It wasn’t that long ago that the Bainbridge Public Library was renovated and expanded—right? Actually it was 14 years ago, in 1997, and since then the carpeting has endured a lot of foot traffic, leaving it unraveling at the seams.
Seeing the need for a “refreshovation,” as Branch Manager Rebecca Judd put it, the Board launched a two-year campaign to plan and raise funds for needed upgrades. Elaine VonRosenstiel headed up the planning committee, inviting input from the library staff and library board, community members, and the Kitsap Regional Library system, of which Bainbridge library is a branch. What they ended up with was a plan to put in a new cyber laptop bar, new wiring for more electrical outlets for computer users, additional shelving, reorganized spaces, and a whopping 17,000 square feet of new carpeting.
Bainbridge Library Branch Director Rebecca Judd in the library's reconfigured teen area.
The entire project cost just under $100,000, with about 90 percent of that coming from community donations raised by the Bainbridge Public Library. The shelving was funded by the Kitsap Regional Library Foundation, and the wiring was paid for through a grant from the Bainbridge Community Foundation.
According to Judd, the Library had a lot of help to make the improvements. Architect Ruth Baleiko worked pro bono to help sketch out the plans. Steve Trick constructed the laptop bar, which is made from compressed paper with chairs made partly out of reclaimed seatbelts. Beth Wheeler helped select the carpet, wisely going for a “less is more approach” instead of something that would draw too much attention to itself.
Most challengingly, Jeff Ketcheside of Puget Sound Carpet Tile worked closely with the library to handle the logistics of tearing out the old carpet and installing the new carpet under hundreds of large, heavy shelves of books upon books upon books. The method they used involved popping out the bottom shelf of each bookcase, which meant that library staff had to prepare by undertaking what Judd called the “Zen job of moving all the books from the bottom up,” while keeping the library’s order intact for users and staffers.
New carpet in the children's section.
Library staff, workers, and a crew of volunteers spent a long Labor Day weekend doing much of the work. Judd said they made it fun with Abba music and generous food bargains from local businesses such as Fork and Spoon. Now that most of the manual labor is done, the staff is working to catch up with its normal business while enjoying spiffy new carpet and pleased patrons.
Featured photo shows new laptop bar with a view facing north, overlooking High School Road. Previously shelves sat along the wall.
Photos by Julie Hall, 2011.
