Under Construction

Summer Update

By Matt Williams, Facilities Manager

Summer is officially here! Our air conditioners are working double-time and somewhere in the fight against the heat and humidity we sprung a leak! With some help from the fine folks at Facilities Mechanical Services in Mishawaka we’re back and running at full power, so the library will stay nice and cool during the upcoming warm months. Believe me, we’re just as happy as you are.

Speaking of summer, the water bottle filling bubblers we installed a few months ago have now saved 500+ bottles from going into the trash! So if you need a bottle of cool water and a place to beat the heat, BPL has you covered.

While the inside is coming together at a steady pace, most of the entrances and halls have been painted, so I won’t be in everyone’s way so much while continuing to paint and modernize the interior of the library. Good news for everyone with small children with little hands that like to explore the world around them.

With the weather as beautiful as it has been, I’ll be the first to admit I’ve spent more time outside than inside, with good reason! We’re looking into a few things to help the accessibility of the library for all of our patrons. We recently added an accessible parking spot to the front of the library, making it easier for our all patrons to park right up front to return a book or come in and get a new one. Hopefully before the summer is in full swing we will also have a small area outside to sit and enjoy a book as well as a bike rack for all of the kids to use in the front of the building.

We are currently looking into making some changes to the back parking lot as well, including a new exit onto Center Street and a few additional spots to accommodate our ever growing group of friends. There may be a few days of closures in the back lot at some point in the next couple of months, but it will be announced on social media with plenty of warning. Same can be said for the elevator – with the modernization coming up, it may be down for a few days, but we’ll try to have it up and running as quickly as possible.

Again, I would like to take the time to personally thank everyone in Bremen for being so friendly and patient during this time. Yoder’s Hardware has been invaluable for both materials and advice. The ladies at the Post Office always have a nice word to start the day off right. Trend Weldy with the Town of Bremen has been spot-on responding to any questions or requests I’ve made. While I’m sure the construction has been an inconvenience, our patrons have been very understanding. Almost every day someone has a kind word or a joke for me when I’m laying mulch in one-hundred degree weather or painting what seems like the 100th day in a row, and it’s made both these projects and this job a total joy that doesn’t seem like work at all. I did not grow in a small tight-knit community and it’s really wonderful to see that a place like Bremen still exists.

Under Construction, Vol. II

Drywall Prep in the Main Stairwell

By Matt Williams, facilities manager at Bremen Public Library 

We're moving forward with renovations here at the library.

Local contractor Matt Coffel and his son, Austin Coffel, have been working with us on our renovation project. They have replaced both of our water fountains with brand new Elkay Bottle Filling Fountains which both double-filter the local water and provide and easy spout to fill personal water bottles.

With the weather clearing up we are planning on working towards beautifying the landscape outside. Meanwhile, as we continue interior renovations, expect to see some bare walls and a little dust. Everyone has been very kind and understanding with our process and I’d like to personally thank everyone. If anyone has any comments or ideas feel free to contact me at mwilliams@bremen.lib.in.us. 

We’re always looking to work with local contractors and companies to retain a community-conscious approach to our goals.

Again, thank you and pardon our dust.

New Drinking Fountain

Periodical Room Renovation

Under Construction

Working in the stairwell

By Matt Williams, facilities manager at Bremen Public Library

As anyone who has been into the library in the past few months can attest, dust is flying and paint is drying! I joined the library staff a few short months ago to oversee a rather ambitious overhaul of the facilities and after a bit of settling and testing we’re ready to move into the meat of the operations. We see so many people on a daily basis that it’s no wonder that we’re a little overdue for a face lift!

The most obvious renovation at first will be the walls and floors. We plan to remove the old paper wall treatment as we bring the facility away from the pink and paisley theme into something just a bit more modern without taking away from the small-town aesthetic that makes the building comfortable. I’ve started this downstairs in the rear entrance to the building, though there will be slight changes as I get to know the old walls and how they work and keep improving.

Many of the improvements we have planned are not just visual but are based on giving our current and future patrons better ease of use and amenities when digging into a good book or using a public computer. We plan on having new water fountains with water-bottle fillers, a fully operational and always working elevator, brand new bathrooms, a new media room with all kinds of fun gadgets, and much more by the end of the year!

I know the library is a place of quiet study and I’ve been making my fair share of both noise and mess and would like to thank our patrons as a whole for being very understanding as we go through this renovation process. Construction is noisy work and I’m doing my utmost to cause as little disturbance as possible moving forward. Thanks to everyone for their patience and kind commiseration when someone sees me covered in paint and dust!

In the near future, rooms may be closed, halls shut off, or meetings shifted to different rooms – I know all of these things are inconveniences and promise to do my best to keep them at a minimum. But when your child has a little paint on his fingers, or there is dust on your shoes, please keep in mind that we are working towards having a comfortable, functional, and good-looking community space for the town to use for many years to come. We are partnering with area stores and contractors to help keep the funds allocated for our improvement in the local community and I promise to use as much locally-sourced materials, labor, and talent as possible wherever possible. 

Feel free to send any questions, comments, or concerns related to the library remodel directly to me at mwilliams@bremen.lib.in.us and we look forward to seeing you!