Looking Good!

Progress continues inside the library as doors into the non-fiction area and Visitor's Center are in place, new carpeting has been installed, and the tiling in the entranceway is complete. The removal of the stairway and wall at the beginning of the entranceway has opened up the area considerably. Work within the next weeks will focus on new lighting for the media center, the completion of the front porch with the addition of the rebuilt pillars and refurbished railings, and the return of our non-fiction collection and fixtures. For new photos, visit http://www.flickr.com/photos/phaseone/ with particular attention to images 8 and 10 - 14.

Progress!

Progress is noticeable these last two weeks as the siding is completely installed and painted and new windows are in place. The interior walls are finished for the most part, primed, and the actual painting of both the walls and the molding has begun. Three of the four entrances into the area have been reconfigured with the two into the Visitor's Center becoming windows and the one into the non-fiction room remaining an entrance but reconfigured to match its counterparts. The tile in the bathroom as well as the fixtures have been replaced. Next week, work will begin on the columns on the front porch and continue in the bathroom and entrance way. For the latest photos, visit
http://www.flickr.com/photos/phaseone/sets/72157603278099305/.

Putting It Up Instead of Taking It Down

Work on the library's repair and restoration project has entered a new phase as crews swiftly apply the new siding. New concrete piers are in place and framing for the front porch and the handicapped ramp has begun. Inside, application of gypsum board over the existing plaster walls continues. Electricians have rewired to accommodate new recessed lighting, the addition of a closed circuit television system, and the switchover of much of the outside wiring to underground conduits. During the next few weeks, work will center on modifications to the present bathroom, installation of the more energy efficient windows, and further work to the front porch. For photos of the building with its new siding in place, please visit
http://www.flickr.com/photos/phaseone/sets/72157602849990824/.

A Mohawk Valley Sampler

The Fort Plain Free and Margaret Reaney Memorial Libraries have begun a joint project that will ultimately result in the creation of a published work entitled A Mohawk Valley Sampler. Throughout the fall and winter, we will be gathering area residents' impressions and reflections about a person, place, event, or moment that best captures their feelings about living in the central Mohawk Valley. Submissions may be in any format whether a poem, short story, essay, sketch, or even an original musical interlude. Project staff will proofread the selections with an eye toward spelling and grammar, but we would like to offer the community your perspective in your own voice.
To get the project started, we will be offering a Basics of Memory Writing Workshop with writer-in-residence Ali MacDonald on Saturday, November 10, from 9:00 – 3:00 at the Reaney Memorial Library in St. Johnsville. Lunch will be provided. Ali is a St. Johnsville resident and published author who has vast experience with writing workshops and is a master at helping people express themselves on paper. Should you be interested in attending this free offering, please call the St. Johnsville library at (518) 568-7822 to register for an enjoyable day.
Ali will also be offering monthly one-on-one sessions with interested individuals throughout the winter. At this time, participants may bring ideas about or rough drafts of submissions to the working session, and Ali will assist the writer in saying what they wish to communicate in the most effective fashion.
We all have a wealth of information to share with our neighbors. Whether it be a remembrance of growing up in Fort Plain decades ago, information on an historical aspect of the Valley, a brief narrative about a resident who has had an impact on our lives, or even a sketch of a place that means a good deal to us, residents are encouraged to share these musings and feelings with their community.
Should you have any questions or comments about the project, please contact the library at (518) 993-4646 or by email at fpfl@sals.edu.

Keep Track of Your Reading Online

Ever get halfway through a book and realize you had already read it? At a loss to remember the name of the author of that book you really enjoyed and whose works you would like to read more of? Interested in what your neighbors have been reading and recommend? Take advantage of the library's Reading Tracker to keep an easily accessible list of your reading on our online site, reader.mvls.info/ftp. The site is available from any computer and, once you create an account, the titles you have read and recorded will be available to you for at least one year. While you are listing what you have read, check out what others are reading and write and post a short review of your own. Children and teens can use the site as well and may also help select New York State's favorite book by clicking on the 3 Apples Children's and Teen's Choice Book Award tabs.

Abatement Complete

Initial work on Phase I of the library's repair, renovation, and restoration project is nearing completion. Abatement of lead paint and asbestos was finished last week. Old paneling is gone and walls and doorways have been removed in preparation for a new entrance way. In the coming weeks, work will focus on the installation of insulation and siding, wiring, the bathroom, and the foundation of the pillared porch. It is exciting to get clues into what the facility will look like in the future. For most recent photos, click here http://www.flickr.com/photos/phaseone/sets/72157602375814485/.

Demolition and Abatement

Work on the repair, renovation, and restoration project began this month with removal of the gray paneling from the interior two rooms of the library and the siding from the exterior of the facility. In addition, Sullivan Contracting of Sauquoit began the extensive lead-paint abatement that the project requires. For photos of this phase of the project, go to www.flickr.com/photos/phaseone/. Stay tuned for updates on a regular basis.

Renovation/Restoration Work to Begin

The construction company of Bast Hatfield will begin work on the library's long-awaited renovation/restoration project on Monday, September 10. Work to be done during the project which will be completed in an estimated three months includes the much needed repair and restoration of the front porch as well as the addition of a handicapped ramp at this entrance, an upgrade to existing lighting and windows, replacement of the gray paneling that now detracts from the historic aspects of the two former front parlors, the renovation of the twin fireplaces that are the centerpieces of these rooms, and the installation of custom shelving that will allow us to securely display our artifacts and memorabilia from the Clinton Liberal Institute.
We hope to proceed with as little disruption to existing library service as possible. Though our non-fiction collection is in storage for the duration of the project, patrons can request materials online or in person at the library. Daily delivery insures that requests are filled in a short period of time. The middle children's room is still available, but the non-fiction room, the Visitor's Center, and the booksale area will be inaccessible. Wireless internet access may be used throughout the rest of the building.
We're expecting some dust and a good deal of noise, but bear with us. We think you will be pleased with this section of the library at the close of 2007!