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Renovo Area Public Library to reopen soon

Volunteers help move furniture, books, and more back into the building

KEVIN RAUCH/THE EXPRESS The Renovo Area Public Library is planning to reopen for the first time since mid-March, after being closed due to the COVID-19 pandemic and a lengthy remodeling job highlighted with a new apoxy floor. The library board and staff had just days to get everything moved back into place. They had some great help from Dominion Energy employees and members of the Bucktail High School football team. Pictured are Dominion employees, from left, Butch Francis and Larry Gentzyel, and football players Bear Kelly, second from right, and Xavier Jarrett. Dominion employees and Renovo Librarian Barb Rauch said Kelly and Jarrett were tremendous help for both days.

KEVIN RAUCH/THE EXPRESS
The library had moved all of their furniture, books and equipment into the former Family Dollar Store while repairs were made to the library. Pictured are the Dominon Energy employees and Bucktail football players who hauled everything and put it back into the library. Those helping were, from left, D.J. Perry, John Barrows, Butch Francis, Pat Tarantella, Bear Kelly, Larry Gentzyel, Xavier Jarrett and Kody George.

RENOVO — After an extended delay the Renovo Area Public Library will reopen their doors in early August, after being closed since mid-March.

The library had already planned on closing for several weeks due to major renovations including an apoxy floor throughout the entire building. Days after closing for the upgrades Pennsylvania closed public libraries as a result of the COVID 19 pandemic. The construction went on much longer than expected and after two delays plans to reopen are finally coming into fruition.

Every book and piece of equipment in the building had to be moved out of the library for the renovations. Employees of Dominion Energy answered the call. The move took the employees two days and trucks and trailers to complete the haul.

Likewise, this time in the middle of a heat wave and as the Renovo Library planned their reopening, they again had to seek help from Dominion. Librarian Barb Rauch called upon Superintendant of Leidy, Aaron Hughes, and he made it happen.

“We cannot thank Aaron and the guys that showed up from Dominion enough. The manual labor and equipment that they provided to us was the only way we ever would have gotten the library ready for reopening” a gracious Rauch explained.

Again, the employees took a two full days moving furniture, computers and tens-of-thousands of books. The librarian said that the employees even saved pictures of the library from back in March on their personal cell phones, keeping them ready for this week when they set the library back into place.

This time Dominion had some help from Bucktail High School football players Xavier Jarrett and Bear Kelly and Chapman Township Volunteer Fire Company.

“Xavier and Bear worked just as hard as the adults. They are both great kids and we really appreciated them giving up two days and helping us,” Rauch commented.

Plenty of bills and costs were incurred during the temporary closure and the library had to put their annual funddrive on hold. They will look upon community support following their reopening. Even though the fund drive letters are dated from April, they will get them out as soon as they are up and running in August.

“We’ve really missed our patrons, our avid adult readers and our kids who come to get on the computers every day. We’re really looking forward to seeing everyone again, in a safe manner as the state recommends,” said Rauch.

With Rauch at the helm several of the most earnest of readers of the community have been switching off new releases in recent weeks in anticipation of once again visiting the library in person.

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