Poway library canopy will be dedicated July 11

It’s time to celebrate the progress of the renovations at the Poway Library.

The first phase of the long-delayed renovations — a metal canopy over the large outside patio — was installed last week. The library will be celebrating with a dedication ceremony at 10 a.m. on Saturday, July 11 at the library, 13137 Poway Road.

The celebration will include remarks by San Diego County Library Director José Aponte; the unveiling of a special collection honoring the late Liz Hildreth, a former member of the library staff and advocate; refreshments and entertainment. This event is open to the public.

The fence that has surrounded the space for nearly seven months was taken down Tuesday morning, allowing about 300 people to enjoy the shade during the library’s summer reading program.

“It’s going to be really nice,” said Head Librarian Penny Taylor.

The full renovation, which includes new interior carpet and paint, new furniture, a new computer lab and computers, a new teen area, new study rooms, new lighting and more, is now expected to be finished by December, a year after the remodeling work officially began.

Despite the significant delays and changing to a new contractor, the project is still expected to be finished within its original $1.5 million budget, said Taylor.

The plan to finance the remodel was approved by the City Council in November 2013. The library’s endowment fund contributed $625,000, and the City of Poway and San Diego County each contributed $375,000. The final $125,000 came from a donation from the Poway Friends of the Library.

Work was originally planned to be finished in summer 2014. Delays led to the ground-breaking for the canopy not beginning until December. The initial contractor hired for the job was unable to complete the work, and was replaced earlier this year.

With the outside canopy finished, work has also begun on the interior remodels. Sections of the library are under construction and fenced off, and about half of the library’s books are currently on rolling carts, usually used for shelving.

Taylor said the new shelves for the books will be placed after the new lighting is installed and new carpeting is laid. While she didn’t have a definite timeline for this, the lights have already been ordered, she said. All of the library’s lighting will be upgraded.

Some accent painting has already been completed, with a new yellow wall being featured behind the check-out desk, and teal and salmon accent walls gracing the children’s section of the library. Taylor said the colors will be reflected in the new carpeting.

A new computer lab, which will feature a laptop bar with power stations for patrons to bring in and use their own laptops, as well as traditional desktops, is currently under construction, as well as two new study rooms, which will be able to be combined into one large room.

A new teen center is also being put in, which will now house all of the library’s young adult books.