Baldwin Public Library renovations remain on track

BIRMINGHAM — As construction continues, the Baldwin Public Library is on track with phase three of its three-phase renovation plan.

This has been about a nine-month project, which started in July and is expected to be finished in March or April of 2024 for an estimated $4 million. Funds come from the library’s voter-approved millage and donations to the library’s trust.

Phase three has focused on the front entrance and circulation area.

The first part of the project included an interior renovation of what used to be the circulation desk and the hold shelves. This area now has The Friends Bookshop. The library has also added four new study rooms, which opened to the public Nov. 1.

What is left of the project is the front entryway. The entrance is being expanded by 2,000 square feet and will be more accessible. There will be a street-level entrance, an interior ramp and a passenger elevator.

“I am most excited for the street-level entrance,” Baldwin Public Library Director Rebekah Craft said. “I have heard from so many people that were unable to get into the old entrance because the stairs were difficult or the ramp was too steep or it was just too far to walk. It is really heartbreaking that people were not able to use the library because they could not get inside, so I’m most excited to welcome people into the library with an actual welcoming space that allows people to use the building.”

Other improvements planned for the near future are a cafe where people can enjoy refreshments and a new outdoor terrace that will connect the library with Shain Park.

Kristen Tait is the head of access services at the library. She said she is looking forward to the brand-new service desk her department is getting.

“It is going to function more as an information desk than just a circulation desk. We are really looking forward to having a new desk that is smaller and more patron friendly. Our previous desk was rather dominating and daunting for people to come up to, so it’s going to fit more in with the aesthetic that has been established at the library,” Tait said.

She said she appreciated being able to talk with the architects and the builders to make sure everything that is going to be done will work for the library.

“This is our third time doing a renovation, and it’s the smoothest yet, and we really are happy that we have been given the opportunity to upgrade the space. I think the patrons are really going to love it,” Tait said.

The library has and will remain open for the remainder of the project. More information and updates on the renovation can be found at baldwinlib.org/renovation.