Auburn Library Getting Spruced Up

Overdue improvements on the way

Auburn, Calif.- After 21 years of high traffic use, the flooring in the Auburn branch of the Placer County Library is worn out. With rippled carpeting, torn seams, temporary fixes and numerous soiled areas, it’s time for a change.

Next month, the carpeting and linoleum throughout the library will be replaced. To complete the work in as timely a manner as possible, the library will temporarily close on May 1. Replacement of almost 16,000 square feet of flooring is expected to be done by Memorial Day, May 25.

The project requires that most of the fixtures and materials in the library be moved from one side of the building to the other. The work will be split and materials and other items will be moved across the library before each phase. With the flooring cleared, the old carpeting and linoleum will be removed and new product installed after the bare floor is prepped. The new carpeting consists of 2-foot by 2-foot carpet tiles. An advantage of selecting this style is that small areas that show wear or get soiled can be replaced.

What’s New

The entire library will receive new flooring, including the Quiet Room, the Beecher Room, the kitchenette, the public floor, the back room/receiving area and the back stairs of the employee entrance.  New linoleum will also be installed in the area outside the public restrooms. Funding for the new flooring comes from the county capital improvement account. No library operational funds will be used for the project.

“It is exciting to have an opportunity to refresh the Auburn Library. Replacing with new carpet, rearranging parts of the collection and adding a splash of color will help to revitalize a treasured Placer County resource. We invite the community to please come and check out the changes as soon as the library reopens at the end of May,” said Director of Library Services Mary George. “The new carpet and ‘refresh’ comes just in time to welcome thousands of people into the library to participate in the 2015 Summer Reading Program: ‘Read to the Rhythm’, at the beginning of June. Thank you to all who made this Library project possible. We appreciate that very few funds will be spent from the library’s budget to support this capital facilities project.”

The existing carpet was installed in 1994. Life expectancy for flooring in a high-use community library is 10 to 15 years. At 21 years of age, the current flooring has lasted past it useful life.

The tall shelves, which are bolted to the floor and hold some 96,000 books, will not be moved. Instead, carpeting will be installed around these features. Displays, furniture and shelving units that can be moved will be relocated to the opposite side of the library. All computers and printers will be removed from the building and reinstalled when work is completed.

With the library temporarily closed, electrical and telecommunications and computer cabling at the information desk will be replaced.  A new game table for board games will be added to the flooring area, along with additional furniture and display space. In the children’s area, a new snake-shaped sitting area will be installed. 

Library staff will take this time to reorganize storage areas, prepare for the summer reading program, work on collection development, and supervise the move process. Additionally, the Librarians will work on library program development and catch up on grant report submissions and administrative duties. Staff will also assist at other libraries, which are expected to see increased use with the closure of the Auburn library.

Materials that have been checked out of the Auburn library will have extended due dates to cover the days the Auburn library is closed. Additionally, materials can be returned to any library in the system.