The Petrolia Library is scheduled to close temporarily for five weeks beginning April 3 for renovations inside the more than century-old former train station.
The Petrolia Library is scheduled to close temporarily for five weeks beginning April 3 for renovations inside the more than century-old former train station.
The work is being carried out by the town, which owns the building, and the Lambton County Library, which operates the branch, with the help of a donation from the estate of a former Petrolia resident.
The late Kathleen Schuldt, who grew up in Petrolia, and her husband, Otto Schuldt, left $440,500 a few years ago to be used for the town’s library and its services for children.
Darlene Coke, manager of library services, said it has up to $100,000 available for the current renovations being carried out by the county.
“We’re looking forward just to freshening up the space,” she said.
Renovations include new shelving, flooring, paint and upgraded access to technology, including the installation of an early literacy station computer in the children’s area of the library.
Early literacy stations are designed for ages two to 8 and offer more than 4,000 activities in math, science and nature, social studies and geography, reading, art and music, writing and computer skills.
Stations are also in place at county library branches in Alvinston, Corunna, Forest, Point Edward, Thedford, Wyoming, and Sarnia’s Mall Road and downtown branches.
Coke said the stations weren’t in use during pandemic restrictions, but the county library is now reintroducing them at the branches where they are located.
Renovations at the Petrolia branch will also include installing a new accessible service desk and some changes to the floor plan, including the location of its public computers and the service desk.
“The location of the children’s library will still be the same. It’s just going to look a little bit different,” Coke said.
The building dates back to 1903, when it opened as a train station, and it became the town’s library in 1937.
“The Town of Petrolia is also making some improvements to the site while we have it closed,” Coke said. “They’re looking at refinishing the hardwood floors in the space, and they were also going to make some improvements to electrical and the exterior doors.”
The library is expected to reopen May 7.
All of its services will pause during the renovations, including curbside pickup and its book return bins.
The library said due dates on borrowed items are being extended to May 7, but the public is being encouraged to visit nearby branches in Wyoming, Alvinston, Oil Springs and Bridgen, as well as online services, while the Petrolia site is closed.