Sequoya Branch to Close Temporarily Beginning October 4
The Sequoya Branch will close to the public at 5 p.m. on Saturday, October 4 in order to prepare for the demolition of the current Library for Phase II of the Sequoya Commons development on October 13.
The new Sequoya should open in early November. Programs scheduled to occur at the Sequoya Branch have been cancelled from October 6 through November 15.
The book drop will remain open until Monday, October 6 at 9 p.m.
“We’re urging Sequoya users to utilize nearby Madison libraries – Alicia Ashman, Meadowridge, Monroe Street, or the Central Library,” said Jane Roughen, Community Services Manager.
The new long-awaited Sequoya Branch will occupy 20,000 square feet at street level in Sequoya Commons, a mixed use residential, retail and public library development. The Library is the first in Madison to seek LEED certification for a green building, and the building itself will serve as a demonstration project — educating library users about sustainable buildings. The Library will feature a special children’s area with sections devoted to early literacy and family reading, an area especially for teens, and a hearth room for quiet reading. There will be a large community room for neighborhood meetings and programs, and smaller conference rooms for study groups, small meetings and tutoring. The new Sequoya will offer expanded Internet access computer stations with centralized printing, as well as full WI-FI availability for laptop users, the option of self-service checkout, and nearly 120,000 assorted books and media and access to valuable subscription-based informational and educational databases through the LINK system.
Entry Filed under: Sequoya Updates
24 Comments Add your own
1. Rachel Hillman | September 22nd, 2008 at 3:31 pm
I’d be happy to volunteer at Sequoya either while the library is being readied for occupancy or after it opens.
2. Tana | September 22nd, 2008 at 5:29 pm
Rachel, thanks for your generous offer. I’ve forwarded your name and email to our Community Services Manager for our branch libraries, you’ll hear from her soon!
3. Barbara | September 23rd, 2008 at 9:39 pm
If we have holds that come during that time, how shall we pick them up?
4. Melanie | September 23rd, 2008 at 10:42 pm
How do we get holds we currently have placed and pending to transfer to the Monroe Street Library, rather than Ashman? Thank you!
5. Tana | September 24th, 2008 at 1:11 am
Barbara and Melanie,
Holds with a Sequoya pickup location are set to automatically transfer to the Alicia Ashman branch on 733 N. High Point Road during the time Sequoya is closed. In a few days, Sequoya will no longer be an option when placing holds in our library catalog
If you’d rather pick your holds up at a location other than te Alicia Ashman branch, please call Sequoya at 266-6385 or any other Madison library. We can change your preferred pickup location over the phone. We apologize for the inconvenience but think the new Sequoya will be well worth the wait!
6. Karla | September 29th, 2008 at 2:50 pm
Are we able to keep books that we have already checked out from Sequoya that aren’t due until its closed? Should I just return them to another Madison library?
7. Tana | October 1st, 2008 at 12:39 am
Hi, Karla,
Yes, you certainly can keep the books you’ve checked out from Sequoya. When they’re due, return them to any Madison Public Library location.
8. Robin | October 6th, 2008 at 11:32 am
I wonder about the community rooms - what sizes are they? are they carpeted? how can I reserve one either one time or for a series of times? how much does it cost, if anything?
Thanks!
9. Eleanore Tollman | October 16th, 2008 at 10:13 am
What is the exact date slated for the opening of the new Sequoya library? If that date is still not known exactly is there a estimatation time that you can give, because I have heard various, contradictory accounts of when it will open. For example, I have heard that it will open around November 1st, but onther information that I have recieved says that it will still be closed for most of November as well.
Can you please clarify this more?
Thankyou.
Eleanore
10. Linda | October 16th, 2008 at 1:35 pm
I, too, would be happy to assist with getting the new Sequoia set up and ready for operation.
11. Kathy | October 18th, 2008 at 2:27 pm
I would also like to volunteer to help at the library.
12. Tana | October 20th, 2008 at 12:29 am
Linda and Kathy, we appreciate your enthusiasm. The site is still unfinished and not yet open to the public for safety reasons. But we anticipate having volunteer opportunities shortly before the opening date or in the first few weeks after we open. People interested in volunteering can send their contact information to gdrexler@scls.lib.wi.us and Sequoya staff will respond as volunteer opportunities arise. Thank you for your patience and support.
