One of the Capital Improvement Plan (CIP) projects on the budget this year was a complete replacement of the HVAC system for C.H. Booth Library. When the budget passed on April 22, the staff and volunteers for the historic building were thrilled. Last week, the library staff was informed of just how disruptive this project will be.

Facilities/project manager Sean Heslin said, “[The library has] been pushing for the project for years, and we are there! Which is wonderful. So, this is a replacement of both the heating and the cooling system at the library. It involves the discontinuation of use on the outdoor chiller and indoor boilers that are in that space, and it takes everything over to a VRV HVAC system, which is variable refrigerant volume system.” He noted that it is “very energy efficient” and will give “really precise control of the indoor climate,” or “what is important for books.”

Currently, the Main Street entrance of the library is closed to the public, as is the entire second floor. This is phase one, which library director Jenn Nash said should wrap up around October. The second phase will focus on the third floor, and the third phase will focus on the first floor. The entire project will, hopefully, be wrapped up around March, though Heslin said it should be about a full year.

“We, as a town, planned for a year of completion. I think substantial completion we will see around that March date, you know, 90% plus completion and then there will be the little odds and ends that come throughout ... but we have planned for July to July,” Heslin stated.

With ongoing construction, the library has had to pivot a lot of its programming and move programs off-site as the main entertainment space, the Olga Knoepke Memorial Meeting Room, is currently hosting the core library operations. All children’s programs have been canceled temporarily out of an abundance of caution. Nash said that the library will remain closed on Sundays for the duration of construction as well.

“Third floor is business as usual,” Nash told The Newtown Bee, sitting in front of the entrance from the back parking lot. She set herself up to be a “greeter” to help patrons find where borrower services is now located and to remind them that the second floor is closed.

Heslin said the old part of the library will more than likely remain closed for the entirety of the project, “[The library is] really two completely separate spaces, or separate eras, I should say, of build. In 1931, the best thing going for insulation, and just about anything construction, was asbestos … so abatement is a is a big piece of this project … Asbestos undisturbed is not a problem … the abatement comes to the fact that we have to open these walls. We have to disturb the existing condition, which then can make asbestos go airborne.”

One group that is predominately affected by this closure is Friends of the C.H. Booth Library. The primary donation room is directly adjacent to the failing boiler, which needs to be completely replaced. Heslin added that the Friends’ entire operation is located in the “old part” of the building, meaning it is no longer safe for them to operate there.

For the meantime, the Friends have moved their collection and sorting to their off-site location at 23 Old Farm Road, the blue building adjacent to the dog park. The Friends will collect items like gently used books, jigsaw puzzles, media, and more on Wednesdays and Saturdays, 10 am-noon. The Friends also want to inform the public that any donations left on the library property will be discarded, so please be sure to drop-off donations for the 50th Annual Book Sale at the off-site location.

Friends president Nancy Dvorin said, “We always knew there was going to be a significant impact to our operations because our donation room is adjacent to the boiler, which is coming out, and a lot of the infrastructure for the HVAC system runs through our workspace. So we … have had this in the back of our minds ever since that happy day when the referendum passed and we know the work was actually, finally going to happen.”

Dvorin added that The Little Book Store located on the second floor of the library is also closed, hoping that the Friends can re-open it when the second floor is complete.

“The work needs to continue,” Dvorin said, “We’re happy we have a space to do it in … It won’t be the same, being at the library is wonderful on a lot of levels.” She added that the location of the donation room in the library is “high-visibility,” which “plants the seed in people’s minds” that they can donate their used books to the Friends.

Dvorin shrugged, “[The library] is convenient. It’s the middle of town … [The storage building] is not too far away. Basically, if you can get to Reed Intermediate you can get to our storage building … We’re confident that people are going to find us.”

Nash expressed gratitude for everyone who voted for the library’s CIP project in the referendum, the Community and Senior Centers for being quick to accommodate programs and book clubs, and for patience from the community.

“Our goal throughout this project is to keep library services available as much as possible,” Nash said. “This project is about ensuring the library remains a safe, comfortable, and welcoming place for everyone in Newtown for years to come … It’s about protecting what we have, making it better, and keeping it accessible to the community now and in the future.”

Nash said that the library’s website and digital resources are still available 24/7 and all events will be properly updated on the website, including location changes.

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Reporter Sam Cross can be reached at sam@thebee.com.