A sweeping renovation is transforming the first floor of the Cambria County Library in downtown Johnstown, promising visitors a more modern, flexible, and welcoming space when the work wraps up later this summer.
The project, which is overhauling roughly 75% of the first floor, includes construction of two new meeting rooms and five new "focus" rooms designed to give patrons quiet, dedicated workspaces. The effort aims to make the library more user-friendly and better suited to the needs of today's visitors.
Executive Director Ashley Flynn said the upgrades extend well beyond the new rooms. The redesigned floor will feature a self-checkout station, new seating areas, a hands-on learning lab classroom, and a redesigned entryway into the library.
"There will be a new updated teen area, and we'll have a cafe space," Flynn said. "All of the restrooms will be fully ADA (Americans with Disabilities Act) accessible. We also will have a special ADA family restroom with an adult changing table, which is special for us."
A second phase of the first-floor renovation will revamp the community room space, Flynn said. As the current phase progresses, first-floor library services have been temporarily relocated to other parts of the building.
"These additional options are really going to increase the things that people can do and the flexibility that they have," Flynn said.
The improvements build on recent work elsewhere in the building. The third floor was recently revamped with new flooring and a refreshed Pennsylvania Room, which houses the library's archives and genealogical collections. Once the circulation staff returns to the first floor after construction concludes, a new computer lab is planned for that space as well.
"We want people to be able to feel really welcome and comfortable in a modern space that suits their needs," Flynn added.
The grand opening of the renovated first floor is tentatively set for Aug. 20. To learn more about the library's renovation work, visit the Cambria County Library website.
