Do It Yourself!

Three new self check-out stations are up and running! Alice Cleaver finds it’s easy as one, two, three. Scan your card, scan your material, print a receipt. Chuck Service tried it too and said, “It’s pretty cool, and easy to use.”

Oooh, aaah!

Customers got cozy today by the brand new fireplace. As it turned cold outside and the snowflakes began to fly, the fireplace was turned on for the very first time and it only took a few minutes to draw in some readers, including Sarah Jordan. How about the new circulation desk, and its pretty blue countertop?

Breaking through

Workers have broken through the wall of the existing library space into the addition. A hallway will lead from inside the main entrance to a new vending area and the new computer lab. The customer service desk is also being rebuilt. The metal track on the floor shows the outline of the curvy new desk. Workers are also sanding and repainting walls, and will be installing new carpet and wallpaper.

Another move

The customer service desk has been moved to the west side of the front doors as work continues on renovations to the existing space. Workers have broken through to the addition. A hallway will lead from the main entrance into the addition, past the new computer lab which faces Liberty Avenue and connecting to the new handicapped entrance that will open on the east side of the building sometime next month.
Old cabinets that cannot be reused are still for sale! Stop in to see what’s available.

Remodeling the old

Work continues into the new year on our building addition. Workers are now gutting and remodeling the existing space at the front of the library inside the main entrance. The new space there will include a refreshment center with coffee and vending machines; an information center; and adult fiction including popular titles, new releases and large-print books.

The customer service desk will get a make-over and will include several self check-out stations. (But don’t worry, a friendly staff person will still be available to check out your materials if you prefer!) And finally, a hallway will be opened from the existing building to the addition to connect both areas to the front desk.

Cabinetry for sale

We’re selling old cabinetry, drawers and shelves for $20 a piece on a first-come, first-served basis beginning immediately. Please ask at the customer service desk. You can see the pieces in the area just inside the front door.

Sneak Peek Preview

Hundreds of residents enjoyed a sneak peek at the new spaces in the library at a special open house Dec. 18. The new second floor is now open for business, and that’s where you’ll find newspapers and magazines, as well as the reference desk. Work now begins on remodelling the existing space on the first floor, and finishing off the children’s and teen departments. The project is expected to be finished by March.

Moving Days

Staff members are busy packing up and moving out of the existing working space to make way for remodelling and renovations. Workers are painting, laying carpet and moving books to prepare for the open house Friday night from 6:30 to 8:30 p.m. Wait ’til you see it!

Sneak Peek!

Here’s a little sneak peek at some of the new spaces that will be unveiled Friday, Dec. 18 from 6:30 to 8:30 p.m. The new “tweeners” area gets a coat of paint and the new community room has a galley kitchen. Workers have been enjoying taking their lunch breaks in the boat, which is being refurbished. Hope to see you Friday!

Going Green

In addition to the bioswale in the new front lawn, a green roof is being installed over the new first floor. Special dirt was lifted to the roof, which will be planted with sedum, succulent plants that will help with storm water management and will also moderate heating and cooling inside the library.

Inside and Outside

Interior walls are going up on the second floor of the building addition. The base for the three-sided fireplace has been installed in the upstairs adult reading room, which overlooks Liberty Avenue. In the basement, a bank of ground-level windows fill the new Community Room with light. A galley kitchen opens into the room. Outside, the bioswale in front of the addition has been planted. It will serve as a storm-water management system, earning Ritter points for Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design. On Ferry Street, the new drive-up lane is in place. The window there will be replaced with a drop-off slot.

Going Up

Workers have been busy installing steps and the elevator in the three-level addition. Up on the second floor is the new adult reading area. In the center is a metal frame for a three-sided fireplace. The reading room overlooks the space for the green roof, which faces Liberty Avenue.

Green Associate

Tim Rini, construction manager for Ritter’s building expansion project, has just earned certification as a LEED Green Associate from the Green Building Council. Rini won the certification for demonstrating expertise in green design, construction, and operations.

Ritter is working to become the first library in the state of Ohio to win gold certification from LEED (Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design) for its construction project.

Ferry Street Work

More work on the Ferry Street side of the building and the second story.

