Berkeley Public Library Branch Improvement Program

North Branch!

2012-02-23T15:34:00.000-08:00

The Children's Room! The new shelving is in place!

A great staff workroom in progress....

The office of the Supervising Librarian

This room may look empty know, but it will house a fantastic automated materials handler very soon!

Adult Reading Room!!

This spot will house our digital signage, reducing our need for paper, and will be framed by our great public art.

Bathroom

Hallway with elevator, access to downstairs, restrooms, and water fountains

New paint in the stairs to the Community Meeting Room. All the accent colors were pulled from our great original colors in the ceilings of the historical part of the library.

Outside patio, complete with finished landscaping.

Community Meeting Room

Beautiful new signs

New Self Check Out area in the lobby

The service desk, in the space where it was originally located in 1936.

New lighting to illuminate the facade of the building

Here we see refurbished light fixtures and an awning to keep us all dry while returning materials to our book drop that will be open while the library is closed.

Front patio

Landscaping and accessibility ramp along The Alameda

More Claremont Photos

2012-02-13T13:21:00.000-08:00

In just a few day's time, additional lighting fixtures have been installed, and shelving is now in place.

The Teen Room is getting taped and mudded this morning. The wooden slat ceiling has already been installed.

Teen ceiling and lighting

New shelving in the Adult room, and a built in shelf for our library catalog computer were just installed at the far end of the room.

Look at the great details in the reading nook at the back of the Adult wing. It features a working fireplace, gorgeous trifold doors and refinished windows.

The windows are all getting a great sanding and staining treatment, as are the original bookcases. What a difference!

The other functional fireplace in the branch. There will be magazines, newspapers, and comfortable seating in this area.

This photo shows the flexible space at the far end of the Children's area. The lighting has been hung, and the folding door installed.

Final ceiling tiles are being placed in the staff work room.

The library entrance! The ramp will be to the left, and the new glass doorway will be grand.

An updated view of the bioswale on the Ashby side of the building

Claremont Update!

2012-02-10T14:48:00.000-08:00

The new carpet tiles are being laid in the Adult Reading Room. Notice the sanded down original wooden bookcases and the great paint job! You can also see the glassed-in Teen Room and the new lighting fixtures. Things are looking great!

This huge window lets in so much natural light, and the the wooden ceiling element helps minimize noise in the branch.

Ceiling panel installation!

The view of the Children's Room. New lighting is up and the walls are freshly painted.

The Picture Book Alcove is coming right along!

The sunny staff work room. Ergonomic workstations will be installed soon.

The space-saving cabinetry has been installed in our small (but so useful) break room.

New tri-fold doors and sanded down orignal wooden built-in shelving mesh old and new in the renovated Claremont Branch.

Beautiful woodwork!

A view of the new tri-fold wooden doors and the new glazing for the Teen Room

North Branch!

2012-02-02T12:06:00.000-08:00

When I visited the library yesterday, the landscaping crews were hard at work planting our BayFriendly landscaping. The library is proud that all of our projects with be BayFriendly rated!

This nook was once the women's restroom and is really taking shape as a new computer area. The flooring is being installed in this photo.

Can you stand how gorgeous this is?!!? The crew is putting in new linoleum flooring with a smashing decorative border. The history of linoleum is really fascinating, and it was chosen as our flooring because of its historical nature.

This is a view from the rotunda into our new processing room.

Here in the children's room, you can see the heating vents cut out in the flooring around the perimeter of the room. Next, the crew will paint over the pink shelving and then install the flooring. Notice the gorgeous warm yellow paint that coats the walls!

This was formerly our staff work area, and before that a reference room. It will be our Holds area and contain a book return drop that will feed into our automated material handler in the adjacent processing room. The purple area above the cabinetry will support our public art.

The new staff workroom is currently a storage area for benches that will be placed on the exterior patios of the library. The large stack of wood is actually the original woodwork and baseboards that will be reused to be more efficient and keep waste to a minimum.

This is the framing of the door to the lower level.

New staff break room! Our hardworking staff will have a clean, safe spot for having lunch or a break.

This photo of the lower level shows the community meeting room and doors to the well-appointed public and staff restrooms.

Isn't it great?

Part of the ceiling is already up, and once the audio-visual equipment is in place, the rest of the ceiling will be installed.

Here is the back entrance to the library. We'll have benches here so that all can comfortably sit and enjoy some fine literature and conversation in our newly landscaped environment!

