by Katie Orlando

HUNTERSVILLE – Huntersville residents will have to drive a little further to pick up books in May, but their library will be back up and running in time for summer reading.

Mecklenburg County workers are replacing windows at the North County Regional Library at 16500 Holly Crest Lane.

Old windows were leaking and causing problems with water and humidity, Charlotte Mecklenburg Library representative Cordelia Anderson said.

The library will close from May 7 to June 9 during the middle phase of the renovation.

The library will open a temporary service outlet during the closure at 16815 Cranlyn Road. Birkdale Village is lending that space to the library for free.

The temporary library will offer a light browsing collection. No seating, computer access, programs, classes or story times will be available. Library users will be able to pick up hold items at the temporary service outlet.

North County Library staff will work at the temporary service outlet and keep tabs on the return box that will remain open at the library. Staff will also work at nearby branches in Cornelius and Davidson.

Those locations may experience more traffic during the time when North County is closed, Anderson said.

The library will be open before and after that phase, but patrons will hear construction noise, and the indoor climate will fluctuate as windows are replaced.

Details and updates are available at www.CMLibrary.org.

The North County library should be open again before  summer reading programs begin.

“We know how important summer reading is to our community, our families, our kids and their education,” Anderson said.

Registration for summer reading will open in May. Details on summer reading will be available at www.CMLibrary.org.

Alternate library branches

May 7 – June 9, library alternatives are:

•Temporary Service Outlet, 16815 Cranlyn Road, Birkdale Village, Huntersville

•Cornelius Library, 21105 Catawba Ave.

•Davidson Library, 119 S. Main St.

•Beatties Ford Road Library, 2412 Beatties Ford Road, Charlotte

Details: www.CMLibrary.org.