The Nippersink Library District has been steadily upgrading its facility in Richmond, since 2013. The exterior work was approved last year, and is slated for a mid-Dec. completion date. (photo by Gregory Harutunian/for Chronicle Media)

It took almost two years of planning and austere budgeting, two phases of construction, and adherence to a mapped-out renovation plan to bring the Nippersink Public Library District facility into the 21^st century, and in time for its November 2013 anniversary marking 40 years of operation.

Nearly two years later, the exterior of the site location at 5418 Hill Road in Richmond is getting a long-overdue replacement that will protect the interior that already underwent a massive re-think. What now stands is a model for other library districts to pattern their own upgrades upon, and a method to accomplish the aim.

“The building was getting water inside, which created an issue with stability for the interior, and the Band-Aids kept getting bigger,” said Cynthia Cole, the district’s library manager. “We needed a long-term solution, and the library board approved replacing the façade in the fall of 2014.

“There were construction grants that were applied for, through the state of Illinois, but they never materialized. By May 2015, it was apparent the library needed to move forward on this. A couple of options were considered such as replacing the wood with new wood, but we selected ‘hardy board.’ It has a cement base, and lasts around 30 years.”

The bid to complete the job order was awarded to the Waukegan-based firm of Boller Construction, Inc., and work has a tentative mid-December completion date.

“We’re racing with the weather, and it’s close to being wrapped up,” Cole said.

Many things have changed since the district’s inception in 1973, not withstanding technology innovations and media format changes more easily compatible with the digital age. The actual library building, which first opened in 1996, has undergone improvements in color scheme, physical layout and ergonomic structuring.

Done in two phases, the first floor was the initial undertaking with new paint for the walls, new carpeting, furniture, Internet terminal stations and cubicles that were finished by Jan. 2013.

“It came to $125,000 for the carpeting, the ergonomic details to benefit public use, and the electrical step-up, on the first floor,” Cole said. “We’ve recouped all but about $8,000 of that outlay, and the second floor cost nearly $124,000.

”The first floor was pre-Internet, nothing had been updated. We’d been saving for a long period of time, almost two years, as opposed to other area libraries with significantly larger budgets. Demographics are really the driving force in our accommodations with the A.D.A., our seniors, and pre-seniors. We truly took a good look at these things to determine the answer to the question of ‘Who are we serving?’”

The second floor features included new electrical wiring, a revamped childrens’ and young adults’ area, and more open space where previously the floor plan was more confined in certain areas.

Through a combination of planning, design, and saving funds, the Nippersink Library District’s upgrade project has been noticed by other communities presently conducting their own investigations into upgrading their own facilities. Representatives from the North Chicago Public Library have toured the facility in an effort to glean ideas on planning for their building on Argonne Drive.

“We were really surprised, it is a beautiful building, and there are so many improvements that were made, in order to upgrade for the patrons,” said Joan Battley, director for the North Chicago district. “It’s a starting point and gives us ideas on what we can do. We are hoping to do the same thing to enhance our building, and this is an excellent example.”

Cole understands the “fuss,” made by other library districts using the Nippersink facility as a yardstick.

“Carpeting and paint is the foundation palette to start with, color schemes, and you build from there. Any community deserves the best library it can have,” Cole said.

Like us on Facebok

— New façade creates model package for Nippersink Library —