More landscaping.

More reclaimed original wooden baseboards. These have been sanded, stained, and finished and will soon be reinstalled.

Here the crew is giving our woodwork a much needed beauty treatment. The detail that the construction crew is putting to restoration is making this library look and feel brand new.

More BayFriendly landscaping on the front patio.

Bike racks!

Claremont Update

2012-01-26T16:29:00.000-08:00

All of the new drywall has been painted, and the finished vents are in place.

A view from the picture window looking toward the lobby at the front of the building. All painted, looking gorgeous!

Wow! A new electrical panel!!

The huge window at the library's lobby was just recently installed.

Exterior painting is in full swing at Claremont.

A bioswale planter is being installed along Ashby. A bioswale filters out the silt and pollution from rainwater collected through the library's drainage system.

Efficient lights and speakers installed in the ceiling.

Lockers for staff

The canopy just above the doorway is being installed and the ramp is just about completed.

Space-saving cabinetry is installed in the staff work room.

Irrigation trench outside the branch

Water heater!!

New windows in our staff workspace

North Branch Update!

2012-01-23T12:19:00.000-08:00

North's addition, painted and looking great

The processing room window and emergency exit from the Community Meeting room

Gorgeous new ramp and railings to the library's main entrance

Front patio of the library, complete with pavers and lighted bench seating. Landscaping will follow shortly.

All of the scaffolding has been removed from the rotunda as the new plaster has been completed.

A view of the Adult Reading Room. Painting has begun, and the original wooden doors (on the left) have been restored to allow more light into the space.

These original doors had been blocked for years with makeshift bookcases. Now they will flood the space with light.

Our new processing room will house an automated materials handling unit that will get books back on the shelves much more quickly. This space is the previous teen room, expanded along the side of the building.

Bathroom!! Our new bathrooms will have heat, be ADA accessible, and have changing tables! We are thrilled!

The elevator in place on the main floor.

The Children's Reading Room. The shelving will be painted to match, and the picture books will be at the end of the room with an age appropriate seating and lounging area just in front of the fireplace.

The Teen Room!

For the IT lover in all of us, take a sneak peek at our IT closet! Isn't it exciting?!?!

Installation of the ground level's elevator door

Words cannot describe how wonderful the community meeting room is shaping up to be. The space will have state of the art AV equipment and will house many new and exciting library programs. The room can also be reserved by members of the public.

The large bank of windows here is the teen space, below, the secondary library entrance and small courtyard.

This side of the building will have bicycle parking added to the paver area.

Counters will soon be installed here for public internet computing.

This hallway is the beginning of the addition, just where the hole was created at the back of what was previously our staff workroom. The electrical and data in the middle will provide power to our digital signage board, and the entire area will be surrounded by our quilt-inspired public art by Marion Coleman.

Claremont Branch Update

2012-01-12T11:29:00.000-08:00

A gorgeous picture window installed at the farthest end of the Children's wing of the branch.

This photo shows a real work in progress in the picture book alcove. These custom windows will provide natural sunlight and whimsy to the reading area in the nook.

A view of the Children's wing, including the flex space at the far back, and door to the staff work area on the left.

Storage area and sink in the flex space at the far end of the Children's wing.

Beautiful, energy efficient window providing incredible natural light.

This may not look like much, but it is in fact a big deal! The tarps are coving our new casework: cabinets and shelving designed to make the best use of space.

This photo shows just how much light the lobby of the library will get. Isn't it gorgeous?!?

A view of the Adult and Teen spaces. You can see the framing of the new Teen space to the left.

This close-up of the Teen Room shows a really well-defined and well-appointed space dedicated just to Teens!

A sample of the incredible bathrooms at the branch. The tiling was just completed, and partitions and changing tables are being installed today.

North!

2012-01-05T10:46:00.000-08:00

Happy New Year, one and all! Today brings exciting new photos of North Branch, hope you enjoy.

The addition is getting the stucco treatment, soon it will be painted.

What a gorgeous, new walkway! This walkway around the library will help protect our landscaping and keep your shoes nice and clean!!

These may look like dull boxes, but they hold our new elevator! With two floors, we will now have a state of the art elevator to help us get from one floor to the other.

The new back entrance to the library is just under the large teen picture window. The patio will have bench seating and the Josephine street entrance will give easy access to special events.

The rotunda is getting fresh plaster, energy efficient windows, and new lighting (including a modern recreation of the original chandelier).

