Date: Fri 07-Mar-1997

Publication: Bee

Author: ANDREA

Quick Words:

Booth-Library-construction

Full Text:

The Inside Story (Or: Inside Addition)

The Library From The Ground Up

PHOTOS BY ANDREA ZIMMERMANN

Drills whir, bundles of insulation are rolled out, and sheetrock is nailed in

place. The interior of the 22,000-square-foot library addition is starting to

shape up, and it takes only a little imagination to envision stacks of books

filing the three levels.

This week contractors were at work installing overhead lights, sprinkler

system pipes, and insulation. The new boiler system (housed in the old

building) runs off of gas with oil as a back-up fuel. The system makes both

steam and hot water heat.

On the lower level of the addition, patrons will find the Children's Room

(with computer/study area), a story hour room, and the meeting room. The main

level will house adult fiction, new books, mysteries, young adult books, as

well as music, audio/visual, the director's office, technical services, and

computers. Career information, a study area, reference, non-fiction books, and

a reading area will be on the upper level.

The building has not had any major renovations since it was built in 1932,

when Newtown had a population of only about 2,000; the only improvements have

been the construction in 1980 of a 4,000-square-foot addition housing

restrooms and an elevator. By adding to the existing library building at the

Main Street site, the library will not have to forfeit the $1 million Hawley

Trust.

A handicapped entrance will be finished in the spring, as will a parking lot

that will accommodate about 80 cars.

According to clerk of the works Ed Callo, work on the addition is now just

about on schedule. Renovations to the existing library building is quite

behind schedule; the most prominent reason for the delay is the discovery and

removal of asbestos.

Abatement contractors refused to continue work until their second and third

invoices were paid by the town, which is the most recent cause for delays. But

the specialists returned to the job this week.

On Tuesday, Chairman of the Public Building and Site Commission Frank

Krasnickas submitted a request to the town's finance office to make full

payment on the third invoice and partial payment on the second ("fire-watch")

invoice. The latter is still being negotiated with the abatement contractor,

Mr Krasnickas said.