The coming renovation is both exciting and scary for all of us. Some of that is because of uncertainty.

Anyone who has had work done on their home or office knows that construction can be fuzzy proposition.

The dates of our moving out, reopening and everything else have been and still are subject to change. We thank you for your patience and intersest.

Here's the revised schedule as of November 15, 2006

December 1, 2006
Bid advertisement appears in Hartford Courant
December 19, 2006
Pre-bid conference at Library
January 10, 2007
Receive bids
January 17, 2007
Award Contract
March 1-15, 2007
Close 725 Hopmeadow and move to temporary quarters
March 15, 2007
Commence construction and open temporary quarters
April and May 2007
Select and order furniture, fixtures and equipment
February 15, 2008
Complete construction, install furniture, fixtures and equipment
April 2008
Re-occupy 725 Hopmeadow building
June 21, 2008
Grand re-opening of expanded and renovated Library

The Friends of Simsbury Library’s Capital Campaign Committee has been working hard to raise money for the renovated library. The money raised does not go to the construction of the building. Rather, it goes to the things that will go inside it. Furniture, computers, printers and all the other stuff that make a library a library.

To date they have raised more than $360,000. Some of our generous benefactors simply donate money for no specified purpose. They will be recognized on a plaque in the new library.

Others donate to certain areas or items and as a token of our gratitude have those things named in honor of them.

For example, donors have “bought” us a reference desk, a conference room, the drive-up book drop, several study carrels, a children’s reading nook, computers for the children’s room and a lot more.

There are still many naming opportunities available and, of course, we welcome any donations to the Capital Campaign. If you have any questions about donating please contact the committee through Marge Storrs, Mstorrs@aol.com or Gerry Hansen, Gerald.Hansen@trincoll.edu, co-chairman.

Thank you to all who have donated and to all who are thinking of donating. We, literally, couldn’t do this without you.

In early Spring 2007 the Simsbury Public Library is one of six libraries in the Farmington Valley sponsoring a “One Book, One Valley” program featuring “Girls of Tender Age” by Mary-Ann Tirone Smith.

The Avon, Farmington, Simsbury, Canton, Burlington and Granby libraries will each sponsor a scholar-led book discussion program. Simsbury’s book discussion is scheduled for Tuesday, March 27, 2007 at 7 p.m. Related programs on the history of Hartford, autism and memoir writing are also scheduled. The highpoint of “One Book, One Valley” will be Mary-Anne Tirone Smith’s talk at the Avon Senior Center, 635 West Avon Road, April 24, 2007at 7:00 pm.

Local book groups are encouraged to include this book in their reading schedule and partake of the many activities sponsored by the participating libraries.

This project is funded by the Lloyd David and Carlye Cannon Wattis Foundation. All programs including the appearance of Mary-Ann Tirone Smith are free. Each library will have multiple copies for readers to borrow. For more information call the Simsbury Library at 658-7663 or contact sbullock@simsburylibrary.info.