Upgrades at library will cause interruptions
The long awaited fire suppression system replacement project at the Scripps Miramar Ranch Library has begun. At press time, the entire adult nonfiction, biography and young adult book stacks, the reading chairs along the west facing windows, the fireplace area and several computer stations and study tables were inaccessible to everyone – library patrons and library staff alike.
The next phase of this 14-week project will involve the library’s two major meeting rooms – the Community Room and Seminar Room – plus Grace’s Book Nook, all of which are expected to be closed for all or most of the month of April.
Following the installation of the new fire suppression system, the much needed library roof and HVAC replacement are anticipated to commence in May or June. While this is good news for the 32 year-old library building, the current plan will involve closure of the library for at least eight months, which is not welcomed news for the community.
Parking at the Scripps Miramar Ranch Library continues to be a challenge, but work on the parking lot expansion project is finally expected to resume sometime in the spring after a year’s pause. While the first phase of the project is now complete, and the upper lot has reopened, the lower lot remains closed to the public. Access from the overflow parking area on Meanley Drive continues to be blocked. The additional impact of contractors’ vehicles has cut further into the already limited parking availability, but the decrease in program offerings due to inaccessibility of meeting rooms this month may help balance things out. The expansion will add 47 more parking spaces to the original 70, plus a second exit to the parking lot with a traffic light.
As Grace’s Book Nook, the used bookstore in the Scripps Miramar Ranch Library, will be closed for all or most of April due to the fire suppression system replacement project, now is the time to shop for all reading needs. The Book Nook has a selection of books for all ages: board and picture books for tots, easy readers, young adult books for teens, fiction and nonfiction for adults, antiquarian books and collectors’ editions, plus CDs and DVDs, magazines, greeting cards, and even jigsaw puzzles – all at bargain prices. The Book Nook is open on Mondays and Tuesdays from noon to 7:30 p.m., and Wednesdays through Saturdays from 10 a.m. to 5:30 p.m.
Even though the Book Nook may be closed during much of April, there will still be opportunities to shop for bargain books every day during library hours from an increased number of carts in the library. The Second Saturday pop-up sale on April 12, from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. will have an even larger selection to choose from.
While tax-deductible donations of gently used books are always welcome, it is best to hold on to these for a few weeks, if possible, until the Book Nook is accessible again. Check srfol.org for updates or email booknook@srfol.org.