Construction & Closure Blog
October 30 UPDATE
Desk is back in place, and MOST of the repair work is completed. We are delighted to announce that we can begin the reopening process! The book drop will be unlocked at 9:30 AM on Tuesday, October 31. You can start requesting books again through Interlibrary Loan (ILL) on the Minerva online catalog starting at noon on October 31. Annnnnd...we will be reopening our doors to the public on Monday, November 6!!! We have A LOT planned for November, so be sure to check out our events calendar, or CLICK HERE to read the November newsletter.
Closure & Construction Blog
October 20 UPDATE
How many people does it take to move a 4 million pound circulation desk across the library? It takes 8 people and several Airsleds. What's an Airsled? Learn more and check out a short video of the action on our Facebook page: https://www.facebook.com/rockportpubliclibrary207/ Photo and video credit: Alex Hernandez of Hay Runner / Phi Architects
Construction & Closure Blog
October 19 UPDATE
The stain is on the wood. It has cured, and it looks wonderful! Next step will be moving the GIANT circulation desk back into place, putting the baseboards back on, and doing some touch-up painting.
Closure & Construction Blog
October 16 UPDATE
Things are moving along nicely with the building repairs! The Hay Runner crew was in today sanding the new wooden floors. We also received a fantastic new podium, courtesy of a generous community member. We can't wait to debut our new floors, the new podium, and some very helpful new lighting additions, when we reopen to the public in November!
Closure & Construction Blog
October 12 UPDATE
The old wooden floors in the Marine Room have been pulled up, and the team has ALREADY started laying down the new wooden floors in the main lobby. Phew! It's starting to look like a proper building again. (Honestly, it looked like a place to store top secret crashed alien spacecrafts a couple days ago!)
Closure & Construction Blog
October 10 UPDATE
Busy times at the library! Hay Runner has taken up the wood floors in the main lobby and in the Children's Room. The Marine Room floor removal is next. We also had electricians here today installing additional lighting on the lower level. We can't wait to show you the final results of that!
Closure & Construction Blog
October 6 UPDATE
Hay Runner has put up protective sheeting inside the library in preparation for the messy business of pulling out the wood floor next week. Stay tuned for more pics of the process.
Closure & Construction Blog
October 3 UPDATE
Hay Runner impressively completed the task of moving the giant circulation desk into the back of the Children's Room. They used some spiffy inflatable cushions to slide it across the floor! Staff got to work moving books off shelves, removing artwork from walls, and wrapping up prep work to ready the library for floor replacement. We packed our totes and will be working from home during much of the construction. Stay tuned for more updates!
Closure & Construction Blog
September 26
The Rockport Public Library experienced a burst sprinkler pipe during the brief but brutal cold snap on the first weekend of February 2023. Thankfully, emergency responders were on the scene within minutes, and the flood was quickly contained. While the library’s book collection was spared, the wooden floors took the brunt of the damage and need to be replaced.
In order to make repairs, the Rockport Library will be closed to the public during the month of October, beginning Monday, October 2. The anticipated date for reopening is in early November. Patrons are encouraged to check the library’s website (rockportlibrary.net) and Facebook page for construction updates and service announcements.
The book drop will be locked at 4:30 p.m. on Saturday, September 30. If you are not ready (or are unable) to return the books you have checked out by that time, please hold onto the books and return them once the library reopens in November. There will be no fines or overdue penalties. The library urges you to stop in soon and stock up so that you have plenty of material to enjoy during the closure.
Rockport Library members also can bring their library cards to nearby Camden and Rockland libraries to check out books, DVDs, and audiobooks. A physical card must be presented at these libraries. Please come by the Rockport Library before September 30 if you need a replacement card.
Patrons will not be able to request books through interlibrary loan after September 20 and through the duration of the closure. Library staff will not be onsite during the closure to answer telephone calls. However, staff can be reached by emailing questions to: rpl@rockport.lib.me.us.
The staff of the library appreciates your patience and will work diligently to return to regular operating hours and services as soon as possible.