Once inside, patrons may not recognize their library any longer.

After improvements are made to the interior of the Sequim Library, patrons will have a roomier, yet fuller branch.

The North Olympic Library System approved a recommendation May 22 to improve the Sequim Library.

"While we were talking about doing a face-lift at first, the project has turned more into a renovation," library system director Paula Barnes said. "(The North Olympic Library System) decided to include several maintenance-type items that donations and the original scope of the project were not going to cover."

Initially planned improvements included new interior paint, new carpet, modern furnishings and a general reorganization of the floor plan to allow more to fit within the same amount of space while continuing to provide open areas so that the small space is not cramped.

The library system added a few more improvements to the list, such as a new heat pump, sealing leaky skylights, a new phone system, a resealed parking lot and possibly new signage for the branch.

The Friends of the Sequim Library have donated $150,000 for the project and the library system is adding another $60,500. The library also recently received a $190,000 donation from the Cameron and Helen Adams family, which will be used in the renovations, the first since the library opened in 1983.

"It will take us a month or two to get the bid documents together to put the project out for contractors to bid on," Barnes said. "We’re hoping to start by September."

The Sequim Library likely will be closed during short periods of time while contractors perform some of the more impacting work, such as laying carpet.

"Because we want things to move as quickly as possible, there will likely be a couple of short closures," Barnes said. "They will only be for a few days at a time and we will make sure to notify the public when that happens."

The library system board created a subcommittee late in 2007 to look into the renovation project as well as the possibility of floating a bond this fall to create an expanded Sequim branch.

However, after researching the option, the committee suggested the library system board facilitate more outreach ventures to get a higher level of community support behind the Sequim branch. Then, the second suggestion was that in the meantime, while the board waits for the right climate to ask voters for a larger library, it approve the plans to renovate the existing building.

The Sequim Library already has begun its outreach ventures with a presentation by a local guest author Geoff Hollister, co-founder of Nike.

Barnes said more events and guest speakers will be booked at the Sequim branch throughout 2008.

For more information on the North Olympic Library System, visit www.nols.org.