What used to be the Women's restroom is being transformed into an internet computer nook. This area will have custom shelving installed for our adult computers and printer.

The Teen Room! It is bright and so much larger than it's original location.

The walls and doorframes in the lower level have been primed and will soon be painted their final color. We are so looking forward to using this space for special library events!

The outside of the library is also getting painted. A new door will be installed shortly.

Branch Van Winter Hours!

2011-12-21T09:13:00.000-08:00

Starting December 27, 2011, the service hours for the branch van will change slightly. Click here to see the changes.

Claremont!

2011-12-20T11:47:00.000-08:00

In the Adult wing, the walls were reinforced, drywall applied, and the original shelving is being reinstalled. Reuse at its finest!

Final ceiling drywall is being placed in the flex space in the Children's wing of the library. That closet will provide much needed storage space in the library.

A view of the almost drywalled Children's wing. Isn't it amazing what a little drywall can do?

Nope, the library won't be wrapped in foil! This is our great insulation that makes the renovated space cozier and more energy efficient.

Claremont's new air handling unit!

This is the lobby! The denim insulated wall will hold a new digital signage board, and three self check out machines.

Claremont Drywall

2011-11-21T15:27:00.000-08:00

So much has happened in just a few days. Once the insulation was installed at Claremont, it was time for drywall. Adding the drywall really makes the space look more finished, and is a huge step towards looking like the library that we know and love! Enjoy!

Remember that staff workroom photo from the previous post? Here is the same space just days later, but the addition of drywall makes the room look so finished. Note that the windows are closed with wooden forms called window bucks that are used as temporary windows while the extrerior finishes are applied.

The beginning of drywall in the Children's Room.

The interior walls are completely covered in drywall. The space is really taking shape!!

Claremont Updates

2011-11-21T14:26:00.000-08:00

The outside of Claremont Branch with plastic rain protection. The crew is laying the sewer for the improved branch. You can see the green sewer pipe in the center of the photo. Did you know that sewer pipes are always green?

An exciting vision for those of us who enjoy modern, efficient, and effective wiring. This shot shows how the various data and electrical wiring being used in the building are being pulled from this hole in the floor of the Adult Reading Room.

This is where the wiring eventually ends! Lots of wiring means that the building can handle our electrical and data needs in this computer age.

This photo shows the insulation used in the new building. The blue insulation is made of recycled denim, and is used on interior walls for sound absorbtion. The shiny insulation is on the exterior walls will protect from the heat and cold, and also has a vapor barrier to insulate against water.

Workers are installing the exterior wall insulation in the staff workroom. Next comes drywall, and the room with really take shape!

Construction Updates!

2011-11-17T09:25:00.000-08:00

Hi there! The library has just released an update on the construction projects, you can read it here!

The Addition at North Branch!

2011-11-14T10:33:00.000-08:00

Beautiful new steps to the entrance. The crew members on the right in the photo are working on the new ramp. What a huge improvement!

This is part of the top floor of the addition. This is the staff work room that will house our great employees and volunteers while they work behind the scenes.

This is a huge change! Formerly the tiny staff lunch room, this room has been expanded, and (as you can see) the roof is just about complete on the new Teen Room.

This is the lower level of the addition, and in the photo you see the multipurpose room as well as the controls for the radiant floor heating. We are so looking forward to hosting community events here once we reopen!

Another shot of the Teen Room, here you can see the roof being built. The front will be glassed in, and the lower level has a door for access to the Community Meeting Room.

Here is a photo of the low concrete wall with built-in lighting in front of the library. The lights will help illuminate the building, and give folks a spot to enjoy a book or magazine while waiting for the bus or enjoying the sunshine.

Claremont

2011-10-20T16:45:00.000-07:00

Roofers hard at work before the rains come this fall.

The library on Benvenue. The drainage pipes are ready to be installed, and the brick has been strongly secured to the face of the building. New exterior lighting has been installed.

Check out our insulation! It is made from recycled denim and will help with regulating the temperature of the building as well as regulating noise.

These older windows will be replaced with newer, more efficient windows that let more light soak the Adult Reading Room. This is the view of the framing from the Adult Room to the lobby.

Progress at North

2011-09-12T13:31:00.000-07:00

From the back of the building, you can really see the framing that was put in place to form the concrete structure that was sprayed in recently.

