Stage 2 of Renovation Complete

Library board members and staff are proud to announce the new face of Chico Public Library. Chico Public Library is located between The Old Drug Store and Victoria's Rose Garden on the square in Chico and has undergone an exciting transformation in appearance since receiving a grant from the Tocker Foundation in March of 2012.

The original plans for renovation was to be completed in two weeks and included new shelving and furniture purchased with funding provided by the Tocker Foundation and a $500 private donation to cover the costs of minor repairs and paint.

Many adult and teen patrons, along with library staff and board members, volunteered over 700 hours of their time to assist with moving materials, furniture, and shelving, scraping paint and wallpaper, painting and more. Extensive termite damage was discovered requiring the replacement of the floor and storefront turning the renovation into a Four Stage project.

Stage 1 was the completion of the original plan with the new floor and some electrical work thrown in and caused the library to be closed for six weeks. Lowe's Home Improvement of Decatur donated the paint needed for interior and exterior of the facility. The City of Chico provided the library with dump services throughout the renovation and a portion of the dirt needed to complete the instillation of our concrete floor. LO Transport of Bridgeport also donated dirt and services to the renovation effort. Board members, staff, patrons, and community members are pleased with the results.

Stage 2 of our project was the construction of a new storefront with a goal of retaining the original look and feel of the building. The library closed for a week at the end of November and it was out with the old, in with the new. Construction included the complete replacement of the framing and installation of new low-e, tempered safety glass windows, and a paint job. The fresh new look invites community members to enter into a spacious and friendly atmosphere. Community response to the changes resulted in a record 1,817 library visits during January.

More changes are to come and we encourage community members to come in and see what's in store for the future of your library. As a 501c3 non-profit library, the Chico Public Library looks to donations to provide services to the communities of Wise County. Businesses and individuals wishing to donate to our renovation fund can contact Michelle or Karen at the library.