The Journal North published a great article about the current renovations at the La Farge Library on August 18th. Susie Sonflieth, Director of Branches, and Pat Hodapp, Library Director were both interviewed about the history of the La Farge Branch, the benefits of the current renovations, and hopes and dreams for the future of the building."It's not often you get to see an entire library's contents shrink-wrapped," Sonflieth said about the process of protecting the library collection from the dust resulting from replacing lights, ceiling tiles and wiring, installing a wireless network and replacing swamp coolers with air conditioning. The La Farge branch has approximately 120,000 books, DVDs, Books on DVDs, and CDs. She also mentioned that the La Farge branch was once referred to as the "south side library", reflecting the enormous growth of the city since the branch's opening in 1978.
Hodapp pointed out how the environmental upgrades in the building will be beneficial for both "the humans and the books", noting that if people are uncomfortable, the books are uncomfortable as well. Every effort was made to make the renovations result in a more energy-efficient and green environment.
The La Farge Branch has about a quarter of a million visitors per year. During the closure, La Farge patrons are meeting their information needs at the Main Library downtown, and the newer Southside Library in the Tierra Contenta development.
Stay tuned for more news about the renovations and La Farge's grand reopening!
photo by Mark Kane
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