The James Memorial Public Library was set to reopen on Wednesday (Oct. 8) with limited hours of 10 a.m. to 5 p.m.

This comes after several months of closure due to the installation of two new HVAC units, which was completed last week.

Library staff will be bringing the facility back into full operation over the coming weeks and began the return of storytime last week, which will continue each Wednesday at 10 a.m. The facility had to be shut down after an HVAC unit began failing, making it very difficult to keep the facility cool during hot summer days.

The St. James City Council approved $28,000 to purchase two replacement HVAC units to alleviate the issue. New units were installed and replaced the old units, which were nearly 60 years old.

Fisher Mechanical, of Rolla, was the lowest bidder on the installation and the city council awarded them a contract to complete the work in August. The installation took over a month to complete, but staff are excited to be able to offer library services again now that the new units are in full operation.

Friends of the Library, a volunteer group that fundraises for the library and provides community activities, also helped with the process by holding a fundraising campaign that raised $1,508.65 to help the city fund the purchase of the new units.

A welcome back celebration was being held on Oct. 8 with face painting, chalk, rock painting, games and more for the community.

The library will be posting additional information regarding the return of fall programs on the James Memorial Public Library Facebook page as staff prepare for regular operation and the community can view the page to keep up to date on hours and programming in the coming weeks.