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Mary C. Moore Library still closed but making progress

Several months after being flooded, the Mary C. Moore Public Library has seen progress but will still take time to recover.
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WAITING PERIOD – Head librarian of the Mary C. Moore Library Christina Petrisor takes time to explain the new upgrades that have been installed in the reconstructed facility. No official open date has been announced as of yet.

Several months after being flooded, the Mary C. Moore Public Library has seen progress but will still take time to recover.

Since April the staff and the City have been working towards rebuilding the facility. Renovations and upgrades were scheduled for the facility and have been included in the re-construction and repair. These scheduled renovations will continue in the facility even after it opens its doors to customers once again.

“Until the staff and I have and opportunity to get back into the facility, we can’t really set a date. Within two or three days of getting back into the space, I should be able to send out a press release through the City of Lacombe and Parkland Libraries with the actual reopening date,” said Head Librarian Christina Petrisor.

“We do hope to be in there by August but we do not have a guaranteed date. It all depends on the inspection.”

An inspection occurred on July 20th which was a chance for the restoration company to assess the work done so far and decide where the facility is at in terms of being up to code.

Petrisor and the other library staff have been trying to make it clear that no one is at fault and the City is working hard to get the facility prepared.

“From the day the flood happened, basically the library had to be rebuilt from the foundation up. They took two feet up out of the drywall, but the real delay of this entire process is nothing to do with the restoration company, the staff – anything like that. It entirely has to do with how commercial orders are done,” Petrisor explained.

“What occurs with a tragedy like this – and I was unaware of this – is that they know within about four days of the incident occurring that you’re going to be closed for a number of months. The reason for that is, it’s a 10,000 square foot space and to order carpet for a facility that size will take about two and a half to three months for delivery. That was the whole delay of the project, really.”

At present there is a kiosk that was constructed within the Lacombe Memorial Centre (LMC) where the library staff have been placing orders and communicating with library users.

The staff are working within a network of Parkland Regional Library facilities to store materials, place orders and deliver services to library patrons.

Once the construction is complete and noted as safe to return to, staff still must go through over 12,000 items currently in storage at the Parkland Regional Library in Lacombe. Each of those items need to be put into the library’s security system by hand – a time consuming and careful process.

“We anticipate to return into the facility in August 2015, with no set date. We intend to deploy a news release to the press as soon as we possibly can,” Petrisor said.

More information will be shared when made available.

kmendonsa@lacombeexpress.com