The Main Library will be closed on Sunday April 20 for Easter and Monday April 21 for Patriot’s Day.

2021 Main Library Interior Renovation

 

The Main Library Renovation:
April 2021 to November 2021 

The Wellesley Free Library sincerely thanks the Town of Wellesley and the Wellesley Free Library Foundation for their generous support in making this exciting renovation a reality. 

 

Wellesley Free Library Foundation Logo

Packing and preparing Main for renovation.

  • Empty shelves in the new titles area.
    Empty shelves in the new titles area.
  • Empty shelves in the space that would eventually become the Commons.
    Former Media Room transformed into the Commons. All media materials were relocated to the 2nd floor.
  • The old Children's room with a 3-tall wall of boxes stretching the entire shot. There are more (likely empty) boxes behind those, and even more half-made boxes toward the back.
    The entire Children’s collection is packed and stored in hundreds of boxes during renovation.
  • Three workers bring dollies to the old children's room piled high with boxes to be assembled. There's a stack of assembled boxes that's taller than one of the workers and another pile of dollies next to that.
    The entire Children’s collection is packed and stored in hundreds of boxes during renovation.
  • The old children's room, nearly overrun with very tall stacks of empty boxes.
    The entire Children’s collection is packed and stored in hundreds of boxes during renovation.
  • A barren office space that once would have held many many blue carts loaded with books and other items.
    The Circulation Department workroom is empty to prepare for new flooring.
  • The area that would become the Welcome Center populated with many many blue book carts.
    Roll out! More than 50 book carts were relocated to the Temporary Main Library.

The Temporary Main Library was located at 50 Central Street and the Hills and Fells Branch Libraries were reopened.

  • A lone folding table in front of empty retail-style shelves and the entrance to what was once a dressing room.
    50 Central Street before its transformation to the Temporary Main Library.
  • More empty retail-style shelves and bare, carpeted, floor.
    50 Central Street before its transformation to the Temporary Main Library.
  • Book carts with new items, summer reading books, and some general collection books lined up to help populate the space. Librarians are preparing the shelves and adding items to folding tables for display. The words Wellesley Free Library can faintly be seen decorating the window.
    50 Central Street transformed to the Temporary Main Library.
  • Full book carts scattered around, amongst more folding tables. An old check out desk in the background has been repurposed into a makeshift workstation.
    50 Central Street transformed to the Temporary Main Library.
  • A collection of single-letter signs to organize things alphabetically arranged to say "OPEN."
    50 Central Street transformed to the Temporary Main Library.
  • The makeshift Information Services desks set up on folding tables. Book carts with holds on them are beyond the desks. Magazines, tax prep forms, and the Librarian's binder for information on Inter-Library Loan can also be seen.
    50 Central Street transformed to the Temporary Main Library.
  • Rows of books displayed on folding tables. There is a self-check in the background, right in front of the old dressing room. The space is much more brightly lit and welcoming.
    50 Central Street transformed to the Temporary Main Library.
  • Adult books on tables, playaways, and picture books on book carts, and in the back, books on CD lining the shelves. Another checkout counter is repurposed into the circulation desk.
    Materials displayed on tables, carts and shelves for patrons to browse.

