News-Record.com

The construction at the High Point Public Library, 901 N. Main St., has not deterred patrons from stopping by the library, said library Director Kem Ellis.

Although June numbers are down slightly from June 2007, the overall attendance from January to June of this year compared to last is up a little more than 12 percent.

In April, the library began construction at the front of the building. The first through third floors are being expanded to add an additional 19,000 square feet.

The library has a feedback link set up on the Web site, but Ellis said the library hasn't received many comments.

"The construction out front isn't having much of an impact on day-to-day use of the library," he said. "It doesn't have a real impact on the use of the library, as there will be later when we start moving things from one place to another."

Collections and services will be relocated or reconfigured after construction ends at the end of 2009.

Adult fiction will move from the second floor to the third floor. Although adult nonfiction will remain on the second floor, it will move to the new addition.

The business and North Carolina collections and the public computing section will be moved to the second floor.

The children's room will have a new story area and new entrance after the project is complete. The collections will be rearranged significantly and will have new furniture and a new public service desk.

"Physically, the space will be very similar to what we have now, but visually, the impact will be very different," Ellis said.

The changes will include what Ellis called "unique and special features." He didn't elaborate.

"There's going to be times when things are chaotic because (collections) are in flux for a few weeks as we move things here and there," Ellis said. "We're just going to have to do as good a job as we can about helping people locate things and keeping collections as accessible to the public as we can while (collections) are being moved from one place to another."

Ellis doesn't know if a grand opening or celebration will be held once construction is complete, but expects the Friends of the Library group may want to do some sort of dedication or something to commemorate the event.

Contact E.A. Seagraves at 883-4422, Ext. 241, or elizabeth.seagraves@news-record.com