Work is underway in the Franklin Township Library’s $1.8 million roof replacement project at the main branch on DeMott Lane.

The work, which began on April 9, will be completed in two phases and is expected to take two months, said January Adams, the library’s Director of Library Services.

“The panels on the gallery roof are being replaced with new panels that will be insulated to prevent heat loss in the winter and excessive build up in the summer months,” Adams said in an email. “The new panels will also do a better job of diffusing light on sunny days. There will be two phases, with work beginning at the back of the gallery and moving towards the front doors.”

Although the main branch will remain open during the project, Adams said patrons can expect some disruptions during the work.

“Adams said the impacts include, but are not limited to:

• The Community Room will be unavailable for public programs.
• New Arrivals, DVDs, Blu-rays, and Manga/Graphic Novels will temporarily be located at the front of the nonfiction collection, right around the corner from their previous location.
• Both silent study rooms will be unavailable for the duration of the project.
• There will be restricted access to the library’s Fiction and Large Type collections.
• The  public  restrooms located in the lobby will be inaccessible during phase II of the project. The restroom in the Youth Services section of the building will remain open. 
• The front entrance to the library will be closed during the second phase.  Visitors will be able to enter the building through the doors located to the right and left of the front of the building.

Residents can use the library’s other two branches in the Franklin Youth Center on Lewis Street and the Franklin Park Branch at 64 Clover Place, next to Franklin Park School.