This is the interior of all that framing. You can see the windows and emergency exit for the community room here, as well as pipes for the plumbing and electrical systems.

Someday, this plastic sheeting will turn into an elevator! The elevator well is shown here in its infancy.

This shows the back of the building, the center plywood is where our teen room once stood. That space is being expanded to house a much-needed workroom.

North's gorgeous ceiling has been fitted with sprinkler heads and holes that will soon house efficient lighting.

The roofing at North Branch will soon be replaced with the tiles that were previously atop the building. The structure of the roof was strengthened, and the tiles can be safely reused.

North Branch is Bay Friendly!

2011-08-28T16:47:00.000-07:00

Just as the Claremont Branch will be BayFriendly rated, so will North Branch. We are protecting the trees onsite that construction crews are working around each day. The crew has already mulched all around the walkways to protect the turf, and have protected the trees with netting and by surrounding them with boards. The much-adored myrtle grove is being protected, just as the olive trees by the entrance. The landscape architects will be sheet mulching as well.

The concrete to be used is 25% flyash, which is recycled content that substitues for traditional concrete. The new paving will use 100% coolsite techniques, keeping the walkways cool by relfecting the sun.

North Branch will also have weather based drip irrigation to minimize unnecessary watering. 90% of the plants to be used are drought tolerant, and 69% are native to this area.

Look for new photos of the inside of the branch coming soon!

Bay-Friendly Gardens at BPL!

2011-08-12T15:34:00.000-07:00

Did you know that our landscaping projects at North and Claremont are getting high marks?

I recently sat down with Cynthia Greenberg, the StopWaste.org Bay-Friendly rater who is evaluating the landscaping at North and Claremont Branches to learn more about the landscaping plans for the projects. These two locations are among the very first to be rated in the City of Berkeley, a fact that makes us quite proud.

StopWaste.org has developed a rating system for commercial landscaping projects that rate projects on their seven principals and practices of bay-friendly design, and Cynthia has been reviewing the plans and landscaping practices at the branches in order to rate them as "Bay-Friendly".

At the Claremont Branch, Cynthia notes that the library project is gaining points for saving the chipped trees from the property to use as mulch in the final design, using large native shrubs and trees that double as native wildlife shelter, and installing permeable paving material that lets valuable rainwater into the soil beneath.

The landscape architects also plan to install flow-through planters that capture stormwater, clean and filter it, and then release the water to plants below as well as sheet mulch for weed control.

88% of the plants to be used on the Claremont project are drought tolerant, 86% are native, and the lack of turf (grass) will require dramatically less water and maintenance.

To access the StopWaste map of Bay-Friendly rated landscapes, click here.

Their website is full of information on how the home gardener can create bay-friendly spaces in their own homes. Be sure to take a peek at their site and get inspired to garden!

Next week....North Branch's landscaping information...

Claremont Branch

2011-08-02T09:59:00.000-07:00

Workers pouring the concrete for what will become the Children's picture book alcove.

In the historic wing, the corners of the room have been exposed in order to strengthen them. The retrofitting of the branch is well underway.

Here we can see the framing for the new Benvenue Street façade. The ceiling above this area will be raised and there will floor to ceiling glass to allow for lots of natural light.

North Branch---you won't believe your eyes!

2011-07-12T17:21:00.000-07:00

Enjoy these photos of the beginning of the addition to the back of the North Branch. We are really making progress!

This is the back of the library, where the tiny staff room and the steps from the Children's Room have been removed. Workers are digging out the soil underneath to make room for our new lower level.

Look at the incredible temporary support structure put in place, and the workers who are bravely shoveling out the foundation underneath.

Here you can see the opening where the teen room used to be, that will soon be a processing room, staff work room, and stairs to the lower floor community meeting space.

Berkeley Public Library staff and members of the construction crew look at samples of the concrete to see what best matches the existing building.

Hey, where is the roof? The roof tiles are in storage while the roof is structurally strengthened so that our library meets current codes for safety.

Just as the roof is strengthened, the floor is also. These whitish and blue patches show where additional supports have been added to strengthen the flooring to the foundation creating a safer, more stable building.

Claremont Update 7.5.11

2011-07-05T13:47:00.000-07:00

The work at Claremont is truly progressing. Here are some photos of the building interior and the stunning progess and work in action.

In the historic wing of the library, wood waits to be recycled, and the seismic work is just about to begin.

