Popular Maplewood branch library closing for renovation, expansion

The city of Rochester's Maplewood branch library will wind down operations Saturday before an extended closure for an extensive renovation and expansion project.

“Maplewood is and has been one of our busiest branches ... for visits, programs, and computer use,” said city library director Patti Uttaro. “Particularly among children.”

Being in a part of the city with the highest concentration of recent immigrants, it’s also where programs for New Americans are based.

The $7.8 million project will increase the branch library’s size by more than a third, renovate the interior and add a secure, outdoor play area as well as a new Dewey Avenue entrance. Construction is estimated to take 18 to 24 months.

“Monday is their first day closed,” Uttaro said. “They're actually closing on Saturday. They're doing some fun things, picture taking and snacks and cake to celebrate the closing. And then they will be spending the month of June packing everything up and moving to a temporary site.”

Plans are to open a temporary location during that time at the former Holy Rosary Church, a building a half mile away on Lexington Avenue that is shared by Mary’s Place refugee outreach center.

"We don't have a specific day yet,” Uttaro said of the temporary site opening. “It will depend on how quickly we can get things moved in.”

Most Maplewood patrons walk or bike to the library, records show.

The branch opened in 1959, and today averages 5,800 visits a month. While the Winton, Charlotte and Douglass branches have the highest in circulation, or books borrowed, among city branches, at Maplewood, people come for the services. Children and adults log more than 800 hours of computer usage monthly, records show, and pack the several dozen programs being offered.

The temporary library at 414 Lexington Ave. will offer the same services but with roughly half the space as the branch there will be fewer computers and other adjustments. Getting a fiber internet connection remains a concern.

“We were told last week that it would be 150 days before they could actually install the line,” Uttaro said, “and we're working with them to make that happen sooner."

Until then, she said, they’ll still have internet service, it will just be slower.

Maplewood is one of three city branches identified as needing investment in a recent facilities study.

Lincoln (and its popular toy library) was another and was the first to undergo renovation. That $2 million project was expected to take four to six months but lasted nearly a year . The library reopened last summer and patrons were slow to return, Uttaro said. At Lyell, which has seen usage decline, there are plans to reduce hours to three days a week and utilize a new bookmobile the other three days that will travel to sites in the area. That transition could come late summer, officials said.