Mesa County Central Library Plans Move To Newly Remodeled Building

For everyone who has made the daily commute down 5th Street in Grand Junction, you are full aware of the remodeling changes being made to the Mesa County Central Library. I’m sure there are some people who, like me, may have wondered how much longer it would take before the remodeling would be complete.

Well, wonder no more.

The Mesa County Central Library, which is temporarily located at 655 North 1st Street, will be closed Saturday, June 1st through Wednesday, June 19th, while library materials, shelves, furnishings, and equipment are moved to the newly expanded building at Fifth Street and Grand Avenue in Grand Junction.

The library will close at 6:00 p.m. Friday, May 31st, and the move will take place during the first weeks of June. A Grand Reopening Celebration is planned for Thursday, June 20th, at the Fifth and Grand location.

During the closure, library patrons are encouraged to use the library’s other branch locations, which are located at Orchard Mesa, Fruita, Clifton, Palisade, DeBeque, Collbran, and Gateway. These branches will continue to operate on their regular schedules. E-resources will remain available at mesacountylibraries.org.

And, if you’re wondering, library officials have stated that any books checked out from the Central Library during the rest of May will be due in July.

Also, book drops where patrons can return materials are available at the various branches. The Book Drop at the temporary Central Library on First Street also will remain available after the rest of the library is closed.

Participants in the 2013 Summer Reading Program are urged to check out reading materials before the Central Library closes May 31. Patrons may check out as many as 40 items, which should give most readers a good head start on reaching their Summer Reading Program goals.

The move back to Fifth and Grand marks the final stage of an almost year-long project to expand and improve the Central Library. The project has added approximately 9,000 square feet of space to the building and has improved the existing facility from top to bottom.

Features include more natural light inside, a new fiction area, a new Regional History Room, a large community room for programs and events, several new small-group study rooms, outdoor patios for adults and children, and a creation studio for audio and video production.

For complete information about branch hours, locations, and services, visit mesacountylibraries.org.

Anyone with questions about the Central Library’s closure and move may call Mesa County Libraries at 970-243-4442.