Image Courtesy: Normal Public Library

The Normal Public Library will continue to provide services to the community during its upcoming closure for asbestos removal.

Starting this spring, NPL will begin removing asbestos from the 1973 portion of the building, a process that may take nine months to a year to complete.

The library’s intention, according to a post on the NPL website, “is to continue providing services throughout the duration of the project” and “ensure the library continues to be a welcoming, dynamic and resourceful space for all—wherever its services are provided and located.”

Currently, the presence of asbestos, a carcinogen that was widely used in construction through the ’70s for durability and heat resistance, prevents the library from making needed upgrades “to wall coverings, lighting, ceilings, floors, ductwork and the [wi-fi] network.

The library has not formally announced when the closures will begin, as it searches for alternative locations to offer its services.

The library, according to NPL librarian Kam Knox, is safe to visit in the meantime.

“We’ve had the air tested,” Knox said, “and there is no asbestos in the air.”

The renovation process, Knox said, will be difficult for some library regulars, which includes a large elderly population.

“There are a lot of people who spend their mornings at the library,” Knox said, “or their days at the library.” 

Beyond just access to books and daily newspapers, the library provides community services like free internet access, printing and copying services, and special events and activities for adults, teens, and children.

One of the library’s most-used services is its technology. 

“A lot of people come to use our computers,” Knox said.

Knox said the NPL is working to “do as much as we can to keep as many services going” as possible.

While not finalized, the NPL is searching for locations in uptown Normal where the public can access the internet, copying and printing, Knox said.

Library programing will also find a temporary home at other locations in Normal. 

“The programs we have for kids, teens and adults,” Knox said, “are going to be held at different areas around Normal.”

While visitors won’t be able to access the NPL building, they will still be able to reserve books online or by phone and pick up the materials.

“Final decisions,” Knox said, “are still being made” in an effort to keep NPLs programming available for the community.

Updates about closures and where services will be provided will be posted on the Normal Public Library website and its Facebook page.