ROCKPORT, Maine — Dozens of volunteers turned out Saturday for the start of the move of the Rockport Public Library to its new temporary home.
Residents were working at two locations starting in the morning, with people loading books into a U-Haul truck at the library in the village and others at the new site on Route 1.
Library Director Ben Blackmon said people have heeded the call to assist in the move.
“We’ve had a lot of volunteers. We definitely could not have done it without them unless we stayed closed for a lot longer,” Blackmon said.
The unseasonably warm 55 degree temperature and sunshine helped make the moving easier on Saturday. An estimated 30,000 books, videos and magazines were taken off the shelves in the village library, boxed and trucked to the new location about 2 miles south.
The library will be closed until Monday, Dec. 21, when the Route 1 location opens.
The new location offers more room — 5,400 square feet compared with 3,300 square feet at the village site. The new temporary quarters has three bathrooms — two more than the current location.
“The staff work space will no longer be a tiny closet,” Blackmon said.
The new location is also compliant with the Americans with Disabilities Act and has ample parking.
The Select Board approved a two-year lease for the Route 1 (485 Commercial St.) property with an option for additional years if the town needs more time. The property is owned by Blue-Aqua Corp. of Del Ray Beach, Florida.
The move is being made because of the poor condition and poor air quality of the current library in Rockport Village.
The Select Board has created a committee that will plan for a new library.
The new library will be built on the current site at 1 Limerock St. and the adjacent Memorial Park (The Village Green).