BARRINGTON -- The Barrington Public Library is asking patrons for help in renovating and redesigning the library's main floor.
More than 100 surveys -- available since last week at the library or on its Web site (www.barringtonlibrary.org) -- have been completed, director Deborah Barchi said.
Participants rate how important the library's collections -- such as music CDs, nonfiction and periodicals -- are as well as seating comfort, young adult materials, temperature control and lighting quality.
Other questions on the survey include "what do you like most about the library" and "if you could change one thing about the library, what would that be?"
Barchi said, "The building was converted into a library in 1984. It hasn't even had a fresh lick of paint since then."
The pending aesthetic improvements -- such as replacing the "grungy" ceiling tiles -- have been discussed for quite some time, she said.
However, a recent bequest from Nancy C. Blinn -- a retired geologist and lab technician who died early last year -- has changed the timing and process of the renovation.
She left about $372,000 to the library, its largest donation from a private citizen. Blinn also bequeathed $465,000 to the Barrington YMCA. Barchi said that Blinn visited both places regularly: the library about once a week to read the periodicals and the Y several times a week.
" Although we were moving towards it anyway, [the donation] couldn't have been more timely," Barchi said.
Before the donation, the library planned to "piecemeal" the renovations over time. It now plans to complete the projects together.
The library will spend the rest of the summer considering the input from the survey in planning what to change. The one-page survey was also sent to about 250 members of the Friends of the Barrington Public Library.
Moving the quiet area to another spot in the library is one project already discussed. According to Barchi, the quiet area is above the senior center's activity room where bingo and other games are played.
Another is to expand the teenage services area, an important program to the library.
"We have been trying to beef up the teen services for two years," Barchi said. " We hired a full-time youth librarian [recently] and now we need to expand the room."
The library is also discussing moving the large-print books closer to the main entrance. Barchi said they are currently in the back of the room and some who use them have trouble walking.
Renovations can begin as early as the fall.
