Don’t try to tell the group of babbling babies at the Cascade Park Community Library to shush. There’s no being quiet in this weekly gathering of toddlers and their parents, filled with stories, singing and, of course, the occasional crying.
“We try to come three times a week,” said Gina Hunt, whose 1-year-old Brandon was dead set on clambering up another family’s stroller.
Hunt and little Brandon’s routine, however, will be temporarily interrupted later this month as the library will close for construction.
Cascade Park Community Library, at 600 N.E. 136th Ave., Vancouver, will close from Jan. 27 through Feb. 17 for painting, new carpet and some other minor upgrades. Patrons can still return materials and pick up holds on a modified schedule, and some of the library’s popular storytimes will be held off-site.
The “refresh,” as the library district calls it, is part of a $939,500 capital campaign to improve facilities in 2020. The Cascade Park project will cost about $350,000. The library district will make improvements at Vancouver Community Library’s early learning center, replace the roof at the La Center Community Library, replace flooring in the meeting room at the White Salmon Valley Community Library and build additional storage at the Vancouver Mall Library. The library district’s total budget is about $31 million.
“It’s part of our regular planning to make sure we take a look at each of our locations and give them a little sprucing up as needed,” library spokesman Tak Kendrick said.
In the meantime, patrons can place holds on material and pick them up in the library’s Community Room from Jan. 27 through Feb. 12 during the following hours and times:
• 11 a.m. to 7 p.m., Mondays, Tuesdays and Wednesdays.
• 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Thursdays, Fridays and Saturdays.
Most library programs will be canceled, but free story times will be held at the following times and off-site locations:
• Family Storytime: 10:30 to 11:30 a.m., Jan. 28, Firstenburg Community Center, 700 N.E. 136th Ave., Vancouver.
• Building Blocks Storytime: 11:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m., Jan. 28, Hearthwood Elementary School, 801 N.E. Hearthwood Blvd., Vancouver.
• Family Storytime: 10:30 to 11:30 a.m., Feb. 4, Firstenburg Community Center.
• Building Blocks Storytime: 11:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m., Feb. 10, Crestline Elementary School, 13003 S.E. Seventh St., Vancouver.
• Family Storytime: 10:30 to 11:30 a.m., Feb. 11, Firstenburg Community Center.
Hunt isn’t concerned about the temporary closure. It’ll be good for highly mobile Brandon to see someplace new for a few weeks.
“We’ll just get use to going somewhere else,” she said.