13. Barb D. | October 20th, 2008 at 12:33 am
Eleanore and others,
I wish we could give you the exact date when the new Sequoya will open. If you’ve peeked in the windows of the new Library from Tokay you can see that furnishings are arriving daily, equipment is being hooked up, lights are being installed and interior finishes are well underway. Shelving is being installed. The new Branch will continue to be hub of activity from now until everything is ready for opening day and we receive our occupancy permit from the City. (The City’s agreement with the contractor calls for actual construction to be finished by November 2.) We will need to move those items we are “recycling” from the old building to the new one, reshelve 125,000 books, media, magazines, make sure all the PC’s are connected, the technology works, the necessary furnishings have arrived, the plumbing works, etc.
I want to tell you that we’ll be ready to open early in November, but we really don’t know. We are working diligently to open the Branch as soon as possible. And I can say the new Sequoya Branch will definitely be worth the wait.
Barbara Dimick, Director
14. Gregg | October 21st, 2008 at 10:48 am
Hi Robin
I’m one of the librarians at the Sequoya Branch Library, I will try to answer your question with what I know at this point. The new Sequoya will have two meeting rooms each one is approximately the same size as the old one. Have you been in the old meeting room? I would say it is about 15 x 15 but that’s a guess. They are carpeted, but I believe it is a pretty thin carpet
There is no charge to use the rooms, it’s just a matter of finding an open time. The full policy for meeting rooms can be found here:
http://www.madisonpubliclibrary.org/about/meetingroombranch.html
Highlights of the policy are that it needs to be a community/nonprofit group, it cannot be to promote a product or business, the meetings should be open to the public, and you are limited to using the meeting room just twice a month.
Give us a call once we open and we can check on times that the room is available for you.
15. Carolyn May | October 24th, 2008 at 3:24 pm
I noticed that the new library has a large sign that calls it Madison Public Library, but the name “Sequoya Branch” is missing. Will that be coming? It’s a distinctive name and I feel it should be there, too.
Thanks,
Carolyn
16. scott | October 29th, 2008 at 10:49 am
Will we be able to return materials to the library before it opens for normal business? I have a bunch of stuff that needs to go back. The Sequoia branch works best for me.
17. Tana | October 29th, 2008 at 3:31 pm
Carolyn, the Sequoya Branch name will be etched into the glass doors at the entrance. Branch vs. system identity is an issue that we think about a lot and we’ve made a conscious decision to promote that we’re the Madison Public Library and serve all Madisonians. That said, we’re also proud of our individual branch names as they reflect the neighborhoods they’re in and the history of the library.
18. Xeno | November 15th, 2008 at 3:52 pm
I have a date for the Grand Opening! (or at least I think this is it)
December 8
I also hear it will be open to the public around wendsday.
Hope it’s true.
19. Ben M | November 17th, 2008 at 12:08 pm
Shouldn’t the Sequoya branch be open by now? Can someone post an update or an opening date, please?
20. Tana | November 17th, 2008 at 3:34 pm
Xeno, who’s your source?! Yes, the Grand Opening Date is Monday, December 8, 4:30-6 p.m. More info about the opening is here, those are all the details we know now. And yes, we sincerely hope the library will open this Wednesday, November 19. Watch for the official notice on our site by tomorrow! We appreciate everyone’s patience and can’t wait to open our doors. If you’re curious, you can sneak a peek inside the library by looking at our Flickr online photos.
21. Xeno | November 17th, 2008 at 7:44 pm
I am a member of the neighborhood band and I got it from our band director. We play at the grand opening.
22. Jack | November 17th, 2008 at 8:13 pm
When will LINK users be able to request holds at Sequoia again? Also, if we have holds set to pick up at another location, can we switch them to Sequoia once it opens?
23. Xeno | November 19th, 2008 at 5:14 pm
Jack I just was on LINK and I was able to choose Sequoia as a pickup location.
24. Tana | November 19th, 2008 at 6:37 pm
Sequoya is once again a pickup location as of today. If your holds are elsewhere, or being sent elsewhere, you may now call the library that has the holds and ask that they be returned to Sequoya as well.
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