Construction Continues

Duct-work, electric lines, and storm, sprinkler, and sanitary pipes are being run inside the building. Installing masonry at the north stairwell and the elevator shaft.

Ferry Street

Workers dig up Ferry Street in order to place storm pipes. Then they move the piles of dirt back into place.

Inside Moves

To make way for our construction project, the magazine and newspaper department has been temporarily moved. Find them, plus the paperback collection, in the Community Room. Many of our public computers have also been moved. Ask at the Customer Service Desk for the next available computer. A temporary wall in the Children’s Department separates the existing building from the construction of the new addition to the east.

Building Walls

Framework for the interior walls go up in the basement of the new addition. The studs are all made of steel. One worker uses stilts to make his job a little easier. Electricians install conduits for the wiring.

Second floor

Workers are busy this week erecting the second floor of the library’s new addition. They are laying corrugated sheets of steel over the steel beams to form the foundation of the second floor. The next step is to pour concrete over it. Watch the action live at http://ritcam.ritter.lib.oh.us:8080/en/JViewer.html

Basement view

Here’s a view of the basement of the new addition. A large window will open into the community room on that level, facing out onto Liberty  Avenue. On the first floor, a large computer lab will overlook Liberty. Workers will use a crane and a “telescopic manlift” to place steel beams for the second floor. They expect to pour concrete for the second floor within the next week. An elevator shaft is ready for the remaining equipment.

Pouring the first floor

A concrete pumper on Ferry Street pours out cement for the first floor, and workers smooth it into place. Lots of people, including visitors from out of town, stop by the construction site to check on our progress! To see live-action video, go to http://ritcam.ritter.lib.oh.us:8080/

First Floor, North Door

Workers begin laying sheets of decking on the steel beams to form the foundation of the first floor. A welder makes sure they stay in place. On the Ferry Street side of the building, a backhoe breaks up the sidewalk, to make way for utility lines. The north doors have been permanently closed and the handicapped entrance has temporarily moved to the west side of the building.

Erecting Steel

A crane lifts and lowers steel beams and columns into the construction site. The steel will serve as the framework for the three-level addition to the library building. All of the steel is recycled.

Steel arrives

Steel beams and columns are delivered to the construction site, and they will be erected beginning Monday. Sacks and sacks of concrete await the mason tender, who uses a large grout mixer to stir it up. Masons are already at work in the basement, building concrete-block walls for the elevator shaft.

Pouring the floor

Workers use a concrete pumper to pour the new basement floor. Concrete is being poured over a wire, reinforcing mesh and a green vapor barrier. Next, structural steel will be erected at the site.

Earning Gold!

We are working hard to become the first library in the state of Ohio to earn a gold award for LEED, Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design.

Making bike racks available for patrons, so they can ride to the library instead of driving their cars, is one way to earn points toward the gold certificate.

We’re also installing an underground cistern so we can recycle water. The 6,900-gallon tank will collect rainwater from the rooftops to be used to flush toilets and water the lawn.

Using regional materials is another way Ritter is taking it easy on our earth. Buying materials from local suppliers means they don’t have to be shipped far distances. Ritter is using steel from Bellevue, concrete from Huron and iron from Sandusky.

Building New Walls

Workers are erecting frames for the new basement walls. Plumbers and electricians will be on site next, to place drains and conduits as the concrete is poured. As they get busy in the northern portion of the site, workers will move into the southern end to excavate and construct walls there. The basement floor slab is scheduled to be poured July 7.

Reinforcing Wall

Workers have excavated the site east of the main library. They are digging out alternating sections and pouring reinforced concrete walls under the existing wall. Once the wall is finished, they will lay the foundation for the addition. They expect to erect steel at the site in June.

Watch the Action Live!

Excavation of the lower level has begun. Watch it live from Ritter’s rooftop, live-feed video camera.

Go to http://ritcam.ritter.lib.oh.us:8080/ and click the “enter” button when the page loads.

Contract Approved

Trustees approved a contract with Fresch Electrical of Sandusky for $493,075, including an alternate.

Bids approved so far are 3.09 percent below original estimates.