Claremont's very own librarians visit the site along with folks from maintenance and construction. This is the view of the 1970's wing of the library facing East.

In the NorthEast corner of the library's historic wing, the flooring has been removed and the room is prepared for seismic strengthening.

The entry has begun its transformation, steps and ramp have been removed.

Framing has begun! This wood pile will soon be new walls.

North Branch!!

2011-06-09T10:57:00.000-07:00

If you've driven by the branch, you may have seen the excitement. The roof tiles were removed to structurally strengthen the roof, and will soon be replaced with new tiles. In line with our 'green' efforts, the tiles will be recycled, as will the metal shelving and lighting fixtures. The demolition is in full swing, and soon construction will begin.

Feast your eyes on the progress at North Branch:

Our Information Desk sign still hangs in the now-open rotunda. The acoustic tiling and walls have been removed.

Look at how deep the inset design work is! It looks to be between 1 1/2 to 2 feet deep. The exposed metal rebar will soon be covered with a sound absorbing wall covering.

In this detail photo, you can see just how sturdy and strong our North Branch was built. Heavy concrete pillars support the archways.

This photo shows the beginnings of the branch's addition. This hole will be cut in what is now the staff work room, creating a hallway to modern restrooms, stairs and elevators to the new community meeting space, and staff work area.

The view from the Adult Reading Room to the Children's Room through the Rotunda. Look how much space! All the flooring has been removed, but the overhead lighting remains.

Green Buildings

2011-06-03T17:11:00.000-07:00

Wow! Now that both Claremont and North Branches are temporarily closed, the work on the buildings has begun in earnest. You may have heard that the library is going for LEED certification, but what you may not know is how exciting that is for all of us. LEED stands for Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design and has a set of standards set out by the US Green Building Council. LEED measures many aspects of design and construction, and awards points to projects that rate it's sustainability. The US Green Building Council has published a wonderful list of frequently asked questions and their answers, read it here and learn more!

Now, on to the photos! Claremont Branch has undergone quite a transformation already.
Take a look at the progress:

This may look like a big pile of mess, but it is actually a very organized arrangement of recyclables. 95% of the construction waste will be recycled.

Here, the mulch made from trees and shrubbery will be saved and reused in the final landscaping of the branch.

Stacks of used carpet tiles and the plastic housing for the florescent lights wait for recycling pick up. The built-in wood cabinetry is being covered to protect it during demolition and construction.

These bricks, salvaged during demolition, will be used to create the new sign for the library.

Also to be recycled, wood scraps and defunct shelving, toilets (not pictured here), and nonfunctional metal shelving (not pictured here).

We'll keep the pictures coming! Soon we'll have photos of the transformation at North Branch....

Claremont Closing Party- March 19, 2011

2011-05-23T18:28:00.000-07:00

Many patrons turned out for the party celebrating Berkeley's Claremont Branch Library on Saturday, March 19, 2011.

Here, BPL Teen Interns stand along side Todd Kerr of the Berkeley Times capturing the excitement of the event.

Board of Library Trustees member, Abigail Franklin speaks as Mark Chekal-Bain, district manager for state Assemblywoman Nancy Skinner, District 2 Councilmember Darryl Moore, and David Snippen look on.

Director of Library Services, Donna Corbeil, chats with Nathan, a young patron.

What a wonderful celebration of a beautiful branch!

Community Celebration at North Branch

2011-03-15T15:33:00.000-07:00

Community leaders, patrons, staff, Friends of the Berkeley Public Library, and The Berkeley Public Library Foundation gathered to honor our North Branch Library on Saturday, March 5, 2011.

As we know, the North Branch will soon be temporarily closed for a much needed renovation of historic details and new construction which includes a community meeting space. To see detailed information about this and other branch renovations, please refer to the Library's informational webpage.

Our celebration started off with a music filled children's program with Berkeley's own Betsy Stern. We were honored to have many of our local politicians in attendance, as well as a large contingency of North Berkeley patrons who have been so involved in providing community input to insure the best possible renovation.

Here, Children's Librarian David Howd introduces Betsy Stern.

Councilmember Susan Wengraf speaks to patrons.

BOLT's Susan Kupfer greets patrons, BPL Friends, and BPL Foundation at North Branch.

Delicious (and healthy) snacks for guests at the celebration.

Councilmember Laurie Capitelli addresses his constituents at the North Branch.

We always welcome your input and comments regarding Berkeley's library renovations. Let us know what you think here.