sized fans and dehumidifiers. Out of the four emergency water cleanup companies contacted that morning, Tom's was the only one who could answer the phone call AND quickly begin the cleanup to stop the damage that was happening as the flood water continued to leak down from the second floor.

We can't express our gratitude enough.

Update, 10:15 AM: Upstairs non-fiction and Teen Scene areas are blocked off. Upstairs computers are not available, and copiers are not currently functioning. Downstairs computers are available for all ages while upstairs computers are unavailable. The rest of Youth Services will be blocked off.

We ask for your patience today. We will keep you updated.

Update on Wednesday, December 28: Adult & Teen Services upstairs will fully reopen today.

The Highlights:

• Our new Patron Services Desk will be ready to welcome you the week of December 19!
• The Studio, our expanded Digital Media Lab, will open by Saturday, January 7.
• After Phase 2, The Book Sale will have an expanded, dedicated space.
• A new Conference Room will be built, reserved like a special study room, up to one month in advance.
• Bathrooms near the elevator will be renovated.
• The elevator will be updated.

Visit our Renovations page for details.

Do you usually vote at the Library? On November 7, you'll vote at Village Hall. Voting has been moved next door due to Library renovations affecting available space.

UPDATE at 12 PM: We're back! The elevator is back in action, and you're able to go upstairs.

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Earlier today: Our elevator is down for service this morning, Wednesday, October 26. The upstairs Adult & Teen Services Department is closed until further notice. Our staircase continues to be under renovation.

We are hoping the outage will be limited to this morning. We'll post again when upstairs is accessible.

Patron Services (checkout and holds area) and Youth Services remain accessible.

We apologize for the inconvenience while this necessary service takes place.

We are excited to announce that the first stage of library renovations will begin very soon. This first stage will be completed in two phases to ensure the library building remains open.

Phase 1 is targeted for completion in September, with Phase 2 beginning immediately after Phase 1 is finished.

We'll let you know exact dates once they are confirmed.

Entrance closure beginning mid-July

• Our east entrance, connected to our parking lot, will be closed while that side of the building is under construction. A new automatic door system will be installed. No more heavy single doors, hurray!
• The west entrance, on the side of the Commons, will be the only open entrance during our Phase 1 renovation (expected to last at least 3 months).
• During Phase 2, the Commons entrance will be closed for renovations while the parking lot entrance reopens.

Lobby narrowing

• The lobby area will be significantly narrowed while half of it undergoes renovation during Phase 1. The other half of the lobby area will undergo renovation during Phase 2.

New Releases

• New Releases for adults and teens have been moved upstairs.
• Our Patron Services checkout desk will be moved temporarily to the New Releases space.

Meeting rooms unavailable

• The first-floor meeting rooms will be unavailable during this phase of construction. We are already working to make alternative arrangements for all programs and community groups that meet in this area of the library.
• Due to limited space, those wishing to attend in-person events will be required to register in advance. Please check the events calendar for the most up-to-date program locations and capacity information.

Thank you for your patience and flexibility as we work hard to provide the best possible solutions for our patrons and community.