Library to close for carpet installation

WESLACO — Planned upgrades to the city's public library will close the facility for more than a month, but officials say the library's facelift will be worth the wait for local residents.

The project to replace the library's aging carpeting will close the facility from Aug. 25 through Oct. 1, director Michael Fisher said.
The more than $200,000 price tag for the project is being picked up by the city's 2007 bond issue, Fisher said, adding that the building still features the same carpeting that was installed when it first opened in 1986.

With more than 250,000 visiting the library annually, Fisher said the project is a good investment for the city and its residents.
"You get what you pay for," Fisher said. "We're confident we'll have carpet for the next 20 to 30 years."

During the monthlong closure, Fisher said the library will offer limited services across the street at the old City Hall building, adding that the library at the South Texas College Mid-Valley campus will fill the void until the public library reopens.
"We talked with them, even though STC is full college (organization), they haven't forgotten about the community," he said. "We're lucky to have them."

The basic services will include wireless Internet access, informational services and a handful of Internet-ready computer stations provided for local residents.

During the project, work crews will clean air conditioning ducting throughout the building, move and relocate furniture and reroute computer cabling, Fisher said. The reference desk will also be relocated to the second floor, he said.

Library officials are also considering a special event to commemorate the building's reopening in October.

"Not at the moment, but it's a good idea," Fisher said of a potential event. "We'll think about that, but I'm sure the public will enjoy the new carpet."