Darrington Library moves to school

Published 10:16 pm Tuesday, June 10, 2008

DARRINGTON — School’s out Thursday and the town’s library is moving in.

While the Darrington Library undergoes a remodel and expansion this summer, the library’s collections and computers will be available in the commons at Darrington Middle School.

The library’s last day for business adjacent to Town Hall is June 24. It is scheduled to reopen on June 30 at the school, branch manager Linda McPherson said.

The library is going to make the most of its temporary home and has planned a number of events for the town’s teenagers, McPherson said.

Included is a seven-week video gaming program set for 3 p.m. Tuesdays beginning July 1.

“The school should be a comfortable place for the kids to come and visit the library,” McPherson said.

When school starts in September, library collections likely will go into storage before the expanded library opens its doors sometime in October, McPherson said.

The 1,300-square-foot expansion includes a multipurpose room and more space for library services, including a special area for teens. The current library has about 2,250 square feet.

The town owns the library building and Sno-Isle Libraries runs the library. Recently, voters agreed to annex into the Sno-Isle system and tax themselves directly for library services. Previously, the town contracted with Sno-Isle for library service.

The $450,000 expansion project is being funded by the town, Sno-Isle Libraries, a Snohomish County community block grant and timber tax reserve funds from the rural Darrington Library District.

This week, library staff is busy packing and preparing for the move to the school, McPherson said. “It’s an exciting time,” she said.

Summertime library hours at the school are 11 a.m. to 8 p.m. Mondays and Wednesdays, 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. Tuesdays, Thursdays, Fridays and Saturdays. The library is closed on Sundays. The middle school is at 1065 Fir St.