SHELBURNE FALLS – After undergoing a six-month interior renovation, the Arms Library is set to reopen next month.
The renovation began in October and finished this month, Arms Library Director Laurie Wheeler said. The library’s copper-dome roof was replaced several years ago.
While the building’s structure remains the same, its interior has been revitalized, with re-plastered walls and a fresh coat of paint. Other new amenities include modern lights, a kitchen, air conditioning and a children’s room and young adult library on the lower floor.
Wheeler said she hopes the improvements encourage patrons to spend more time in the facility.
“What we were trying to do is we were trying to build a more community-user-friendly library,” Wheeler said. “We’d like to have more programs, more technology access … We’d like to be able to provide a better space for our patrons.”
The new air conditioning may also encourage more library use in summer, Wheeler said, as the facility became uncomfortable in warmer months.
“We sweltered in there,” Wheeler said. “It was hard on patrons, and it was hard on staff, if you’ve been in there for a few hours.”
The interior renovation cost about $570,000, Arms Library Association Board of Trustees Chair Karen Sheaffersaid. The project was funded by multiple grants and donations from local businesses and residents, Sheaffer said. To offset costs, the Arms Library Association is pursuing a lease of the building from the town to receive $250,000 in state historic tax credits.
During renovations, the Arms Library has been temporarily located in the Greenfield Cooperative Bank community room at 33 Bridge St.
While in its temporary location, the library has kept its regular hours, and will continue to do so when it moves back into its permanent space. Hours are Monday 1 p.m. to 7 p.m., Wednesday 11 a.m. to 7 p.m. and Saturday 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. Sheaffer said she hopes some day to open the library on Sunday afternoons if finances allow, as no other libraries nearby open on this day.
Before reopening, Arms Library will be thoroughly cleaned and books moved into the space, Wheeler said.
“We still need to put the library back together again before we open,” Wheeler said. “It’s a huge project.”
Residents can view the redone library at an informational meeting next Thursday, March 21, at 6 p.m., in the upper level of the Arms Library. Wheeler expects the library to open mid-April.
Reach Grace Bird at gbird@recorder.com or 413-772-0261, ext. 280.