BRODHEAD - Full speed ahead. Every day, Brodhead residents get closer to a new $1.65 million library.
Progress is steady and "quite noticeable," library director Gloria Rosa said. She is keeping a photo diary of the project.
"Things like this don't happen for the city of Brodhead often," Rosa said. "It has to be recorded."
Ground was broken July 21 for the 12,500-square-foot library at West Fifth Avenue and 25th Street. The library on Second Avenue was built in the 1960s and is only 5,000 square feet.
Rosa said the new library is near a day care facility, the high school and the elementary school, and a senior citizen resident home.
"To have the library at this location makes it accessible for so many different groups of Brodhead residents," Rosa said.
In July, the one full-time and 10 part-time library staff checked out about 10,000 items and shared more than 4,000 items with other libraries.
"These days it makes our work a little easier in cramped quarters knowing that in just a few months we'll have more than double the space," Rosa said.
Rosa said other groups, like the South Central Wireless Training Laboratory and the Green County Literacy Group, have contacted the library about using a room in the new library.
"The staff is so excited when we think about the programs that we will be able to offer," Rosa said. "At this point it is hard to imagine what it will be like, but we are trying."
Rosa said carpeting and the paint colors are being selected. Next week, staff will get estimates on how much it will cost to move everything. They will work on selecting furniture and evaluating the condition of shelving that was donated from the University of Madison Medical Library.
"We'd like to have all of the shelving match color wise," Rosa said. "But we have years to budget for that once we are in the new library if we need to."
Roberts Construction Inc. of Madison is building the library. If construction goes as planned, Rosa said the library could be finished by January 2009.
"Personally, I'd like it to be a little warmer when we move," Rosa said. "But, whenever we do move it will be absolutely wonderful."
Progress is steady and "quite noticeable," library director Gloria Rosa said. She is keeping a photo diary of the project.
"Things like this don't happen for the city of Brodhead often," Rosa said. "It has to be recorded."
Ground was broken July 21 for the 12,500-square-foot library at West Fifth Avenue and 25th Street. The library on Second Avenue was built in the 1960s and is only 5,000 square feet.
Rosa said the new library is near a day care facility, the high school and the elementary school, and a senior citizen resident home.
"To have the library at this location makes it accessible for so many different groups of Brodhead residents," Rosa said.
In July, the one full-time and 10 part-time library staff checked out about 10,000 items and shared more than 4,000 items with other libraries.
"These days it makes our work a little easier in cramped quarters knowing that in just a few months we'll have more than double the space," Rosa said.
Rosa said other groups, like the South Central Wireless Training Laboratory and the Green County Literacy Group, have contacted the library about using a room in the new library.
"The staff is so excited when we think about the programs that we will be able to offer," Rosa said. "At this point it is hard to imagine what it will be like, but we are trying."
Rosa said carpeting and the paint colors are being selected. Next week, staff will get estimates on how much it will cost to move everything. They will work on selecting furniture and evaluating the condition of shelving that was donated from the University of Madison Medical Library.
"We'd like to have all of the shelving match color wise," Rosa said. "But we have years to budget for that once we are in the new library if we need to."
Roberts Construction Inc. of Madison is building the library. If construction goes as planned, Rosa said the library could be finished by January 2009.
"Personally, I'd like it to be a little warmer when we move," Rosa said. "But, whenever we do move it will be absolutely wonderful."