Green Features

Ritter is striving to be the first library in the state to win gold LEED certification. The building expansion uses environmentally responsible designs and low-emitting and recycled-content materials. Rainwater management systems include a green roof, a bioswale , open-grid pavement, and a stormwater collection system. Energy efficiency will be boosted by a white roof, white concrete, an efficient heat-recovery system, solar shades and a lighting control system.

Electrical Bids Opened

Six bids were received for the electrical package. The apparent low bidder is Fresch Electrical of Sandusky with a bid of $492,800.

The library board of trustees will hold a special meeting Saturday, March 21 at 9:30 a.m. to approve a contract for the work.

Groundbreaking Ceremony

The public is invited to an official groundbreaking ceremony Saturday, March 21 at 10 a.m. at the building site on Liberty Avenue.

Refreshments will be served afterward inside the library.

Contracts Approved

Trustees approve contracts with G.P. Wiegand, S.A. Comunale, Suburban Process Piping and Westland Heating and Air Conditioning.

Trustees will hold a special meeting Saturday, March 21 at 9:30 a.m. to approve a contract for electrical work.

Notice to Bid

Trustees have decided to re-bid for the electrical package. Bids will be received until noon on Monday, March 16. See the complete legal notice by clicking on “About the Library” on the left, and then clicking on “Newsletters” along the bottom.

Bids Opened

Thirty-six bids were received for five construction packages. The apparent low bidder for the general trades package is G.P. Wiegand Construction of Mansfield.

Other apparent low bidders are: SA Comunale for fire safety; Suburban Process Piping of Vermilion for plumbing; Westland Heating of Avon for HVAC; and Doan Pyramid of Bedford Heights for electrical.

The five bids added up to about $3.7 million and Ritter’s budget for these jobs is $3.9 million.

Bid Opening Date Changed

Bids for Ritter’s construction project will be opened at noon Wednesday, Feb. 18 at the library.

Advertising for Bids

Construction documents are now complete and trustees are advertising for bids on a general trades package as well as electrical, plumbing, HVAC and fire safety. See the complete legal notice by clicking on “About the Library”, then on “Newsletters”.

Webcam Active

A live-feed camera has been set up on the roof of the library to capture all the building action.

Go to http://ritcam.ritter.lib.oh.us:8080/ and click the “enter” button when the page loads.

Demolition Begins

B&B Wrecking and Excavating of Cleveland begins tearing down the annex. The public is invited to join library officials as they kick off the building project at 8 a.m. on Ferry Street.

Fence Goes Up

As the first step in the demolition process, a construction fence will be erected around the annex building and the parking lot to the east on Friday, Nov. 7. The lot will be permanently closed.

Bids for the demolition job will be awarded within the next two weeks.

Seeking Demolition Bids

R.P. Carbone, construction manager for the library expansion project, is seeking bids for the demoliton of the annex building just east of the main library on Liberty Avenue. To see the legal notice seeking bids, click on “About the Library” on the left, then click on “Newsletters” at the bottom.

City Approves Plans

Vermilion’s Historic Design and Review Board has approved Ritter’s building expansion plans. The city’s Planning Commission also voted 4-0 in favor of preliminary plans.

The Board of Zoning Appeals agreed unanimously last month to grant variances required for the project to move forward.

Drawings on Display

Drawings of the interior and exterior of the expanded building are on display in the library, near the north doors.

Construction Manager, Grant Writer on Board

Trustees have hired R.P. Carbone, a Cleveland company with local ties, to serve as Construction Manager. Carbone employees Tim Rini and brother Mike are both Vermilion residents. Tim will be project manager and Mike will be supervisor.

Trustees have hired another Vermilion resident, Eileen Bulan, to seek grants that could offset some building costs. Her first job will be to apply for a grant from the Kresge Foundation, which could help defray expenses involved in the LEED effort.

Going Green

Trustees agree to seek LEED certification for the expansion project. The Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design designation is awarded by the U.S. Green Building Council. It is a nationally recognized award that shows a building is environmentally responsible.

Design Phase Begins

Architects from CBLH Design of Cleveland have started working with library staff to design the interior of the expanded space.