Main Library Construction

  • The New Titles area with the metal shelving scattered on the floor. The welcome area is also visible and has noticeably bare concrete floors.
    New area demolition.
  • The first floor information desk in pieces. The granite countertop, also in pieces, is sitting on some sort of dolly.
    Information desk demolition.
  • The space that will become the Welcome Area with bare concrete floors. Building materials are propped against the pillars.
    1st Floor – New welcome area
  • The space that would become the Welcome Area before the linoleum tiles covering the staff part of the floor were removed. The desk is no longer there, but its footprint can be seen in the shape of the linoleum floor.
    Circulation Desk demolition.
  • The place that will become the Welcome Center, still without carpeting, but now with clean, dark blue and magenta paint on the walls. Painting supplies stacked on the floor indicate it was done recently.
    The colorful new Welcome Center.
  • The old children's room with the carpet stripped away. The floor is particularly dirty and there are some disassembled metal shelves in the background.
    Children’s Room demolition.
  • Another photo of the Children's Room, bare concrete floor and all, from a different angle. The room looks particularly empty from this angle.
    Children’s Room demolition.
  • The archway entrance to the Children's Room. There are no doors in yet, making it seem very wide.
    Expanded Children’s Room entrance
  • The Craft and Story Time rooms with a new set of tall, glass doors, and a bright new blue paint job. There's still the carpet and ceiling to be installed.
    Craft & Story Time Room
  • A view of the Middle School Room, with a stripped wall showing where the LUMES installation will go. Another wall is just its metal struts, with a large opening for the new window looking into the room.
    First floor: New Middle School/Youth Room window & Preparation for interactive wall.
  • The inside of the Middle School Room with freshly painted green and blue walls.
    Middle School Room gets some color.
  • A view looking into the Middle School Room, which now has a colorful, mottled blue and green carpet to match the walls.
    Middle School carpet.
  • The Commons room with its new hoop-shaped light fixtures. The floor is still unfinished and the meeting rooms in the Commons haven't been outfitted yet.
    Commons lighting.
  • Art on wood, with abstract tree branch patterns blocked out by a muted blue to red rainbow has been installed on the Common's wall. Also visible is the new sink, and new wood flooring.
    Commons wall.
  • The second floor area on the park-facing side of the building with carpet removed. There are subtle lighter spots on the floor where shelving once was.
    Second floor shelving removed.
  • The second floor conference rooms, now painted their bright colors. The flooring and walls of the rooms haven't been installed yet.
    2nd floor conference rooms.
  • Another view of the second floor park-side of the Library, sans carpet. Also visible are book shelves that were not moved, instead covered in a plastic tarp.
    2nd Floor – New seating area
  • The second floor conference rooms in the early stages. The walls have been put in as only bare-bones struts.
    2nd Floor – New conference rooms.
  • The second floor stacks, with books still on the shelves, covered loosely in plastic tarp to protect from construction-related damage.
    Second floor collections protected.

Refreshed and renewed!
Children’s Room, Commons, Second Floor Conference Rooms and Seating

  • The Children's Room finished with bright colored chairs organized under the installation of origami butterflies shaped from clear acrylic in the colors of the rainbow.
    Children’s Room origami butterfly mobile.
  • The new Children's Room and its child-sized tables. This view also shows more of the origami murals painted on the walls and pillars.
    Children’s Room work tables.
  • The new Children's Room display area. Along with new materials, the wall holds origami artworks, and a whole series of origami butterflies in different colors.
    Children’s Room display cases and shelves displaying new materials.
  • The Children's Room play area, with plenty of space to play, tucked next to the Children's book collection.
    Children’s Room play area with lightbright and building table.
  • The open doorway to the newly renovated Middle School Room, showing four colorful gaming chairs and a sliver of the LUMES wall.
    Middle School Room entrance with gaming chairs.
  • A librarian playing with the new LUMES wall. The game on the display lets you send paper planes flying across the wall.
  • The round Storytime Room, showing off bench seating around the outside of the room, and small plastic shell seats for children to use on the floor.
    Storytime Room with children’s chairs.
  • The newly-renovated Commons area with a handful of tables where patrons may eat food and talk to each other. There are also two rooms- a meeting room and a conference room- for patrons to use, and a display advertising library events.
    Commons community room seating area.
  • Another view of the Commons, showcasing the tables and chairs for patrons to use. Along the back wall is a colorful wooden mural of stylized trees.
    Commons community room seating area.
  • The second floor Information desk from across the room. There is a lot of light in the area from the windows and the new hoop fixtures.
    Second floor lighting improvements.
  • The second floor library stacks, as viewed from the Information desk. The collection is split into Nonfiction on the left and Fiction on the right and is labeled with signs on the closest pillars.
    Second floor collection signs.
  • The newly-renovated conference rooms. Each room is painted in a different, bright color, and has both a whiteboard and a screen inside. The walls and doors are glass, allowing lots of light through.
    Second floor conference rooms.
  • The view of Simon's Park from the second floor seating area. There are more cushioned chairs facing the park and a large working desk with regular wooden chairs. The space feels very open.
    Second floor expanded seating area.
  • The spacious new Welcome Center. The Welcome Desk is smaller than the circulation desk used to be, allowing more room for patrons to move around and for book and item displays.
    First floor expanded Welcome Center. with more display space, Welcome Desk and self checkout stations.
  • Another view of the Welcome Center, showing the staircase to the second floor, the entrance to Children's, and the book displays in the area. The parking lot entrance is even visible from this photo.
    First floor expanded Welcome Center. with more display space, Welcome Desk and self checkout stations.
  • The Welcome Center seating area, next to shelving for the Library of Things collection. A display on this wall is used to promote library events and P.S.A.s.
    Designated shelving for the Library of Things collection.