July 13th, 2005

The Midlands County Library is due to re-open in a couple of weeks after being closed in February for the removal of asbestos and mold. All of the renovation and removal work is practically completed, and the library should be fully ready for re-opening any day now. In the meantime, library staff is keeping busy as they prepare to get the library ready for the big day.

Precinct 1 Commissioner Jimmy Smith said: "It all went according to plan. Everybody's on time and everyone is getting things done. There's just a lot of books in there." The county librarian confirmed that there were a few last minute additions and work to be completed, but that everything should be ready in time for the re-opening.

The shelves are now being re-stacked with the books, which have been stored in boxes in the thousands. The staff is laboriously working their way through the boxes of books, as they attempt to get the shelves in order. However, it is not an easy job as the books were boxed in no particular order, and therefore the job is likely to take time.

The county librarian added: "It's not like a department store where you have a certain number of dresses in a certain size that as long as you get them together it doesn't matter. Each book has a book that goes before it and after it, and if you shelve the book wrong then you start that part of the alphabet over again."