The Victoria Public Library is planning to replace carpeting throughout the building before summer.
The City Council approved at its Feb. 4 meeting a contract to replace flooring in much of the library. The new flooring will consist of industrial-grade carpeting on the main floor and in three library offices as well as easily cleanable rubber flooring in the lobby, the restroom hallway, the children’s storytime room and a reading room.
The library was quoted a total cost of $215,041.55 for the reflooring project, which exceeded the $180,000 budgeted for the project. To make up the difference, the Friends of the Victoria Public Library donated $35,000 toward the cost of the reflooring, and the remaining $41.55 will be covered by cost savings in the capital line item from other projects.
“The Victoria Public Library is thrilled to be able to make a major improvement to the overall look and feel of the library before children’s summer reading programs begin,” said library Director Dayna Williams-Capone. “Through the generous support of our Friends of the Library, we have been able to move forward on this project without delay, so we deeply appreciate their continued support of the library. I look forward to continuing to provide our programs, events and special projects to our Victoria community with brand-new flooring.”
The approval means that the library’s contractor, Library Interiors of Texas, can move ahead with ordering materials so that construction can begin. The reflooring project is expected to begin March 30 and end May 19.
During the construction period, the portions of the library that are being refloored will be inaccessible to the public. However, the library will continue to provide services using available spaces.
The library will provide a public reading space in the Bronte Room with some of its more popular materials available there. All other materials will need to be retrieved by library staff and may not be available the same day. Patrons still will be able to check out and return materials at the library, and all book drop locations will remain open.
The library will continue to offer public Wi-Fi and will have laptops and tablets available for checkout. Desktop computers will not be available.
Library programs such as children’s storytime activities will be offered at alternate locations. Updated information about locations will be posted on the library’s website, Facebook page and newsletter as it becomes available.
E-books and other digital materials will continue to be available online and can be accessed by any Victoria County resident with a library card.
For more information, call the Victoria Public Library at 361-485-3302.