The L.E. Phillips Memorial Public Library will return to its downtown home this fall, reopening its doors at 400 Eau Claire Street in early September. The move will require a short pause on many library services as over 125,000 materials are relocated back downtown and we prepare the building’s all-new amenities.
All in-person library services will be paused from August 7 through early September.
July 29
August 6
Update: Digital services will no longer be paused!
August 9 through 10
Early September
Beginning September 26
During the closure, library materials will be moved to the downtown location. We’ll use this time to reestablish core services and prepare the building’s new spaces for the public.
Due Dates
No materials will be due during the closure. All due dates will be extended to a date after the move.
Placing Holds
Though materials cannot be picked up at the library until it reopens, holds may be placed throughout the closure. (Materials can, however, be picked up from other libraries.)
Returning Materials
Customers wishing to return materials during the closure may visit the library’s return boxes around Eau Claire (map).
Digital Services
While the library itself is unavailable, most of the library’s digital and online services will continue, including services like Hoopla, Freegal, Sawdust City Sounds, LinkedIn Learning, Data Axle Reference Solutions, Mango Languages, and Freading. (Many services require a library card. Customers may still access their personal library account at www.more.bibliocommons.com/user/login.)
Outreach
Some of the library’s outreach programs will also continue through the closure, with our BookBike and Dabble Box staff visiting locations around Eau Claire.
Home Delivery
Our Home Delivery will be paused until mid-September.
Area Libraries
Eau Claire customers who require in-person service are encouraged to visit other MORE libraries, such as the Chippewa Falls and Altoona public libraries. Customers may also select these libraries as pickup locations for their holds.
Contacting Staff
Staff is currently exploring contact/support options during the closure.
Temporary Location
After August 6, we will permanently close our temporary location on Mall Drive. (Maintaining a branch/satellite location is beyond the library’s current resources.)
Questions? 715-839-5004 • reference@eauclaire.lib.wi.us
Construction on the 46-year-old building began in May of 2021. Funded by an $11.5 million investment by the City of Eau Claire and $7 million in private donations through the library’s Story Builder capital campaign, the reopened building will feature a new third floor, an all-new layout, and a modernized mechanical infrastructure for heating, cooling, and more. These changes will add square footage to the library, make better use of existing space, and save money in annual running costs.
Designed by MSR Design and built by Market & Johnson, Inc., a few of the most dramatic changes and additions include the following…
Third Floor Community Room – The library’s new third floor will house a 200-seat, public-use event space with room for all kinds of events, up-to-date technology, and great views of the Eau Claire River. Right outside the space will be a central art gallery and a rooftop terrace/green space.
All-new Innovation Lab – Also up on the new third floor, patrons will find a spacious, public-use, classroom-style space designed for different types of events, workshops, and gatherings such as cooking and science demonstrations.
Bigger, Better Dabble Box – The library’s new Dabble Box makerspace will be twice as big, adding room for STEAM learning opportunities, workshops, events, and more. A new outdoor patio will make space for those messier science experiments.
Expanded Kids Areas – Kids and families will enjoy a greatly expanded space with lots of natural light, a larger event room, two “play and learn” areas, a toddler gym, and increased shelving for children’s materials.
Dedicated Teen Space – Located near the expanded kids’ areas, teens will find a space made just for them, with teen-friendly seating, displays, meeting rooms, and collections all in one place.
Tween Space – Similar to the new teen space, the library will have an area just for tweens, which will include three study rooms, a lounge, and a computer area.
Accessible Shelving – To serve the whole community better than ever before, aisles between shelves will be 12 to 18 inches wider, and the shelves themselves will be 12 to 24 inches lower. These changes put everything into easier reach while increasing sightlines and bringing in more daylight.
Meeting Rooms – The first and second floors will feature meeting and study rooms perfect for a variety of group sizes, including a modern 24-person conference room and special “book club” room for less formal gatherings.
More Good Stuff – The new design also features an automated materials-return system, a lower-level drive-thru pickup window, a cost-saving geothermal heating and cooling system, and more.
Construction on the 46-year-old building began in May of 2021. Funded by an $11.5 million investment by the City of Eau Claire and $7 million in private donations through the library’s Story Builder capital campaign, the reopened building will feature a new third floor, an all-new layout, and a modernized mechanical infrastructure for heating, cooling, and more. These changes will add square footage to the library, make better use of existing space, and save money in annual running costs.
Designed by MSR Design and built by Market & Johnson, Inc., a few of the most dramatic changes and additions include the following…
Third Floor Community Room – The library’s new third floor will house a 200-seat, public-use event space with room for all kinds of events, up-to-date technology, and great views of the Eau Claire River. Right outside the space will be a central art gallery and a rooftop terrace/green space.
All-new Innovation Lab – Also up on the new third floor, patrons will find a spacious, public-use, classroom-style space designed for different types of events, workshops, and gatherings such as cooking and science demonstrations.
Bigger, Better Dabble Box – The library’s new Dabble Box makerspace will be twice as big, adding room for STEAM learning opportunities, workshops, events, and more. A new outdoor patio will make space for those messier science experiments.
Expanded Kids Areas – Kids and families will enjoy a greatly expanded space with lots of natural light, a larger event room, two “play and learn” areas, a toddler gym, and increased shelving for children’s materials.
Dedicated Teen Space – Located near the expanded kids’ areas, teens will find a space made just for them, with teen-friendly seating, displays, meeting rooms, and collections all in one place.
Tween Space – Similar to the new teen space, the library will have an area just for tweens, which will include three study rooms, a lounge, and a computer area.
Accessible Shelving – To serve the whole community better than ever before, aisles between shelves will be 12 to 18 inches wider, and the shelves themselves will be 12 to 24 inches lower. These changes put everything into easier reach while increasing sightlines and bringing in more daylight.
Meeting Rooms – The first and second floors will feature meeting and study rooms perfect for a variety of group sizes, including a modern 24-person conference room and special “book club” room for less formal gatherings.
More Good Stuff – The new design also features an automated materials-return system, a lower-level drive-thru pickup window, a cost-saving geothermal heating and cooling system, and more.
